Abart Industries & Top Hat Risers
Abart Industries, LLC is a one-person manufacturing operation based in Marcellus, New York, founded in 1999 by David Abbott. With a family background in paving, Dave brought firsthand knowledge of road maintenance challenges to the development of Top Hat Risers — a rubber manhole riser built from 100% recycled tire rubber that offers a faster, cheaper alternative to traditional manhole reconstruction. Every Top Hat Riser is manufactured in the USA at the Abart Industries facility in Marcellus, NY, and backed by a 5-year guarantee.
A Simple Idea, Proven Over 25 Years
The first Top Hat Riser was installed on East Street in Skaneateles, New York in 2001 — a test product placed in lieu of cold patch. It worked. In the years since, Top Hat Risers have been installed from central New York to the Oregon coast, with approximately 2,000 units delivered across 15 states. Units installed in 2003 are still in service today on streets averaging over 9,000 vehicles per day.
The product has continued to evolve. The latest generation features magnetic installation as standard — a patent-pending mechanism that reduces install time to as little as 5 minutes with no cover removal required. What started as a simple rubber riser has become a meaningfully better product with each iteration.
Meet David Abbott
David Abbott founded Abart Industries in 1999 after spending his early years working in the paving industry — a family business that gave him a ground-level understanding of road maintenance challenges. That background led directly to Top Hat Risers, a product built around the problems he’d seen firsthand on job sites.
Dave runs Abart Industries as a one-person operation, handling everything from manufacturing to customer relationships. He’s based in Marcellus, New York, and has been personally involved in every Top Hat Riser order since the company’s founding.
Recognition & Press
Top Hat Risers have been recognized by industry publications and urban innovation organizations for their practical approach to a persistent infrastructure problem.
LLGA 2013
Selected as finalists in the 2013 Living Labs Global Awards — Cities Pilot the Future competition, an international urban innovation summit held in San Francisco with participants from 22 cities worldwide.
Municipal Sewer & Water
Featured in Municipal Sewer & Water Magazine’s article on manhole equipment and rehabilitation — a leading trade publication for municipal public works professionals.
Get in Touch
Top Hat Risers are designed and sold by one person in Marcellus, New York — which means when you reach out, you’re talking directly to David Abbott, the founder. Whether you’re evaluating Top Hat Risers for your community, have questions about fit and sizing, or need a custom configuration, Dave is happy to help.