O'Sullivan Rubber Company 1910

Beautifully engraved SPECIMEN certificate from the O'Sullivan Rubber Company. This historic document was printed by the American Banknote Company in 1910 and has an ornate border around it.

In 1896, a printer named Humphrey O'Sullivan invented the rubber heel by nailing pieces of a rubber floor mat to his shoes. With a patent and capital investment of $25,000, O'Sullivan was created.

Humphrey gave up the printing profession, and today that $25,000 is valued in excess of 150 million dollars. The growth in recent years is the result of O'Sullivan Corporation moving from the rubber calendering industry to the production of vinyl sheeting for many end uses.

O'Sullivan now calenders vinyl for the automotive, medical, and industrial markets. Automotive products can be post embossed, laminated, printed, painted, and top coated to exact color and gloss specifications. O'Sullivan vinyl is further processed by our customers into instrument and door panels. These are installed in vehicles made by Ford. Chrysler, G.M., Honda, Toyota, Mazda, and Saturn. Medical products include vinyl for hospital air mattresses, blood bags and inflatable splints. Industrial product markets are swimming pool liners, loose-leaf binders, checkbook covers, furniture upholstery, luggage covers, roofing materials, geomembrane pond liners, tractor seats, and gym equipment.

O'Sullivan has plants located in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Distribution warehouses are located in Pennsylvania for the east coast, Missouri for the midwest, and Nevada for the west coast.

O'Sullivan employs approximately 1,000 people working together for a common goal... producing a quality product in the safest manner for total customer satisfaction.



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1953 O’Sullivan’s flexible vinyl covered the seat backs for the 1953 Cadillac, thus beginning the company’s long association with the automobile industry. In the same year, the company perfected the process for laminating plastic to metal and soon was supplying material to luggage and business machinery manufacturers in addition to automobile makers.

1956 O’Sullivan’s calendered vinyl for padded dashboards hit the market.

1962 O’Sullivan acquired Gulfstream, a plastic injection molding company, which complemented their expertise in the calendered vinyl coverstock process.

1970 O’Sullivan Rubber Company changed its name to O’Sullivan Corporation to reflect that most of its revenue now grew from the plastics industry.

1978 Lebanon, PA, vinyl calendering plant acquired.

1982 O’Sullivan formed Regalite Plastics Corporation, opening up a Newton Upper Falls, MA, vinyl calendering plant. Regalite Plastics’ products set the industry standard for excellence and further expanded its presence in several markets, particularly the automotive and marine markets.

1984 O’Sullivan formed O'Sullivan Plastics Corporation in Yerington, NV, and opened an additional calendering plant.

1986 By 1986, the company tripled its injection molding operations and opened a third plant in Luray, VA. During this year, after agonizing over decreasing demand for USA – made footwear products, O’Sullivan’s Rubber Division was sold.

1990 Accelerated growth and more company expansion occurred with a new injection molding plant in Huron, OH, a new calendering plant in Winchester, VA, and the acquisition of Capitol Plastics of Ohio in Bowling Green, OH. O’Sullivan products now covered dashboards, consoles and door panels of America’s upper-end cars. Its clear vinyl was used in intravenous medical pouches in hospitals and other health care facilities, and its vinyl covered loose leaf binders, furniture upholstery, as well as having numerous other uses.

1992 O’Sullivan expanded into consumer plastics products with the acquisition of the assets of Melnor Industries and its subsidiary, Melnor Canada LTD, leading manufacturers of lawn and garden products in North America.

1994 O’Sullivan sold its Gulfstream Division to concentrate on its other businesses.

1996 O’Sullivan celebrates 100 years of service.

1997 O’Sullivan sold the assets of Melnor Inc. to further intensify their focus on their core plastics business.

1998 O’Sullivan Corporation stands poised and ready for a future of continued success, concentrating on advancing research and development, expanding their product lines and remaining alert to new growth opportunity.