SOUTHAMPTON, England – Reflecting on their 155th year of trading, leading British rubber manufacturers, Martin’s Rubber Company, have vowed that they and the wider rubber manufacturing industry as a whole have the resilience, flexibility and ingenuity needed to “bounce back” from the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. 

A wise sentiment indeed from a company that has traded continuously since 1865. From their facilities, a stone’s throw from the docks of the historic English port of Southampton, Martin’s Rubber has calmly navigated two world wars, a Great Depression and a major financial crisis, amongst other things. So when they say that things will improve, they are talking from a place of experience.

In pursuit of engineering excellence 

So what is the secret to their ongoing success? As with any success story, the incredible longevity of Martin’s Rubber Company is not due to one thing in isolation. Rather, a combination of many factors, chief among them a steadfast pursuit of engineering excellence. “We have always had the ability to adapt to the prevailing needs of industry and the economic climate of the time,” said Operations Director, Adam Hooper. 

“What we have learned from our years of experience is that times of adversity tend to accelerate innovation, as we have seen with the remarkable response to Covid-19 from the global manufacturing community. My predecessors, from our founder John Hadlow Martin to my father, all shared a common desire to innovate and diversify. An approach that has kept us relevant and one that we still adhere to today.”

In many senses, Martin’s Rubber Company is a product of its environment. From their earliest days of selling waterproof garments to the seafarers of Southampton Docks to supplying parts to the naval and aviation industries throughout the wartime period and beyond; they have adapted, recalibrated and devised solutions. 

Some of the products that Adam’s father Brian, a marine engineer by trade, developed for the Defence and Nuclear industries back in the 1960s are still being manufactured by the company today. The reach of their expertise in present times extends across virtually every industrial sector, be it aerospace, oil and gas or motorsport.

Bonding opportunities

One upshot of the coronavirus pandemic is the bonding opportunities it has provided. This is certainly a welcome by-product that resonates with Martin’s Rubber Company. Both from the perspective of forging long-lasting relationships with customers, which has always been a trademark quality instilled in everything that they do, as well as from a more literal sense with the impressive rubber bonding capabilities that they possess.  

Martin’s Rubber Company is known for bonding materials for strength. They provide the best of both worlds: flexibility and strength. Materials are taken far beyond their standard capabilities to ensure that the performance of the bonded parts is greater than the sum of the individual parts. Technological advancements mean that they can now bond rubber to just about any substrate, metal or plastic. 

The less likely the pairing, the greater their innovation. Which neatly sums up their approach to business and certain route to recovery; when the chips are down, they innovate their way to success. 

“We are confident that we will come out of this crisis stronger. Our company and the wider industry will adapt and put our expertise to good use to find innovative ways to overcome the current situation. Martin’s Rubber will continue to offer the highest standards of technological innovation, collaborative working and product performance to supply exactly what our industry contacts need to succeed. 

“That is what we are passionate about; helping our customers to achieve their goals. That will remain our objective moving forward – hopefully for another 155 years,” Adam concluded. 

Martins Rubber Company is a well-established rubber manufacturer based in Southampton, UK. Specialising in the production and supply of industrial rubber and engineered plastic products, their expertise is in moulding, bonding, product development and materials development. With a pedigree of 155 years of continuous trading and counting, state-of-the-art facilities, and a team of skilful engineers, Martin’s Rubber Company knows how to weather the storm of a global crisis. For more information, visit www.martins-rubber.co.uk.