The reason FlipTite got started was because, the founder, Tim Tucker, needed a strapping system that would secure production wood pieces to a cart that could then be moved across the old, cracked and bumpy floor of his woodworking shop.

Traditional ratchet straps were too much work for the task. What he needed was something that didn’t require so much of his time. Something quick. Bungee cords were quick, but too springy and allowed the load to slide around too much, and cam straps couldn’t be pulled tight enough.

Seeking to find the easiest tie-down strap ever, one that was simple, fast, and just as tight as a ratchet, he set out to create a buckle of his own that would check off all those points.

The original concept was to make something to fulfill his own needs. But, soon he realized that other people could enjoy the invention he was about to create. So, the aim then was to develop a new product – and a new business!

That original shop is long gone, and so too is his original need. (Really! They tore the building down because it was so bad!) But, the quest to develop a strap that could compete head to head with traditional ratchet straps continued for more than a decade.

Throughout his journey, hundreds of variations were created in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) program called SolidWorks. Dozens of them progressed to prototype stage.

Eventually, he arrived at what he felt was a final version. Tim, after spending oodles of his own money and time, finally had a design he liked.

The first dozen prototypes, each with small upgrades, each of them working towards getting closer the goal.

Although successful at resolving all of the issues he sought to remedy, that first version turned out to be very demanding in the hands of the public. Many people loved it, but not everyone could make it work.

So, even though tooling had been made and production was up to speed, he had to stop everything, analyze what needed to change, and start all over to create a very different buckle, one that had all the benefits of the original, plus it had to be user-friendly.

Now, with the patent pending and blessings from many large hardware chains, FlipTite is producing its second version. Everyone here at FlipTite is very happy with it. And, we’re sure you will be too.