Business & Finance: Masonite

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Masonite was jockeyed into a fine position for revival in building by winning a patent infringement suit in 1933 against Bror Dahlberg's Celotex Corp., No. 1 U. S. wallboard makers. Mr. Dahlberg makes his board of sugar cane fibre. He found, as Inventor Mason did, that hard board could be made from materials other than wood. By giving his sugar cane a little more heat and pressure, he too got a dense, rigid board. But Masonite sued and won, which meant that if anyone wanted hard board they had to buy Presdwood.