Oliver Rubber: 100 years of service and innovation

Nov. 29, 2012

Oliver Rubber Co. is 100 years old. Founded in 1912 in Oakland, Calif., by engineer Marion Oliver, the company was one of the first to retread tires with precure rubber, organic accelerators, synthetic rubber and carbon black.

The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Michelin North America Inc., which acquired Oliver in 2007.

“Oliver Rubber’s original goal was to provide its customers with quality tread rubber and value,” says Vic Koelsch, chief operating officer for Michelin Americas Truck Tires, a division of Michelin North America. “Now, 100 year later, Oliver continues to execute the strategy that has made it successful from day one and we are proud that the company is part of the Michelin family."

Oliver meets the specific needs of both retreaders and commercial end users by offering a wide variety of precure and mold cure tread rubber. Its broad on- and off-road product line of rubber compounds and tread patterns is made up of the following:

* highway/rib,

* traction/lug,

* wide base,

* light truck,

* specialty and

* ultra-low profile wide base.

Additionally, Oliver provides tire repairs and performance consulting, emergency road service, and national account and warranty programs.

Oliver’s innovations include precure technology patents in the 1960s, and new production facilities and state-of-the-art presses in the 1970s. By 1990, more than 20 patents had been awarded to Oliver for its development of precure retreading equipment, compounds and tread designs.

Oliver Rubber operates two manufacturing plants in the United States. The manufacturing and distribution is managed in Asheboro, N.C. (pictured), and the machinery and equipment is made by Salisbury Machinery Co. in Salisbury, N.C. For more information on the company, visit www.oliverrubber.com.