It all started with Harold. E. Graham from Claremont, California. Mr. Graham designed a “particle display board” for the retail industry and filed a patent for it in 1964. The patent was granted nearly two years later, in 1966. It was a great idea, but Mr. Graham soon learned that any cabinet-maker could make the same slatwall with common table saws and jigs, stapling and gluing each “slat” onto ¼” plywood sheets. Harold stopped trying to enforce his patent.
Market Success in the 1970s
Custom Wood Interiors – not Harold Graham – began making and marketing slatwall from their Tampa, Florida facility. Architects and large department stores started to notice, and this new business led the company owners to spin off the business line into Spacewall. By the late 70s, after Harold’s patent expired, more companies started to manufacture and sell similar products.
Now a Retail Mainstay
There’s a fairly long list of trade names that have marketed the concept over the year. It’s now common for retailers to take advantage of the display versatility and decorative format options that slatwall display panels offer. Display, hang, organize or store just about anything, from merchandise to tools, sporting equipment to literature. White, maple, paintable, resin and plastic options means displays can be tailored to fit a wide variety of store décor themes. In fact, the slatwall concept is so popular that it is often used in the home, garage, office and warehouse.
Beauty and Strength in Slatwall Inserts
Aluminum and plastic slatwall inserts do double duty. Inserted into the slat, they can add strength to the wall itself to prevent damage from too many heavy items. They also help to further customize the aesthetic look, with different colors designed to accent or accompany. Aluminum inserts come in bronze, black, satin or clear anodized finishes, while plastic or PVC options can be found in just about any color you need.
Production Developments
Diamond tooling and high-speed production machines mean that a typical slatwall panel can be machined in about half a minute. Medium density fiberboard (MDF) is no longer the only material that slatwall is made of, with new laminated fiberboard options available that are stronger than MDF.
Eagle Mouldings manufactures, stocks and supplies standard or custom aluminum slatwall and slatwall inserts. Eagle also carries Z Clips, Panel Hanger and T Slot Systems. For more information.
