Alliance Rubber Company

Alliance Rubber Company is an American manufacturer of natural rubber bands, as well as other elastomer products made of synthetic rubber, silicone rubber, thermoplastic, and EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer). The company was originally located in Alliance, Ohio, but is now headquartered in Hot Springs, AR. It was founded by William H. Spencer in 1923, and sells its products to commercial stationers, newspapers, produce growers, commercial fishermen, the United States government, post offices, retailers, promotional products industry, and industrial packaging houses.

Alliance Rubber Company
Private
IndustryManufacturer of:
FoundedMarch 7, 1923 (1923-03-07) in Akron, Ohio
FounderW.H.Spencer
Headquarters
Hot Springs, Arkansas
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Bonnie Spencer Swayze (President)
  • Jason Risner (V.P. of Sales and Marketing)
  • Brandon Hughes (V.P. of Operations)
Number of employees
176 (2018)
Websiterubberband.com

Alliance's 2,200 products are available in 55 countries worldwide.

History

Early Years in Alliance, OH

Originally, Alliance rubber bands were made from cutting rejected rubber inner tubes. Mr Spencer took the bands to Akron Beacon Journal and persuaded them to wrap their newspapers with a band to prevent them from coming apart and blowing across lawns.[1]

1944 to Present Day in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Alliance went on to expand its business in 1944 with an additional production plant in Hot Springs, AR. Alliance patented the Open-Ring® style rubber band in 1957, and invented a slide dispenser pack for mass markets, a perforated desk and open window box in 1959. They developed the first zip bands for postal use in 1966 and installed the world's first continuous cure rubber band production line in 1969.

  • They invented the world's first imprinted bands in 1986.
  • They cosponsored John Bain's rubber band ball which set the world record in 1999.
  • They expanded their manufacturing capabilities and announced a new division (ARCO® Silicone) which manufacturers custom silicone extrusions in 2018.
  • They began manufacturing Non-latex Rubber Tourniquets with Antimicrobial Product Protection in 2020.

In March 2020, Alliance announced that they would retool their manufacturing facility to create products (such as Rubber Strips) used to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. The first shipment provided over 134,000 PPE devices to healthcare workers in Michigan as well as the NYPD. [2]


References
  1. "Origins of ordinary things: Rubber bands". The New Times. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  2. "Hot Springs company switches gears to help with PPE shortage nationwide". KARK. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
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