Sanford H. High (1907-1983)
High launched a small welding shop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1931. From its humble roots, High Welding Company established a keen focus on innovation and serving customers-and serving them well, which came to be known as “The High Way.”
The founder pioneered the welded bridge concept, saving time and money for cash-strapped highway departments during the Great Depression. He convinced skeptical engineers that highway bridges presented a new frontier for welding instead of riveting. High’s tenacity paid off during a 1933 experimental welded bridge project in York County, Pennsylvania.
High Welding Company grew in the number of workers and job complexity, and in the late 1950s automated welding equipment was adopted, revolutionizing heavy girder construction and leading the movement to faster, lower-cost submerged arc welding; the predominant process in use at High Steel Structures, LLC.
