Think about all of the different places you could use our rubber mats!

They can be used as a cargo liner for truck storage trays and truck beds. The mats will provide extra protection and traction, preventing cargo from sliding around.

Use our rubber mat to line your gun storage box, to cushion and protect firearms, and to absorb shock during transport.

Gym floors in schools and other buildings will be resilient against impact and damage when lined with our sturdy rubber utility mats. They lay flat and are easy to install.

Keep your best friend – your dog – safe, clean and comfortable by lining a crate or truck with our rubber utility mats. They will give extra comfort to your pet, and are easy to clean.

Whatever the use, our rubber mats provide an ideal solution. Go to http://www.customrubbercorp.com/l_mats.htm to view a pricing table of multiple quantities. You will also be able to see two-dimensional drawings of the product, and place orders online.

For years, Custom Rubber Corp. manufactured rubber cask and keg drop mats for Load Stop Manufacturing Co. of Hialeah, Fla. In 2010, Custom Rubber Corp. took over the distribution and selling of the rubber keg pads after Load Stop closed its doors.

Please click here to request a quote or call Custom Rubber Corp. (216-391-2928) for information, pricing, and to buy rubber keg mats direct from the U.S. manufacturer. The phone number for Load Stop (305-691-4671) has been disconnected.

Our rubber cask and keg drop mats are composed of a special, durable material, designed specifically to absorb the impact of dropping full kegs, casks, and other heavy loads from heights up to 6 feet.

The rubber mat measures 19.75″ x 23.75″ x 2″, and the bottom side has stiff, shock-absorbing rubber nubs to improve the cushioning. Total mat weight is 19 pounds.

The rubber cask and keg pads come with a built-in handle that make it easy for delivery, and for distribution trucks to use when unloading or in close quarters, such as inside of a storage cellar. We sell the rubber mats with or without a bull’s eye stencil.

However, gasoline prices are still rising, likely to be up to $4 a gallon this spring. “An unusually warm winter may have given the economy a short-term life, which likely will fade in coming months,” the article states. The debt crisis in Europe, though improving, “still has the potential to disrupt financial markets around the world.”

So, business is up with new customers and new projects, but rising oil and gas prices may mean some material inflation.

Reports show rising confidence and increased spending in American consumers, the article continues.

But, Market Economics research firm reports that manufacturing activity in the 17-country euro zone in Europe hit a three-month low in March, spreading from Greece and Spain to Germany.

“Mixed signals” come from China. While the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing showed the manufacturing sector growing, those numbers might just be “seasonal quirks.” Other reports show that growth has slowed.

Strong manufacturing in the U.S. is helping the global picture. The article quotes J.P. Morgan economist David Hensley that the U.S. is “definitely … emerging as a demand engine. Asia’s benefiting from U.S. demand strength, Europe the same.”

It’s a role reversal. Early in the recovery, global demand helped U.S. manufacturers overcome weak sales here. “Now, U.S. export growth is slowing, according the Commerce Department data, but American consumers are picking up the slack.”

As for the high prices at the gas pump, the article says, some economists see our willingness to “shrug off” the high prices as a sign that the U.S. recovery is entering a more stable phase, “where a strong market leads to spending, which leads to hiring.”

Indeed, the Labor Department reported that U.S. manufacturers have added 227,000 jobs in the past year.

“I am both excited and proud to become the President of ARPM,” Braun told Rubber and Plastics News on April 2. “I intend to … lead this Association into a new chapter.” Braun had been Vice President since the group was founded in 2010.

Braun started with Custom Rubber at age 18, running equipment as a summer job. He started working there full time in 1998, quoting new business and assisting with mold design. The company had been purchased by Braun’s father, Bill Braun, in 1980.

Braun earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Harvard University and a Master’s of Business Administration from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

As president of ARPM, Braun succeeds Dave Maguire, Vice President of Technology at Veyance Technologies Inc.

Officials hope that the raises in wages will prevent outbreaks of labor unrest that have “toppled Middle Eastern regimes recently – and to calm rising labor actions in their countries,” the article’s authors report.

