The conflict involving the United States, Israel, gulf nations, and Iran has upended trade in the Middle East. The effects are now cascading across global supply chains. The shock is being transmitted first through energy markets. Oil prices have surged, pushing up the cost of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel — three inputs that underpin nearly every stage of industrial production and logistics.
Synthetic rubber is directly tied to the petrochemical value chain, making it highly sensitive to swings in crude oil markets. Volatility affects not just raw material costs, but also supply availability, energy inputs, and pricing behavior across the value chain.
Synthetic rubber production begins in the oil refinery, where crude oil is converted into naphtha and then broken down into key chemical intermediates. These feedstocks are transformed into long-chain polymers and subsequently engineered through controlled processing and mixing to achieve precise performance characteristics.
The Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers has named five new representatives to its board of directors for 2026, industry leaders with a range of experience. Joining the board are George Halages of Archer Advanced Rubber Components; Kyle Hug of Akron Rubber Development Laboratory Inc.; John Mohl Jr. of Maplan North America; Josh Petrawski of Southern Michigan Rubber; and Steven Smith of Specification Rubber Products. “ARPM is incredibly fortunate to welcome such a talented and engaged group of leaders to our Board of Directors,” said Kaitlyn Triplett, managing director of ARPM. “George, Kyle, John, Josh and Steven each bring valuable perspectives and expertise, and we are excited for the impact their leadership will have as we continue to grow and innovate as an association.”
Archer Advanced Rubber Components is pleased to announce that one of our synthetic rubber compounds has been certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) under the UL 157 standard.
Spliced and Vulcanized O-rings and Seals For applications in which traditional molded O-rings are unsuitable, spliced and vulcanized O-rings can provide an effective solution. What are Spliced and Vulcanized Seals? In contrast to molded seals, which are formed as one...
Business gurus often talk about the 30,000-foot view — the big picture that provides an overall look. Perhaps, however, the focus should be on the view from 30 feet — a close-up examination of specific processes and procedures that make...
As they age, rubber seals and molded products can undergo detrimental changes to their physical properties and become unusable due to excessive hardening, softening, cracking, crazing, or other surface degradations.
George Halages is the CEO of a North Carolina based manufacturer that is celebrating 25 years in business. Halages credits his employees with most of the success at Archer Advanced Rubber Components, a manufacturer of seals, gaskets and molded rubber in Winston-Salem.
George Halages is a man of boundless energy and optimism. These traits have served him well in the 25 years since he cofounded Archer Advanced Rubber Components. In that time, the firm has grown from four employees to nearly 200 and has become one of the Southeast’s largest manufacturers of seals, gaskets, and molded rubber components.
