Company Timeline

For over 50 years, our family-owned and operated business has led the industry with new and innovative tarping concepts that emphasize operator safety and convenience product quality and durability. Here's how it all began:

1954 The company starts out as a shoe repair business. Edward Shorma opens his "Wahpeton Shoe Hospital" in the basement of a clothing store in the small Midwestern town of Wahpeton, North Dakota. Shoe repair spawns tarp repair, then new tarps, tractor seat repair, new tractor seats and repair/replacement of swather belts.

1969 The company moves to a remodeled seed and feed building and adds a wood business. The growing demand for the wooden cleats on swather belts results in the creation of Wahpeton Canvas Company — and a whole new line of products is sold to the largest farm equipment producers in the world.

1973 The company's 49-person work force presses the limits of its downtown location. A new steel building is constructed north of town, with such luxuries as a loading dock, office space and a steel fabrication shop.

1975 In just a few years, the company expands to produce original equipment seats, campstools, cots and veneer-wrapped wood for interior and exterior house trim.

1980 The innovative, industry-changing Shur-Lok® Roll Tarp is born. We begin selling to the world's largest grain trailer manufacturers.

1992 Ed Shorma's children purchase the truck cover division of Wahpeton Canvas Company from their family and relocate it to Yankton, South Dakota. The move allows Ed to expand the wood division in Wahpeton and positions the Yankton plant for increased growth in the tarp markets.

1996 A name change to Shur-Co.® more closely identifies the company with its most successful product, the Shur-Lok® Roll Tarp.

1999 Shur-Co.® begins manufacturing boat lift canopies for the marine industry leader, quickly setting the standard for fit, appearance and functionality.

2000 The Original TruXedo®/soft tonneau cover is introduced. (The TruXedo® division eventually grows to become an industry leader in the auto accessories market and is spun off as its own company Truxedo®, Inc., in 2007.)

2003 Shur-Co.® is chosen South Dakota Family Business of the Year. Loyal customers, a state-of-the-art facility, short lead times and quality products, plus eight nationwide locations make Shur-Co.® the largest tarp-manufacturing company in the U.S. and all of North America.

2007 A new division, Rushmore Buildings, is introduced to the market, providing another alternative for customers looking for affordable, high-quality fabric-covered, zinc-plated/coated building solutions.

2008 The Shur-Co. Marine line is expanded to satisfy the need for a wide variety of models and fabric materials. The Marine division makes available replacement covers for lifts manufactured by ShoreMaster®, FLOE, Hewitt, Newmans, Porta-Dock, RidgeLine, Lake Shore Products (LSP), Dura-Lift, DAKA and most other boat lift manufacturers.

2009 A new company is formed in Springfield, South Dakota. Rush-Co. is established to accommodate the growth Shur-Co.® has experienced in Marine, Rushmore Buildings, agricultural equipment shields, wind energy components and custom engineered fabric products of all kinds for industrial customers.