Every measurement mattered

The story of Standard Calibrations began in Norfolk, Virginia, where two childhood classmates, Floyd Cross and Michael Jones, grew up in the shadow of the United States Navy’s largest naval base. Attending Booker T. Washington High School, they eventually bonded over shared family ethics that pushed and respected hard work, as well as a passion and curiosity for fixing up vintage Chevrolets. The story goes that Michael had a ‘57 Chevy during high school and Floyd did not. Michael, filled with the bravado of youth,regularly raced his ’57 across town, and Floyd wasn’t content to watch from the sidewalks. They joined forces, Michael behind the wheel and Floyd the driving force to get Michael race-ready.

Although they had slightly different paths leaving high school—, Floyd in aluminum siding and Michael in whatever he could get his hands on–a chance meeting at Sparrows Restaurant between Floyd and one of the original owners of the Norfolk-based Marine Controls, Harry Parsons, had lifelong effects. . . Harry Parsons, Floyd’s former neighbor,offered him a job on the spot. Floyd took a pay cut and took a chance.

Starting at Marine Controls as a floor sweeper and jack-of-all-trades, Floyd took on any task that came his way—painting, sandblasting, fixing things—and eventually found himself working pier-side and shipboard on automatic boiler controls for naval ships. Not long after, Michael joined the company, reuniting the two friends who now found themselves learning the ropes of a specialized field, one that was both physically demanding and mentally exacting.

Naval ships at the time were largely powered by steam generation through intricate boiler control systems. Floyd and Michael learned the science of these controls, mastering pneumatic systems and the critical skill of calibration. They measured air flow, fuel flow, and monitored steam pressure—all essential to making sure the ships could operate safely. The conditions were grueling: working in temperatures up to 120 degrees under air flow, with 600 to 1200 psi steam systems that left no room for error. A single miscalculation could lead to disaster. Yet, they thrived in the challenge, knowing their work played a vital role in ensuring naval vessels could sail under their own power.

For seven years, Floyd and Michael honed their craft, taking pride in the responsibility they held. Every sea trial, every calibration they performed, every measurement they took mattered—getting it right meant helping the U.S. Navy go to sea, and that was a mission they took seriously.

By 1989, the time had come for Floyd and Michael to strike out on their own. By day, they continued doing manual labor, but by night, they were laying the foundation for what would become Standard Calibrations, Inc. Armed with a set of old Thomas Registries, they started SCI in April of 1989 and set up shop in Chesapeake, Virginia, in a small, run-down meat smoke shack on Old Mill Road. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was theirs, and from that humble beginning, Standard Calibrations was born. And Floyd did get that Chevy… a ’55 to be exact.