Alliance Rubber
Celebrating 100 years of American manufacturing
On March 7, Alliance Rubber Company will celebrate its 100th anniversary — a laudable achievement for any company, especially considering that less than 1% of U.S. businesses have achieved this remarkable milestone.
While the company developed from humble beginnings, today it has grown into a highly respected manufacturer of products designed to “Hold Your World Together.” They are proud to serve customers in over 60 countries with over 2,400 SKUS of mailing, shipping, office, and packaging products.
A true American success story, it all began with William H. Spencer, who left his Franklin, Kentucky, home in 1904 at the age of 13. Traveling by rail to seek adventure, he found himself in Alliance, Ohio, in 1917 with less than $3 in his pocket. After working for the Pennsylvania Railroad for six years, Spencer tested a new idea: he cut bands by hand from inner-tubes and on March 7, 1923, Alliance Rubber Company was born.
Spencer continued to nurture the company’s growth over the next 20 years, and in 1943, after one of his visits to Hot
Springs, he made the decision to begin operations there. He purchased 19 acres along Carpenter Dam Road that previously housed a cannery operation. At the time, the now-bustling intersection of Carpenter Dam and the King Expressway was a simple dirt road.
Now in its fourth generation of family ownership, the company has survived and thrived in economic conditions that have eliminated all other American rubber band manufacturers. Fifty years ago, there were 12 U.S. manufacturers of rubber bands. Today, there stands only one — Alliance Rubber Company. Over the course of a century, Alliance has evolved from a single product to a global leader in multiple industries. Alliance represents the benchmark in adapting and inventing simple, practical, and reliable solutions for every day.
So, how does an establishment providing a simple little device like a rubber band set itself firmly in the annals of American business? The answer is simple — ELASTICITY. Just like their products, throughout the last century, Alliance Rubber Company has doggedly stretched and flexed to meet the demands of the current market, to remain always sensitive to the pressures of the present environment, and to be always in touch with the needs of their customers. Alliance Rubber Company has continually developed its manufacturing principles to perfect processes, boost innovation, and reduce time to market in a fast-paced, volatile, ever-changing global marketplace. Continuing to manufacture its products in the USA enables Alliance to supply high-quality products, fast service, and fresh stock that is built to last.
Alliance Rubber Company credits its success to the heritage of hard work, innovation, and dedication from the greatest resource any enterprise can ask for: a diverse group of outstanding individuals who come together to be the greatest rubber band makers in the world. The culture at Alliance Rubber Company is to respect and value diversity and inclusion, and the belief that diversity continues to be the key to success.
The Hot Springs community has continually recognized Alliance Rubber Company as one of the best places to work, and in 2021, they received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Global Trade from Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Additionally, Alliance Rubber Company has been named “Supplier of the Year” many times through the years by some of the largest retailers in the world.
“Our associates are an integral part of our continuing success,” Alliance Rubber Company President Bonnie Spencer Swayze said.
“Their superior American craftsmanship shines and enables us to make some of the world’s best polymer products. The Alliance Rubber story throughout our 100 years in business is remarkable in that our associates have been tireless in their ingenuity to triumph over incredible odds. They rise to the occasion to bring exciting value-added products to market. We are not only a family-owned business, we are a family made up of 160 families who have come together and worked side by side to enable Alliance to grow and flourish. They, as much as our products, are our legacy. More than 70% of our team have been with us for over five years, and 95% of our managers were promoted from entry-level positions. We take pride in nurturing our associates to excel which enables us to be a leader in manufacturing innovation. Our team is the best anywhere.”
For more information about Alliance Rubber Company and the humble, indispensable rubber band, visit http://www.rubberband.com, http://www. adbands.com, and http://www. Arcosilicone.com.