Growing from a Critical Need

Hurricane Andrew blasted its way across South Florida on August 24, 1992, leaving more than 135,000 single-family and mobile homes damaged or destroyed.  Inspection of the structures revealed that most of the damage had been caused by flying debris from the storm’s Category 5 winds. Roofs were damaged, large-span metal buildings collapsed, windows shattered and concrete beams buckled. As a result, major changes were made to building standards and codes in South Florida and other hurricane-prone areas that included provisions for windborne debris. 

Hurricane Test Laboratory (HTL) has been at the forefront of helping manufacturers meet these standards. HTL was formed in 1993 specifically to help window and shutter manufacturers understand and comply with newly established codes. Initially serving as a testing facility for hurricane-resistant building products, HTL quickly expanded to offer other types of architectural tests and customized client services. 

As demand for ever-stringent standards has grown, HTL has continued to diversify.  From its core business of hurricane-related certification testing, HTL now leads in offering:

• Standard product certification testing for the
  window and door industry
• Performance testing for the metal building industry
  and Blast testing performance evaluations
• Thermal simulation testing for the architectural glazing industry.

To serve our growing markets, HTL has expanded from a single test facility in Florida to four test facilities in Florida, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee – with more than 40 employees.

A recognized industry leader, HTL has developed a world-class staff of certified technicians and licensed professional engineers.  Our teams support clients from Europe, Asia, South America and North America, as well as South Florida and the Caribbean.

As demand for ever-stringent standards has grown,
HTL has continued to diversify and expand.