NEWS & LINKS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: December 19, 2005

Robinson Rubber stretches its reach around the globe

Worldwide outsourcing with qualified partners improves cost competitiveness

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Robinson Rubber Products is spanning the globe to provide even more cost-effective rubber product solutions for its customers.

The company has formed a new division, RRP International, to manage its Global Resource Initiative. Through the Global Resource Initiative, Robinson Rubber Products out sources product components to qualified, certified partners around the world to provide comprehensive, cost-effective service to customers.

Included in the Global Resource Initiative are joint ventures with partners in the Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China, India and Italy.

“Our goal is to help our customers maintain their competitiveness without having to change the formulations of their compounds or sacrifice quality or timeliness of delivery,” says Kenn Nordstrom, vice president of sales and marketing, Robinson Rubber Products. “It just makes good sense from a quality and economic standpoint to have the rubber experts you know, trust and rely upon handle your outsourcing needs.”

Robinson Rubber Products maintains project and product control of outsourcing to ensure customer satisfaction. Manufacturing partners in Robinson Rubber’s Global Resource Initiative must qualify to meet the company’s high standards. Partner companies are ISO or QS-9000 certified. Many also are pursuing TS-16949-2002 quality systems. Products manufactured by global partners meet certification or compliance standards, including ATSM, JI, FDA, Mil-Spec, NSF 51/61, WRC, DIN, KTW-D2 and WRAS.

Separately, Robinson Rubber Products has formed a subsidiary in Chihuahua, Mexico, and will open a plant there in late 2006.

“We chose Chihuahua due to its location — only 200 miles south of El Paso — and an abundance of excellent workers, strong universities and technical schools, and freight logistics and infrastructure,” says Nordstrom. “Chihuahua is served by multiple flights to the United States every day, which helps ensure on-time delivery for our customers.”

Robinson Rubber headquarters — with administrative, engineering, materials development, and prototype design and manufacture of select products — will remain in Minneapolis.

Robinson Rubber Products designs, develops and manufactures custom-molded rubber products, extruded profiles and precision rollers for original equipment manufacturers and industrial companies worldwide. Robinson Rubber specializes in complex components that include multiple inserts, homogenous parts, and rubber bonded to metal and other substrates. The company provides innovative component and prototype design, precision assembly and special formulated rubber compounds.

Robinson Rubber Products facilities in Minneapolis feature injection, transfer and compression molding processes, 40 molding processes and in-house mixing capabilities.

Privately owned Robinson Rubber Products Company, Inc. is based in Minneapolis. The company has provided rubber solutions to customers for more than 50 years.

Robinson Rubber Products Company, Inc.
4600 Quebec Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55428
763-535-6737
sales@robinsonrubber.com