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Custom-engineered roll covers that perform better, last longer
 
Returning your metal, paper or industrial rolls to like-new condition

History

A family-owned, American business since 1892

history

william vailVail from its beginnings has been in the rubber product business. The company started in 1892 when William A. Vail began manufacturing rubber railroad ties with the hopes of making rail travel quieter and softer. But when that idea didn't prove as marketable as he had envisioned, Vail developed an innovative product that was in demand — molded rubber horseshoes. But those needs changed, too. As more and more people drove horseless carriages, Vail saw a need for a new rubber product to protect the bearings on paper handling rolls from acid spray. That was Vail's segue into manufacturing roll covers for the paper, metal and other industries.

Since Chicago didn't have paper mills, William Vail moved his company and his family to Muskegon, Michigan in 1915 to be closer to his customers. Then in 1920, he relocated his entire operations to an empty factory on Ann Street in St. Joseph, Michigan. The company was renamed Vail Rubber Works, Inc. and within a few years it moved to its current headquarters on Langley Avenue.

Here this family-owned company has survived the adversity, technological changes and events of more than a century. We know that we accomplished this because our stakeholders and employees never lost sight of helping our customers succeed. By continually providing cost-effective, innovative solutions for their roll-related applications, we share in their success while at the same time ensure our own future and job security for our employees. This unwavering commitment to take care of our customers and employees as "family" is how our previous generations did business. It's the legacy we're passing on.

At Vail we:

  • Provide a safe work environment
  • Offer the best products and services possible to our customers
  • Treat our suppliers fairly
  • Safeguard the welfare of our trusted employees
  • Strive to be a respected, corporate citizen and an asset to the communities in which we operate
  • Promote the survival of manufacturing in the United States
  • Value family

Thank you for being with us as we proudly serve the ever-changing product needs of our second century!