About Alliance Rubber Company
Celebrating Over 100 Years of American Manufacturing
On March 7, 2023, Alliance Rubber Company celebrated its centennial year, an amazing accomplishment considering that less than 1% of U.S. businesses have achieved this remarkable milestone. We join the tasty company of Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, and Kraft Foods, the tipsy company of Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, and Yuengling, and the work ethic of Carhartt, L.L. Bean, and John Deere.
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 our products, throughout the last century, we have doggedly stretched and flexed to meet the needs of our markets – determined to always be in touch with the needs of our customers.
Pleased to serve customers in more than 61 countries, in 2021 for the second time we won our Governor’s Award for Excellence in Global Trade. To our USA customers, we are here to assure you receive the ultimate timely experience in delivery and customer satisfaction.
We have survived and thrived in economic conditions that have eliminated all other American band manufacturers. At the same time, we continue to stretch our markets with new and innovative products. For example, our site www.arcosilicone.com offers silicone bands, that are autoclavable, will withstand sunlight, and provide the ideal solution for durability and reuse.
The need for an organizational product was something our Dad, William Spencer, understood and it fueled his vision for founding Alliance Rubber in 1923 in Alliance, OH.
GREEN SINCE 1923!
The majority of our bands are reusable and ready for any number of handy bundling uses around your home, office, or workplace. Once disposed of, the majority of our bands biodegrade and return to the earth faster than anything other than paper. With the rising trend of eco-friendly packaging, manufacturers are reimagining how they package their products by eliminating single-use plastics in their packaging. Discarded plastics generate 6.3 billion tons of waste annually. 24 billion pounds of plastic enter our oceans annually…….and only 9% of plastic is recycled.
What does GREEN mean to you? Do you put your plastics and paper in the recycling bin? Do you think twice about reusing that plastic container your frozen mac and cheese came in? Good for you! Did you know that while the U.S. holds only 4.7% of the world’s population, it produces 12% of the planet’s municipal solid waste? That’s over 1,700 pounds annually for each and every American … ten times the weight of an average person!
And while the majority of our 2,400 banding products are readily reusable, our manufacturing processes keep GREEN at the forefront. Rubber bands are made from rapidly renewable resources that don’t damage those resources for use by future generations. As for packaging, our boxes are made from 100% recycled materials.
So, the next time you have a choice between a poly-wrapped product and a banded one, think twice about those full landfills. And the next time you are seeking that perfect device to hold your bundle together or require an automated banding machine, give us a call. I bet we have that perfect solution for you. So, while we continue to innovate and create even better ways to hold your world together, please celebrate with us as we enter our centennial year. From our 155+ strong team who enjoy a set of common values, we stretch out our arms with sincerest thanks for your continued support.
Bonnie Spencer Swayze
President
bswayze@alliance-rubber.com
Explore The Tabs Below To Learn More
A true American success story, Alliance Rubber Company owes its beginning to the ingenuity of one man – our father – 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, and began working for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Six years later on March 7, 1923, he obtained a few Goodyear inner tubes and cut the bands by hand in his basement where he founded Alliance Rubber Company. In those days, newspapers were blocked and thrown in the general direction of the porch. After seeing the Akron Beacon Journal blowing across lawns, he persuaded them and the Tulsa World to try wrapping them with a band. He went on to pioneer other new markets for bands, agricultural and industrial applications as well as a myriad of other uses.
After almost a century, Alliance is still a family owned business with a rich and distinctive American heritage. What started as a simple, practical, and reliable solution for everyday life has been transformed by our 155 Alliance Rubber Company team members into a multi-faceted collection of more than 2,400 products and tools designed for “Holding Your World Together.” Our associates make the difference in our brand. Their attitude and passion for quality of customer service shines. Over 60% of the Alliance Rubber Company team has been with the company for over five years, enabling us to make some of the world’s best banding products at our manufacturing facility in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
We started with just a few rubber bands. Now, Alliance Rubber Company offers over 2,400 sku’s of packaging, Ad Bands®, the world’s first four-color imprinted FotoFlex Bands™, Cable Wrapz®, Gear Strapz®, waterproof UPC-imprinted ProTape® and mailing/shipping supplies.
94% of our sales are of American-made products that comply with the standards “Buy American” set-aside in conjunction with U.S. government purchases. Consumers who select these products enjoy fresher stock, faster service, better fill-rate and consistent top quality.
We not only show American pride through our products, but you can also see our pride when driving by our factory. On October 12, 2016, we dedicated a walkway in honor of our 18 veteran employees and named it Freedom Falls. Freedom Falls is also a tribute to past, present and future veteran associates along with the over one million Americans who gave their lives to keep America free.
Our company has also installed an 80-foot by 40-foot American flag that stands 130-feet tall and can be seen when driving on the 270 bypass. At the top of the flagpole there is a gold ball that each of our 155 employees have signed. The flag is a way of showing how proud Alliance employees are to be working, living and creating great products in this country.
Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB)
The federal government establishes formal goals to ensure small businesses get their fair share of work. Every federal government purchase between $10,000 and $250,000 is automatically set aside for small businesses, as long as there are at least two companies that can provide the product or service at a fair and reasonable price.
When distributors offer Alliance branded products, they’re able to meet the criteria for GSA set-asides for Women-Owned Small Businesses as well as “Buy-American.”
We were recently honored by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NIST—National Institute of Standards and Technology—as one of two U.S. companies to win the Excellence in Innovation Award.
Take a look at our history section to see our new products, and know we are committed to keeping you a market leader rather than a follower.
Since 1923, we’ve grown into a packaging leader, selling to dealers in over 61 countries.
Unlike many packaging items, rubber bands are reusable and cut down on the need for excessive packaging. If every person in the world reduced their garbage by as little as 10%, the results could save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per person annually. In addition, most of our rubber bands are made from latex, a rapidly renewable resource.
Our soft stretch reduces stress, which leads to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and costly workers’ compensation claims. As our bands’ elongation is further than most other bands, the consumer can see cost savings by using a smaller size and increasing their count per pound.
Small companies have always been known for their entrepreneurial spirit, and Alliance is no exception. Wherever you are in this vast world, you’ll find us to be helpful, friendly people, dedicated to helping you find a solution.
Our culture respects and values diversity and inclusion; and diversity has been key to our success. Intent on continuing a tradition of designing new products to help organize your life at work, school, home, or play, we’re not interested in being your biggest supplier—we just want to be your favorite. Known for quality since 1923, count on Alliance for all your organizational needs.
