About EM-BOLT

EM-BOLT® is the innovation of Tim Hardy PE, a registered structural engineer who has practiced engineering since 1995. Mr. Hardy is the founder and owner of Hardy Structural Engineering (HSE), a small well-respected structural engineering firm founded in 2003 and located in northern Vermont. EM-BOLT is produced by Jen-Col Innovations (JCI), also owned and operated by Mr. Hardy.

Tim got the idea for EM-BOLT in response to a construction scene that is all-too-common. His firm was providing the structural engineering on a multi-story commercial building. While on the job site one cold and rainy November day, he came upon a welder, high up a ladder with his welding gear weighing him down. His job that day was to weld dozens of embed plates for steel beam installation. Weather conditions were going from bad to worse, but the welder stayed on task -- he understood the impact of any delays to the construction schedule.

“There has to be a better way to do this,” was Tim’s gut response to seeing this dedicated worker fighting the elements. Ten years later, after several prototypes and multiple rounds of testing, the pre-fab embed plate kit known as EM-BOLT was launched. The years of development and testing included working with local concrete and steel contractors, (i.e. the future users of EM-BOLT), vetting out all the variables, and completing rigorous field and lab testing.

The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Construction workers have embraced the product since it takes out the steps in steel beam installation that are difficult and time-consuming. Contractors and engineers are thrilled because they can save both time and money specifying EM-BOLT. Building owners like the fact that they can expect higher quality results for less money. As the saying goes, this is a win-win product!