To support the booming industry, Mr. Abbott later teamed up with fellow members of The Los Angeles Rubber Group, Inc. (TLARGI) to develop a rubber technology curriculum at the University of Southern California (USC). The curriculum supported Bachelor of Science and master’s degree programs. Unfortunately, Mr. Abbott passed away during the curriculum’s inaugural year in 1958.
Carl Hoglund, Mr. Abbott’s right-hand man, starts leading RDAbbott.
Carl Hoglund helps to commercialize Chemlok®, a novel adhesive technology patented in 1956 by Dr. Donald Alstadt—Mr. Hoglund’s former schoolmate and chemist at LORD Corporation (now Parker Lord). This same year, RDAbbott becomes LORD Corporation’s first chemical distributor.
Johnny Arensmeyer, owner of Veraco Die, joins RDAbbott and the companies merge. Veraco patented a very innovative moving die system for extruding tire tread. Veraco dies are still used today for the rapid prototyping of new tread designs.
Johnny Arensmeyer extends company ownership to Bob and Eloise Baatz, two long-time employees. Johnny stays in ownership with them until 1992.
RDAbbott helps to develop the first aqueous rubber-to-substrate products
Johnny, Bob, and Eloise retire and sell company to Jerry Wicker, formerly of C.P. Hall. Jerry will go on to expand RDAbbott’s product lines to include dispersions, additives, modifiers, colors, and fillers.
Keith Thomas starts leading RDAbbott and expanding it into various high-value polymers, as well as geographically across North America.
With help from RDAbbott, proposed changes to SCAQMD Rule 1168 for Adhesive and Sealant Applications are adopted. This rule was later amended in 2017.
New distribution agreement is signed with Dow Corning (now Dow) for silicone products in U.S. and Canada.
New distribution agreement is signed with 3M for select advanced materials.
RDAbbott moves its California headquarters from Santa Fe Springs to Cerritos.
New distribution agreement is signed with Dow Corning for silicone products in Mexico.
New distribution agreement is signed with Dow Corning to distribute their medical device elastomers throughout North America.
New distribution agreement is signed with LANXESS Corporation to sell Tire and Specialty Rubber (TSR) rubber products throughout the continental United States. The prior agreement was for the western United States.
RDAbbott fully characterizes LSR materials using a suite of chemorheology measurements for 14 grades across Dow Corning’s XIAMETER® Brand RBL 9200 and RBL 2004 LSR Series.
RDAbbott teams up with Dow Corning and 3M to develop a new silicone technology that is both strong and light weight. With this new technology, a 1/3 weight reduction is achievable with a final specific gravity less than 1.0.
New distribution agreement is signed with Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc., to distribute Cariflex™ isoprene rubbers throughout North America.
Novation Solutions, LLC, an Ohio-based dispersions manufacturer, is purchased by RDA Holdings. Novation Solutions is known in the market now as NovationSi.
RDAbbott helps to develop 3D Liquid Additive Manufacturing (LAM) technologies from German RepRap using Dow liquid silicone rubber.
RDAbbott is appointed as Cancarb Limited’s agent for Thermax® brand Thermal Carbon Black in the United States and Canada.
New distribution agreement is signed with LORD Corporation to sell LORD® In-Mold Bonding (IMB™) Adhesives throughout North America.
RDAbbott’s new logo and website are introduced to the market.
RDAbbott teamed up with Cancarb Limited and ARLANXEO to explore architectural sealing advancements using Thermax N990 and Keltan EPDM with new rubber glazing compounding technology to improve cost efficiency, processability, and durability.
New distribution agreement is signed with LORD Corporation to include Canada.
RDAbbott teams up with Cancarb Limited and ARLANXEO to explore elastomer sealing performance advancements using Thermax® N990 and X_Butyl® Bromobutyl designed for hydrogen fuel system technologies.
RDAbbott is named one of Rubber News’ Best Places to Work.
RDAbbott remains open as an “Essential Business” for critical distribution and lab services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
RDAbbott helps to develop electrically conductive silicone compounds for medical devices applications.
New distibution agreement is signed with ARLANXEO for select polymers throughout all of Mexico.
New distribution agreement is signed with 3M Advanced Materials division to include Canada.
RDAbbott opens a new 127,000 sq. ft. facility in Barberton, Ohio, for its NovationSi headquarters and Eastern Materials Science and Logistics Hub.
RDAbbott helps to develop antimicrobial protection for silicone medical and dental devices.
RDAbbott is named one of Rubber News’ Best Places to Work for the second time.
RDAbbott educates American public TV audiences about the rubber industry through Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid production.
RDAbbott moves its California headquarters from Cerritos to Garden Grove.
RDAbbott and NovationSi debut their 4-day “Manufacturing with Silicone Workshop.”
New distribution agreement is signed with Cancarb Limited to be their exclusive, full-service distributor in Mexico.
Global Headquarters:
R.D. Abbott Co., Inc. (RDAbbott)
11958 Monarch Street
Garden Grove, CA 92841
Phone: 562.944.5354
Fax: 562.944.5374
