Eight Decades of Rubbermaid in Wooster

By Shannon Dade

The company that would eventually become Rubbermaid began as the Wooster Rubber Company in 1920. Over the course of the company’s tenure in Wooster, not only did it change names, it also grew from a small balloon manufacturer to the most recognizable household brand in America.

In the years following World War II, Rubbermaid helped Wooster to grow into a thriving micropolis. The company put Wooster on the map, securing the city’s place in the national and, eventually, international marketplace. The close relationship between Wooster and Rubbermaid benefited the city immensely, but it also tethered Wooster’s economic health to the ups and downs of the business, and the national economy. Although Rubbermaid no longer calls Wooster home, the company’s legacy has shaped the city as we know it today.