In response, companies are moving production out of China to, for example, Vietnam. “The cost of labor in China has definitely gone up over the last year and a half, causing us to look at other countries,” said Greg Scott, CEO of women’s specialty retailer New York & Co. Inc., which makes suiting, jackets, pants and skirts.

To give economic examples, the articles states that the southern boomtown of Shenzhen raised its compulsory monthly wage by nearly 14% to 1,500 yuan. In addition, Beijing raised its minimum monthly wage by 8.6% to 1,260 yuan ($199) starting in January, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. The northeastern port city of Tianjin will raise its minimum wage nearly 13% to 1,310 yuan starting in April, Xinhua said.

Anthony Romano, CEO of Charming Shoppes Inc., states that “labor costs are a significant challenge.” His company moved some production from China to Indonesia and Vietnam.

Charming still has a manufacturing base in China. But he notes that  following the Lunar New Year, around 60% of workers at a plant used by Charming decided not to return to the factory and found jobs closer to their homes instead.

In Indonesia, the government is forcing the manufacuting industry to accept a higher minimum wage. As a result, says Sofjan Wanandi, chairman of the Employers’ Association of Indonesia, “Some [foreign] companies are telling me they will leave now.”

And, the article concludes, “with wages now rising in so many places at once, unhappy companies may have few places to escape.”

For inspiration, visit http://www.reshorenow.org/. Founded by Harry Moser, former Cleveland-area resident and a retired manufacturing executive, the mission of the Reshoring Initiative “to bring good, well-paying manufacturing jobs back to the United States.”

Moser states: “The costs in China and other places have been rising so rapidly, it’s becoming more obvious to companies they should bring a lot of the work back to the U.S.”

He was quoted in a recent article in Crain’s Cleveland Business, giving concrete examples of companies that have reshored.

California-based Wham-O moved half its Frisbee production from China to California, along with the production of some other plastic toys to Michigan, reports Dan Shingler in Crain’s. “The changes created only a couple dozen jobs in the United States, but … it shows that almost anything can be made profitably in this country,” Shingler wrote.

The article continues with Ford Motor Co., which moved production of its F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks to Avon Lake from Escobedo, Mexico. Horton Archery in Kent completed the move of all of its production to Kent from China.

Four hundred jobs were created when Suarez Corp. moved the production of EdenPure portable heaters, its main product, from China to North Canton. Michael Giorgio, Suarez’s general manager and chief financial officer, said, “It made sense to move it here from an economic and strategic standpoint.” When manufacturing in China, it was difficult to make upgrades to the product. Also, he needed to place orders six weeks in advance. Now, he can place orders to meet demand, so he doesn’t produce more than he needs.

Suarez also uses local suppliers for much of its materials and components, and Giorgio figures his company’s production supports at least another 125 jobs at those suppliers.

Another “trickle down” example is Fanta/Napco/Udylite of Cleveland, which makes large metal finishing lines for big manufacturers. The company is growing, in part, because big customers such as General Electric have moved production back to the United States and installed new production lines that include its systems.

To give one example, we mold a complete line of industrial rubber plugs that are used with hazardous and aggressive fluids, including aircraft fuel, super-heated oil and cleaning solvents.

To ensure that the plugs are leak-proof, metal washers and threaded brass compression bolts are added. As the bolt is tightened, the plug body expands and ensures there is no leaking.

Compression molding is cost-effective and sometimes practical. The process for compression molding involves taking rubber compound or mixed raw material and loading it into the bottom part of a mold. The mold is then closed with the upper part of the mold, and the rubber is compressed into the shape of the part, cured, and then demolded.

We also create protective rubber bumpers that are the perfect match for any industry, including color-coding for easy identification. We have extensive experience in molding non-marking bumpers, pads and edge guards that yield a high level of abrasion resistance, to protect your equipment.

The first modern rubber product ever produced was compression molded in the home oven of Harvey Firestone in the 1890s. Custom Rubber Corp. has been compression molding since its founding in 1956.

Tell us about your needs that we can solve with compression molding. We have the experience and expertise to design the part that is right for you.

