Over the years there were several investors to come and go until the company was sold in 1995 to the Hackney Group, a successful conglomerate of businesses based in Birmingham, Alabama. By this time Valley Rubber had transitioned to manufacturing parts primarily for mining, transportation and industrial molding applications. The company began to invest heavily into large, state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.

Valley Rubber struggled over the next few years until the Hackney Group began to develop a leadership team in 2001. Valley Rubber began defining the company we wanted to be. The team identified products and customers that did not contribute to the profitability of the company and deliberately discontinued the manufacturing of weak products – like mud flaps, wheel chocks, and floor mats. Just as importantly, we implemented systems to insure that the company would remain strategically focused on significant and profitable business opportunities.  The result, we began to focus on more strategic product lines, those things we did well.

In 2004 the management team organized a buyout and we have seen the power of God as the company has experienced a solid trajectory of healthy growth. Valley Rubber has been blessed with employees who are not only talented, but have a strong work ethic that is second to none.

Clockwise from top left: Misti Thompson reading to a class at Falkville Elementary. Mike Johnson, Beth and Jill Tumbleson at a Habitat build. Driver John Long exhibiting our semi at PACT’s Touch-a-Truck day. Seth Coleman at our Make-a-Wish party.

In 2009 Valley Rubber purchased Rockland International of Minden, Nevada. Rockland was a leading provider of material delivery solutions to the mining, aggregate, quarry and cement industries. Using advanced technology, custom design and engineering, they developed systems and components that improve performance, reliability, and profitability. The acquisition expanded the engineering services of Valley Rubber and complemented its manufacturing capabilities..

Valley Rubber was honored to be one of eight companies chosen in the State of Alabama in 2011 to receive the Governor’s Trade Excellence Award presented by Governor Robert Bentley. This trade award is designed to demonstrate the exporting excellence and success in Alabama.

Winners of the award are chosen based on the following criteria: level of export sales as a proportion of total sales; sustainable growth in export sales; quality of export marketing strategy; senior management commitment to export development; and innovations in exporting.

In 2012 Valley Rubber added 30 new jobs to work in its new 43,000 square-foot facility on Buster Road in Falkville. The expansion allowed the addition of a production line of rail fasteners for light-rail transit systems. The new line was developed in partnership with one of our customers, a supplier of materials to build and maintain infrastructure for the transportation, construction, utility, energy, recreation and agriculture markets.

Inc. Magazine has ranked Valley Rubber on its annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. This marks Valley Rubber’s fifth appearance on the list. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent entrepreneurs.

The 2014 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2010 to 2013. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2010. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent–not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies–as of December 31, 2013. The minimum revenue required for 2010 is $100,000; the minimum for 2013 is $2 million.

Valley Rubber is one of fifty-six companies in the state of Alabama to be honored on the list. The Inc. 5000’ s aggregate revenue is $211 billion, generating 505,000 jobs over the past three years. Read Valley Rubber’s profile and see the complete list here.

In 2015 the full integration of an even stronger engineering team and support staff at Valley Rubber became reality. By combining the solid manufacturing capabilities of Valley Rubber with our proven Engineered Solutions, we are able to engineer and manufacture guaranteed solutions for our customers’ toughest problems.

In 2018 Valley Rubber expanded its fabrication abilities by moving this department to a larger, dedicated space in the East Plant facility. Steel cutting was incorporated, and state-of-the-art equipment was purchased to help with this added capability. The experienced staff are able to provide steel cutting, welding, fabrication, forming, and protective painting for Valley Rubber’s customers.

In 2019 Valley Rubber purchased equipment from Fuller Precision (a local machine shop). The addition of machining combined with our fabrication and steel cutting capabilities allows us to further serve our customers. Direct access to our engineering team and internal fabrication will also result in quicker lead times.

In 2021, GRT Rubber, a leading manufacturer of engineered rubber products for applications across a diversified array of end-markets, acquired Valley Rubber, a manufacturer of custom rubber solutions for tough mining and industrial applications. The two industry-leading manufacturers will join forces to share resources, end-market expertise and expand their geographic footprints.