The Tingley Rubber Company offers a wide variety of waterproof footwear and raingear, as well as high-visibility workwear. It’s easy for us to trust this brand, especially since it’s been around for over 100 years. With a lot of hard work and dedication, the Tingley brand was started by a man named Charles O. Tingley. It began with him selling bicycle tire plugs in 1896 (he literally rode his bicycle from city to city), and it progressed into the vast company you know today. Tingley’s travels from New York to Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. and back to New Jersey were well worth it, as he then developed his business idea into the successful Tingley Rubber Company. His two sons joined to help the family company grow into what it is today, and the company has been meeting valued customers’ needs ever since.
In 1910, C.O. Tingley hired on an associate, William McCollum, Sr, who then helped to diversify the product line. Tingley, along with his sons and associate, used the company’s experience in rubber to design, develop, and ultimately commercialize the first compression-molded stretchable unlined rubber overshoes. This is what got the Tingley Rubber Company into the protective footwear business. With this kind of diversity and innovation during its origination, they were able to progress the protective workwear industry immensely – and stay ahead of any competition.
Along with compression-molded overshoes, Tingley was also the first to:
– introduce injection-molded unlined stretch rubber overshoes
– develop rubber overshoes that resist a wider range of solvents, caustics, hydrocarbons, fats, acids, and oils better than natural rubber
– create a line of injection-molded PVC overshoes
– come up with exterior coated polyurethane protective clothing with sealed seams (intended for the food processing industry)
Today, Tingley offers a complete line of waterproof protective footwear and work clothing. You’ll stay comfortable and dry in their water-resistant products – be sure to check out Working Person’s Store to find the best raingear to keep yourself safe in potentially hazardous work conditions. High-visibility outerwear, including hi-vis sweatshirts, work vests, neon yellow t-shirts, and reflective pants are also protective products the Tingley Rubber Company has developed for the hardworking people of the world.
This reputable brand has many firsts, and they have a 100 year tradition of quality and excellence to prove its importance. They’re currently in their fourth generation of family management, and Tingley continues to expand and refine itself based on consumer and market needs. And just think – the breakthrough for this company came about with the simple revolution of rubber bicycle tires. Amazing, right?
