rubbermaid essays

rubbermaid essays Rubbermaid's earliest seeds took root in an old piano factory in Ohio and at the kitchen table in New England. On April 30, 1920 nine individuals rented a building in Wooster, Ohio, known as the 'Piano Factory.' Their product? Sunshine Brand Toy Balloons. They called their venture The Wooster Rubber Company. In 1927, the company was bought as an investment by Horatio B. Ebert and Errett M. Grable, both of whom were executives of the Wear-Ever Division of the Aluminum Company of America. Ebert and Grable retained the services of Clyde C. Gault, one of the original founders. Meanwhile, James R. Caldwell, a rubber chemist, an analyst, and vice president of the Seamless Rubber Company in New Haven, Connecticut, had become fascinated with novel dyes that could transform plain rubber into dazzling colors. Caldwell and his wife would sit at their kitchen table dreaming up functional kitchen and bath objects in bright hues. In 1933, a patent was issued for their first effort, a dustpan. Caldwell joined the Wooster Rubber Company and soon toy balloons and novelties were replaced by new rubber housewares products. In those early days, there were 16 full-time employees. When the meager 10- foot-by-16-foot shipping dock was filled with cartons for delivery, it was considered a pretty good day at the factory. In 1935, net sales were $79,858. By 1938, net sales had reached $204,000. Within 10 years, the product innovation for which Rubbermaid is renowned was clearly evident. In 1955, Rubbermaid's annual report listed, among other products, pet feeding dishes, plate storage racks, kneeling pads, mats for various uses throughout the home (as door, sink, drain board, bath, and shower mats), coasters, soap dishes, and even cleaning solutions for rubber. Under Caldwell's leadership as president and general manager until 1958, Rubbermaid's most fundamental and enduring corporate credo was developed: 'A firm insistence on produc ...