PPB June 2016

28 / 112

WHAT EMPLOYEES SAY ABOUT
ALLIANCE RUBBER COMPANY |
At Alliance Rubber Company,
which participates in the promo-
tional products industry as Ad
Bands (UPIC: ALLI0001), team
members are the company’s most
valuable asset, says nominator
Jason Risner. “We work together
to provide innovative, quality
products at competitive prices
and we support what we sell
with exceptional customer serv-
ice.” He adds that Alliance pro-
vides opportunities for empower-
ment and self-improvement in a
safe working environment and
also treats its vendors well to
ensure mutually beneficial rela-
tionships.
Alliance is a privately owned
company, and one of the few in
the industry in which women
own a majority of the stock,
Risner points out. “American
manufacturing can be a brutal
industry with competitors from
overseas offering lower prices,”
he says. “To combat this,
Alliance has remained commit-
ted to offering higher-quality
products paired with excellent
customer service.” Ninety-four
percent of its sales are generated
from American-made products,
he adds.
Risner says the management
team at Alliance also goes above
and beyond to make employees
feel appreciated. For example, to
commemorate the company’s
recent 93rd birthday, all employ-
ees were invited to a celebratory
luncheon to hear a special
address from former Arkansas
Razorback Football Coach
Houston Nutt.
HOW IT DIFFERENTIATES ITSELF AS AN
EMPLOYER | “At Alliance,
employees are more than just
workers,” says Risner. “We feel
like a part of the team. We work
together to come up with new,
innovative ideas for the rubber
band industry, and we actually
enjoy working with each other.
Alliance hires individuals with a
strong work ethic who take pride
in the work they do.” The
employee turnover rate at
Alliance last year was less than
five percent, while the national
average is 11 to 15 percent
depending on the industry and
region. Risner says a key source
of company pride is that more
than two-thirds of employees
have been with the company for
more than five years. Another
thing that makes him proud of
his company is its average hourly
wage. “We staff members work
hard every day, making the best
rubber band products in the
world, so Alliance wants to make
sure we and our families are
taken care of.”
Alliance has a unique corpo-
rate culture in that it values its
employees and customers before
profits, according to Risner, who
has been with the supplier for six
years. “Many companies show
keen interest in quarterly earn-
ings and view their people as
headcount, but not Alliance. The
leaders here believe in nurturing
and training team members, and
95 percent of the managers have
been promoted from entry-level
positions.”
The supplier conducts an
26 • PPB • JUNE 2016 INNOVATE
GREATEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR 2016
Top Executive
Bonnie Spencer Swayze,
President
___
Company Type
Supplier
___
Location
Headquarters in Hot
Springs, Arkansas;
stocking warehouse in
Salinas Valley, California
___
Website
___
Year Founded
1923
___
Total Employees
180
___
Company Motto
“Personalized
Promotions and
Packaging—Always the
Smart Solution”
___
Perks
Healthcare and insur-
ance benefits; 401(k)
plan; company-paid
holidays; vacation time;
lunches; picnics and
parties for employees
A sampling of employees, who hold responsibilities from management to the
factory floor, band together in celebrating the company’s selection as a top
workplace.