For one major automotive supplier, calling on us to create convoluted tubing was well worth it. We co-developed a custom boot for a car’s CV (constant velocity) joint that eliminated hours of work during repairs. Normally, a number of auto parts had to be removed before a mechanic could get to the CV joint. Custom Rubber helped design a split boot with an insulated joint held together with multiple bolts so the convoluted boot could be easily removed for simple, speedy servicing. That’s good for the company and the customers.

In another application for convoluted tubing, a leading manufacturer and distributor of vacuum valves, gauges, and pumps, required a new design to protect a wiring harness from fluid and debris exposure. Custom Rubber Corp. developed the material and designed a mold that produced a durable, rubber convoluted boot that is flexible enough to absorb the vibration but thick enough to outlast the pump assembly.

Time and again, major manufacturers count on our experience to design rubber convoluted boots that not only protect, but also simplify manufacturing. For example, we’ve developed rubber compounds with extra elongation and our own special tooling so that a boot can be made with a wide-diameter center, but small stay-tight ends…with no tearing.

We also make convoluted boots for wiring harness covers and cosmetic seals for brake lights. Many of these components require metal bonded to rubber, secondary assembly and/or prototype work, all of which Custom Rubber Corp. excels at providing. Click here to learn more about convoluted boots and tubing, or request a quote.

Custom Rubber Corp. has created small sound isolation grommets for the automotive industry. These grommets, made of high quality silicone rubber to withstand high heat under a car hood, play an integral role in sound dampening within the engine compartment.

We create d-shaped rubber grommets to be used in appliance applications. The d-shaped holes are stamped in sheet metal and the grommet accommodates a wire harness or water line. The grommet protects the electrical or water supply from chaffing on the sharp edges of the sheet metal. The grommet also provides some sealing to limit dust travel from one side of the wall to the other.

Custom Rubber Corp. also designed a “pushbutton” grommet to protect actuators. This rubber grommet is designed to provide protection for the pushbuttons of actuators. By sealing the space inside the actuator around the area where the pushbutton is located, the rubber pushbutton grommet protects the equipment from dust and splashing water. In molding the rubber grommets, Custom Rubber Corp. selected a rubber compound that is engineered to withstand fairly extreme temperatures on both ends of the scale, from -40 degrees Fahrenheit to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. The design of the grommet also guarantees durability against extensive use. The middle of the rubber grommet is molded to be in constant contact with the pushbutton, but the material is flexible enough that it will move when pressed and not shift the protective outer grommet out of place.

We’re also specialists in the area of headless grommets. These pieces have a single lip; the second one forms when the rubber grommet is bolted into place. These rubber grommets are not only more cost efficient to make, they are easier to install, which saves you money in manufacturing.

If you would like to learn more about our custom grommets developed to meet your needs, contact us!

China-made bargains aren’t the bargains they used to be, reports the Wall Street Journal. The prices for Chinese imports in October and November 2011 were up 3.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the Labor Department.

China, which was for decades America’s go-to destination for consumer goods, is undergoing “a profound shift,” reported Justin Lahart in the WSJ on December 15. Contributing factors include rapid economic development, smaller supply of young migrant workers, and a rise in price of raw materials. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204026804577098773308400202.html)

Labor-intensive companies such as Hooker Furniture Corp. of Martinsville, Va., are feeling the change. “We think our suppliers are seeing labor cost increases in the 20% to 30% range,” states CEO Paul Toms.

The WSJ article adds that, according to China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 21 provinces and municipalities, on average, “had instituted annual minimum wage increases of 22% by October.”

Factors putting upward pressure on Chinese manufacturing wages include rising affluence, growing opportunities in the country’s interior and a declining youth population.

Pay has been going up for years, says Bank of America-Merrill Lynch economist Ethan Harris. “What’s different now is that labor costs have reached a point where Chinese exporters can no longer easily absorb them, and are instead passing them on.”

At Custom Rubber, we offer companies and customers an expert domestic design and then production of molded rubber components. Contact us anytime to explore the most cost effective and precise answer to your needs.