Rubbermaid

Last updated

Rubbermaid
Type Subsidiary
IndustryManufacturing
FoundedMay 1920;103 years ago (1920-05) (as The Wooster Rubber Company)
Wooster, Ohio, U.S.
Headquarters,
U.S.
Key people
James R. Caldwell
ProductsConsumer household goods
Parent Newell Brands
Website www.rubbermaid.com

Rubbermaid is an American manufacturer and distributor of household items. A subsidiary of Newell Brands, it is best known for producing food storage containers and trash cans. It also produces sheds, step stools, closets and shelving, laundry baskets, bins, air fresheners and other household items. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Rubbermaid glass food storage containers. Glass food storage container with Easy Find Lids.jpg
Rubbermaid glass food storage containers.

Rubbermaid was founded in 1920 [3] in Wooster, Ohio as the Wooster Rubber Company by nine businessmen. Originally, Wooster Rubber Company manufactured toy balloons. [4]

In 1933, James R. Caldwell and his wife received a patent for their blue rubber dustpan. They called their line of rubber kitchen products Rubbermaid. [5]

In 1934 Horatio Ebert saw Rubbermaid products at a New England department store, and believed such products could help his struggling Wooster Rubber. He engineered a merger of the two enterprises in July 1934. Still named the Wooster Company, the new group began to produce rubber household products under the Rubbermaid brand name.

In 1984, Rubbermaid acquired Little Tikes, a toy maker. In 1985, Rubbermaid acquired competitor Gott Corporation. [6] In 1996, Rubbermaid acquired Graco baby products. [7]

In 1999, Rubbermaid was purchased by Newell for $6 billion. Then Newell changed its name to Newell Rubbermaid. [8] Newell Rubbermaid changed its name again to the present-day Newell Brands in 2016 as part of a takeover of Jarden in another merger.

In 2003, the company announced its move out of Wooster to Atlanta, Georgia; 850 manufacturing and warehouse jobs would be eliminated, and 409 office jobs would move to other locations. A Rubbermaid distribution center remained at the former headquarters for some time, until it was recently purchased by GOJO Industries, Inc. [9]

On November 16, 2004, Rubbermaid was used as a prime example in the PBS Frontline documentary "Is Walmart Good for America?" [10]

Timeline

Former Rubbermaid CEOs

Companies acquired by Rubbermaid

Prior to Rubbermaid merging with Newell Company.

See also

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References

  1. "Homepage". Rubbermaid. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  2. "Rubbermaid Air Care Dispensers and Refills". UK: Rubbermaid Products (Supplied by Soho Consulting). Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  3. "Rubbermaid Inc Facts, information, pictures". Encyclopedia.com . 2006. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  4. Katom. "Rubbermaid Company History" . Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  5. Gentry, Erin (July 14, 2009). "Rubbermaid History". Rubbermaid Blog. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  6. "Rubbermaid-Gott". The New York Times. Reuters. September 12, 1985. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  7. "Rubbermaid Buys Graco For $320 Million | The Spokesman-Review" . Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  8. Katom. "Rubbermaid Company History" . Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  9. Cimperman, Jennifer Scott (March 9, 2005). "Rubbermaid's gone, but Wooster is still standing". The Plain Dealer . Cleveland. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
  10. "Is Walmart Good for America?" Frontline , Season 23, Episode 4. PBS. November 16, 2004.
  11. Katom. "Rubbermaid Company History" . Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  12. "United Solutions buys $70M Rubbermaid storage business". Worcester Business Journal. Retrieved November 25, 2018.