W.C. “Bill” Snow went on to one and three-quarters acres of brushy land near Austin with a chain saw and builder’s level and began cutting cedar and locating the slab for the first building. This marked the beginning of Textruss Component Building on October 15, 1970. Co-founders with Snow were Jimmy Youngquist and Roscoe C. Morris.
Youngquist, owner of Buell Supply Company, contacted Snow and asked if he was interested in a joint venture to start a truss construction business. Snow believed the time was right for just such an enterprise, and Textruss was incorporated in 1971.
“From the beginning,” Snow recalls, “our emphasis was on quality. We specialize in specials – large custom houses.”
Youngquist sold his stock in the firm in 1978. The company then underwent a complete reorganization on July 16, 1982, when Morris, the third co-founder, sold his stock.
The business started off well but, as Snow points out, “the recession of 1974-1975 hurt many in the building industry.” However, Austin’s growth in the late 1970s and early 1980s has brought Textruss all the business it could handle.
“We had, at that time, the ability to do about four million dollars annually in production and sales.”
In January of 2000, another change of ownership took place. Ben Doyle as President and General Manager, Allen Kalina as Secretary and Treasurer, Marvin Hale as VP – Sales Manager, and Chuck Prasek as VP – Office Manager and over design.
Ben and Allen both started work at Textruss in 1974, and both have worked their way up from the bottom. Marvin has had 25 years as a designer and architect for builders around Texas. Chuck has worked as a framer and Superintendent before coming to work for Textruss. All
four owners are active everyday in the business to see that quality control and service are adhered to.
The original site, at 12201 Dorsett Road, was once considered “out in the country.” Today the firm’s nearly eight acres house a two-story office building of approximately 3,000 square feet, two manufacturing facilities totaling 30,000 square feet, and lumber sheds. The corporation employs fifty people, many of whom have been with Textruss for fifteen to thirty years.
Textruss began with roof trusses, but now also produces floor trusses. The firm uses southern pine exclusively. Textruss sells primarily in the Central Texas area and maintains its own fleet of four special trucks for delivery. We would like to point out that the company’s responsibility does not end with delivery. If problems arise on the builders site, a Textruss man goes out immediately to help solve the problem.
Textruss component building belongs to the Austin Builders Association, Austin Chamber of Commerce, United States Chamber of Commerce, BBB, TMAT. TCABA, TMTA.
