A sulky is a lightweight cart used in harness racing. Samuel Jerald, an Osage wagon and carriage builder, founded the Jerald Sulky Company in the 1890s.

Jerald designed and built his first sulky at the request of a friend. The design quickly caught on around the country, and Jerald soon went into the sulky business full time. He moved to Waterloo in 1898 and set up a small factory on Webster Street. The company moved to its present location in the 1950s.

Jerald Sulky Company is one of six manufacturers of sulkies in the United States. The plant produces about 1,800 sulkies a year, each one designed for a specific horse. Harness racing was once unique to this country, but Jerald sulkies are now sold in Sweden, Italy and several other countries.