Note: Bluffton sixth graders in the 1953-54 school year (graduating class of 1960) created a booklet titled "The Bluffton Story." The following article is part of that booklet, which is now in the history collection at the Bluffton Public Library. This series continues each week on the Icon.
By Keith Baker and George Burkholder
Bluffton's largest industry today had its beginning in a backroom, upstairs location which marked the start of The Triplett Electrical Instrument Co.

R. L. Triplett founded the Triplett Meter Co., now known as The Triplett Electrical Instrument Co., on a small scale back in 1904.

The first home of The Triplett Co. was in a brick building on South Main Street, on the site new occupied by the City Market. The room was at the rear of the second floor, behind a room in which the telephone exchange operated.

After operating about one year in the backroom location, with a force of four people, the plant in 1905 moved to a wood building on College Avenue, present location of Plant No. 2. Additions to this building were made; the last in 1928.

The main building of the plant on Harmon Road was built in 1935; the laboratory building was built in 1942; the machine shop building was built in 1944, and the heating plant was built in 1950.

The Triplett Company is one of the five largest instrument companies in the world. Products are panel meters, laboratory instruments and test equipment, mainly radio testers.

Triplett also operates a plant in Puerto Rico, started in 1952, and plants at the two locations cover more than five acres. Modern assembly methods are used, with belt lines used in building meters.

Business is done around the world. The company has 28 U.S. salesmen and 17 foreign representatives.

In Bluffton, the company employs about 75 percent women and 25 percent men.