Winston-Salem, N.C.
November 8, 2024
Archer Advanced Rubber Components
George Halages is a man of boundless energy and optimism. These traits have served him well in the 25 years since he co-founded 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.
Reflecting on the company’s early days, Halages is quick to celebrate the crucial contributions of his co-founder, Alyssa White, and the loving support of his wife and children, but he does admit that his own determination has played a part in the firm’s success. He is reminded of a favorite quote from Calvin Coolidge, who wrote, “Persistence and determination are omnipotent.” It is something Halages sees as fundamental.
“I’m not the smartest guy in the world,” Halages said with a smile. “I’m certainly not the best looking, but I am the most persistent son of a gun you’ve ever met in your entire life. The word ‘quit’ just is not in my vocabulary.”
The newly minted company offered seals and gaskets to manufacturers of products like irrigation systems, outdoor power equipment, and appliances. Halages and White handled much of the work themselves and faced steep learning curves on all fronts. “Our very first order was for 50,000 pieces of a lathe-cut part, and it took us almost eight weeks to make them,” he said. “Now, we could fulfill that same order in about 8 hours.”
Despite the bumpy start, the company grew quickly. Halages credits three core principles with Archer’s growth: “You’ve got to take care of the customer; you’ve got to take care of the customer; you’ve got to take care of the customer.”
Persistent focus on customer satisfaction continued to pay off over the next decade. Archer expanded steadily, reaching $9 million in annual sales by 2009 when the financial crisis hit the industry hard. But as competitors were giving up and closing their doors, Halages saw an opportunity to dramatically improve Archer’s capabilities.
Then, as now, Archer’s core business consisted of four main product lines: lathe-cut, extruded, die-cut, and molded rubber components. Until 2009, the company manufactured the lathe cuts in their Winston-Salem facility, while the other products were outsourced. By purchasing the assets of other manufacturers, Archer was able to bring in-house the majority of their product manufacturing.
“We acquired an extrusion company; we acquired a die-cutting company; we built a molded products capability,” Halages said. “So, we went from manufacturing about 30% of our products on-site to now 80% being made right here in North Carolina.” Creating quality jobs in Winston-Salem is important to Halages who raised his children there and is dedicated, alongside Archer employees, to serving the community through several company-sponsored charitable projects each year.
Archer’s investment in local manufacturing was just the beginning. Archer is also committed to continually upgrading their material expertise, process technology, and overall capabilities. According to Troy Scott, Archer’s EVP of Sales and Marketing, the company is laser-focused on solving customers’ technical problems. “We leverage our engineering and advanced materials expertise to deliver custom-engineered solutions that meet diverse industry needs,” he said.
Today, Archer produces seals, gaskets, and custom-molded rubber components for original equipment manufacturers across the globe. “We care deeply about our customers’ success and support them with engineered solutions, quality products, and exceptional customer service,” Scott said. “We offer a comprehensive range of product and process capabilities with the flexibility of either domestic manufacturing or global sourcing.”
Reflecting on the past 25 years, Halages expressed gratitude. “I tell people all the time that I am blessed beyond what I deserve. There’s no question about it. I’m so grateful for the people— customers and employees—who have made it all possible. I can’t wait to see what the next 25 years will bring!”
Archer plans to continue growing through its dedicated team, embodying the motto, “One Team — One Direction,” which emphasizes unity and shared goals, enabling the company to tackle challenges and innovate effectively.
Halages believes that sustained success requires persistent focus on the fundamentals. “You better stay hungry and you better take care of the customer,” he said. “I mean, that’s just all there is to it. Because if you don’t, I guarantee somebody else will. That’s how we grew. We were able to solve problems and do things to help our customers that their previous supplier couldn’t or wouldn’t do. And we plan to keep providing solutions every day.”
Relevant Links
Archer Web Site: https://archerseal.com
Product Line Sheet: https://bit.ly/4foAVsF
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3O5moXr
About Archer Advanced Rubber Components
Archer Advanced Rubber Components is one of the leading manufacturers of industrial seals, gaskets, and molded rubber parts in the southeastern United States.
Archer Advanced Rubber Components
2860 Lowery Street
Winston Salem, NC 27101
(336) 996-7776