U.S. Rubber Named to Inc.’s 2022 Best in Business List in Manufacturing
3rd annual list recognizes 241 private companies committed to purpose and profit
Colton, Calif. December 6, 2022 – U.S. Rubber has been named to the Inc 2022 Best in Business list in the Manufacturing category for its Bounce Back!Second-chance hiring program, which offers opportunity to formerly incarcerated people committed to rebuilding their lives. Inc.’s Best in Business Awards honor companies that have made an extraordinary impact in their fields and on society.
The list, which can be found in the Winter issue of Inc. magazine, recognizes the most dynamic companies of all sizes and industries that have had an outstanding influence on their communities, their industries, the environment, or society as a whole.
“Bounce Back! is the soul of U.S. Rubber’s culture,” says U.S. Rubber CEO Jeff Baldassari. “About two-thirds of our employees are ex-felons who show up and work hard every day to turn their lives around. This award belongs to our entire team. Approximately 70 million Americans have a criminal record that prevents them from finding jobs, even after they’ve paid their debt to society.
I hope this recognition will help push second-chance hiring to the forefront of our national conversation about who deserves a second chance.”
Rather than relying on quantitative criteria tied to sales or funding, Inc.’s editors reviewed the companies’ achievements over the past year and noted how they made a positive difference in the world. They then selected honorees in 55 different categories – from advertising to sustainability to retail, and more – and in age-based, revenue-based, size-based, and impact- based categories.
The applicant pool was extremely competitive – a huge success for the 241 honored in the list’s third year. Honorees for gold, silver, bronze, and general excellence across industries and categories are featured online at inc.com/best-in-business.
Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc., says, “Inc. magazine is dedicated to showcasing America’s most dynamic businesses and the great things they do. The Best in Business awards shine a light on those that have gone above and beyond their original mission to make a social, environmental or economic impact, benefiting those around them.”
ABOUT U.S. RUBBER
U.S. Rubber is a true triple-bottom-line business, providing a second chance to marginalized employees looking to rebuild their lives and a second life to discarded materials while its rapid growth rate increases economic vitality in California’s Inland Empire. The Colton, Calif.-based company removes used truck tires from the local waste stream and recycles them into long- wearing, LEED-certified custom fitness flooring and sound-absorbing underlayment for multistory buildings as well as rolled vegetation control matting on freeways under guardrails and fencing.
About two-thirds of the workforce that produces these high-value products consists of formerly incarcerated people hired through its Bounce Back! second-chance employment program. The company’s fitness flooring and underlayment are available through its primary distributor, Tri West Ltd., Home Depot and other retailers. Its vegetation control matting is available in California through its distributor Safety Network.
ABOUT INC.
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print.
Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest- growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.