In 1928, while working for the Barrett Company, one of Allen Cheney's concerns was the current flashing method using smooth flashing that broke the mortar bond within the wall. While on a train from Washington, D.C. to Boston, Mr. Cheney was doodling on a pad preparing to build a chest of draws in his garage. As he drew out the dovetail joints for the draws, it all became clear. By using a dovetail pattern in metal flashing, the mortar bond would be complete.

Designing the machine himself, he could now stamp a dovetail pattern that would bond in three directions. Starting the Cheney Flashing Company in his garage, in Melrose, MA, he began introducing flashing for many schools and government buildings. His most famous contract came when he manufactured flashing for 85 stories of the Empire State Building. Contracts to follow were for the Library of Congress and the entire school district of Cincinnati, OH.

After a brief move to Philadelphia, Allan Cheney moved the business to its current location in the late 1930's. During World War II, the company opened offices in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and New York so that Cheney had access to enough labor to make pre-manufactured prisoner of war housing. Allan's daughter, Dorothy, would make the three hour round trip drive to the Philadelphia Naval Yard to shuttle personnel to the Trenton facility to keep the factory running at its 24 hour a day capacity.

Many overseas projects have used Cheney products, from England to Italy, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Today, the company is located in Trenton, New Jersey and continues to serve a wide array of customers. In addition to the dovetail flashing created by Allan Cheney, the company has an expanded list of metal products for the construction industry.

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