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History
of the Davis Rubber Company
at
Broadway in L.R.
The Davis Rubber
Company was founded in 1924 by Herschel Davis. In 1923, at the age
of 23,
Herschel went to a mechanic school in Kansas City Mo. named Sweeneys
Automotive School. This school among other things taught a student
how to completely
disassemble a MODEL T FORD and then reassemble it in running condition.
Herschel was excited about going to this school and saw it as a chance
to get ahead. When he arrived at the school he was given a tour. Part
of
the school was dedicated to the art of tire repair. Since tire patches
were not readily available the school had an area that was dedicated
to
tire patch manufacturing. After Herschel saw this part of the school
he decided instead of enrolling in the school to use his tuition money
to buy equipment similar to what he had seen at the school. After finding
and purchasing this equipment, all of which was hand powered he brought
it back to Cartney Arkansas and put it in and old box car that sat
on
the side of the White River. Herschel would walk across the country collecting
discarded tires and would bring them back to his box car factory and
cut
them up and make tire patches out of them. Then he would once again go
out across the country selling these tire patches.
Through hard work and determination the fledgling company grew. As time
went by Herschel's brothers Ray and Henry Davis joined him in the business.
Ray Davis helped the company get off the ground in its first years but
then decided that he wanted to go out on his own and opened his own
business.
He started Davis Trailer and Equipment Company of Little Rock Arkansas
which became a very successful business. Herschel and Henry Davis continued
on with the Davis Rubber Company.
In 1926, Herschel and Henry moved the Davis Rubber Company to Little
Rock, Arkansas. There the business grew on through the end of the great
depression and expanded its product line beyond tire repairs. These products
included horse bridles, knee pads, shoes, floor mats and even hair curlers
made out of rubber generated from tire recycling
At the start of World War II the Davis Rubber Company was busy as ever
and the U. S. Government was buying all of the rubber scraps that the
business could generate.
As the war went on and rubber supplies shrunk, the Government
temporarily shut down the Davis Rubber Company and many similar businesses
across
the country to take control of the nations rubber supply. After the end
of the war the company was back up and running.
The Davis Rubber Company was one of the first tire repair companies to
take advantage of the new advertising media's know as direct mail advertising.This
marketing approach helped the business prosper. Herschel and Henry Davis
weathered the ups and downs of running this small business together until
1947 when Henry passed away. Herschel Davis carried on in an active role
in the operation of the Davis Rubber Company until his death in 1993
at
the age of 93. He was one of the true pioneers of both the tire repair
and tire recycling industries.
Before Herschel passed away he
purchased his first tire shredder and began moving the business into a
new
direction. Today the Davis Rubber Company owns two shredders, one granulator
and and ever growing list of tire recycling equipment. The Davis Rubber
Company today is operated by Phillip and Roger who are two of Herschel
five sons. Herschel's wife Barbara is also active in the business and
can be seen most days at the plant.For 78 years the Davis Rubber Company
has
been an
innovator in the tire recycling business in our country.With an ever expanding
product line made from recycled tires we are carrying on the legacy started
by Herschel Davis back in that abandoned box car in 1924. |
