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 PBSFrontline documentary "Is Walmart Good for America?"[10]
Timeline
1920 Wooster Rubber is launched.
1927 Horatio Ebert and Errett Grable took over managing the company from the original 9 founders.[11]
1933 Rubbermaid is launched.
1933 First Rubbermaid dustpan is introduced.
1934 Wooster Rubber and Rubbermaid merge to form Wooster Rubber Company and sell Rubbermaid products.
1942 WW2 eliminated Rubbermaid's housewares business, but the company was able to convert to military manufacturing.
1947 Rubbermaid introduces a line of rubber automotive accessories.
1955 Wooster Rubber Co. offer first public offering.