About Hydra-Zorb Company
Hydra-Zorb Co. sets the standard for industrial clamping systems, serving the hydraulics, machine tool, plumbing and refrigeration industries. Orval Opperthauser's ingenious solution to an aggravating industrial problem grew into a company serving a world-wide market. It all started with the answer to a client's problem. Mr. Opperthauser was working at the F. Joseph Lamb Co. in Detroit, a major supplier of automotive machine tools and an early incubator of Detroit engineering talent. When Pontiac Motor Division needed a way to absorb vibrational shock in hydraulic lines for an important piece of transfer equipment, Mr. Opperthauser, in a span of just 24 hours, designed a shock-absorbing, cushioned clamp that could be installed right onto the hydraulic lines as they snaked around the equipment - saving a month of costly tear down and lost production time. In 1973, he struck out on his own and founded Hydra-Zorb Company. Before long, Mr. Opperthauser had built his company to capture the lion's share of its market through an international network of distributors. "The company was founded on three things," Mr. Opperthauser said. "The best product. The best service. And absolute trust." The result? Even after his patents expired, allowing competitors to sell variants as well as clones of the Hydra-Zorb clamping system, fully 80 percent of his 1970s customers remain faithful Hydra-Zorb customers today. We continue to follow the same principles 50 years after the invention of Hydra-Zorb cushion clamps. Our new products, including the Klo-Shure insulation coupling and the TRH hanger system, were also designed based on customer needs. Hydra-Zorb continues to be a brand name known and trusted for quality, reliability and integrity.
