What Chicago Rubber & Seal does

Chicago Rubber & Seal, Inc. (CRS) is a privately-held U.S. manufacturer of engineered elastomeric sealing solutions founded in 1999 and operating from Rockford, Illinois. The company designs, manufactures, and supplies a broad portfolio of rubber and plastic sealing components — including custom molded rubber parts, bonded parts, engineered thermoplastics, gaskets, shaft seals, bellows, boots, custom foam, O-rings, extruded profiles, and vibration dampening components — to industrial OEM customers. Its stated competitive positioning rests on technical expertise in elastomeric material selection and seal design, supported by quality metrics of less than 300 PPM defect rate and 99.95% on-time delivery performance.

CRS operates a B2B enterprise sales model, engaging directly with customer engineering and purchasing teams rather than relying on distribution or self-service channels. The company positions itself as a consultative partner, providing training on industry standards such as ASTM D2000 and on rubber molding methods and dimensional tolerancing. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales negotiated per application and volume, with no public pricing disclosures. The company self-describes as a "global supplier" but maintains a single disclosed operating location in Rockford, IL, with 11-50 employees and no disclosed subsidiaries, certifications, patents, or external investment.

The firm is independently owned, with no parent company, PE/VC backing, or institutional investor disclosed. No funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes, or restructuring events are reported in the source material. The company maintains an active website and product catalog, indicating ongoing operations, but exhibits no observable offensive or defensive strategic moves beyond continued operation of its established specialty manufacturing business.

Name

Chicago Rubber & Seal

Legal name

Chicago Rubber & Seal, Inc.

Website

https://sourcerubber.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Rubber & Seal is a privately-held U.S. manufacturer of engineered elastomeric sealing components — including custom molded rubber parts, gaskets, O-rings, and shaft seals — serving industrial OEM customers through direct enterprise sales and technical consultation from its Rockford, Illinois facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Rubber Sealing Components

NAICS

Gasket, Packing, and Sealing Device Manufacturing (339991), Rubber Product Manufacturing for Mechanical Use (326291)

SIC

Gaskets, Packg & Sealg Devices & Rubber & Plastics Hose (3050)

akta.pro primary industry

Seals, Gaskets & O-Rings (Industrial Elastomer) (IMANALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vibration Control & Anti-Vibration Products (Mounts, Bushings, Isolators) (IMANALAD), Molded & Extruded Industrial Rubber Parts (Custom Components) (IMANALAG)

Keywords

• Engineered sealing solutions
• Custom molded rubber parts
• Industrial rubber seals
• Elastomeric sealing components
• O-rings and gaskets

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Rubber Products and Seals Sales: B2B manufacturing and sales of engineered rubber products and seals to OEM customers. Revenue is generated through product sales with emphasis on quality, on-time delivery, and competitive pricing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CRS manufactures and supplies engineered rubber sealing components for OEM customers, including custom molded rubber and bonded parts, gaskets, O-rings, shaft seals, bellows, extruded profiles, custom tubes, foam, and vibration dampening products. The company pairs product supply with material selection guidance, seal design services, and training on industry standards such as ASTM D2000 to help engineering teams select optimal sealing solutions for specific applications.

Product overview

Chicago Rubber & Seal is a manufacturer of engineered sealing solutions providing a comprehensive portfolio of rubber products and seals. The product portfolio includes Custom Molded Rubber & Bonded Parts, Engineered Plastics, Custom Molded Tubes, Mandrel Formed Tubes, Gaskets, Shaft Seals, Molded Bellows & Boots, Custom Foam, Standard O-Rings & Custom Shapes, Extruded Profiles, and Isolators & Vibration Dampening Components. The company offers material and design support services including training on industry standards such as ASTM D2000, and provides elastomeric sealing solutions for industrial OEM applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Molded Rubber & Bonded Parts Custom molded rubber components and bonded parts designed for specific sealing applications using elastomeric materials, supplied to OEM customers.
• Engineered Plastics Engineered thermoplastic components for industrial sealing and mechanical applications, supplied to OEM customers.
• Custom Molded Tubes Custom molded tubular rubber products for sealing and fluid-handling applications, supplied to OEM customers.
• Mandrel Formed Tubes Mandrel-formed tubular products manufactured using specialized forming techniques, supplied for sealing and fluid-handling applications.
• Gaskets Industrial gaskets for sealing joints and preventing leakage across OEM and industrial applications.
• Shaft Seals Rotary shaft seals designed to prevent leakage and contamination in rotating equipment, supplied to OEM customers.
• Molded Bellows & Boots Molded bellows and protective boots for mechanical protection and flexibility applications, supplied to OEM customers.
• Custom Foam Custom foam products for sealing, cushioning, and insulation applications, supplied to OEM customers.
• Standard O-Rings & Custom Shapes Standard O-rings and custom-shaped elastomeric sealing components supplied to OEM customers.
• Extruded Profiles Extruded rubber profiles in custom shapes and configurations for various sealing applications, supplied to OEM customers.
• Isolators & Vibration Dampening Components Vibration isolation and dampening components for reducing noise and vibration in mechanical systems, supplied to OEM customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Defect rate maintained at less than 300 PPM with top OEM customers
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Apple Rubber Products: Custom manufacturer of sealing products including O-rings, rubber seals, and molded elastomer components for OEM customers; directly comparable as a similarly sized U.S. shop specializing in engineered rubber sealing solutions.
• Marco Rubber & Plastics: Distributor and manufacturer of O-rings, gaskets, custom molded rubber parts, and sealing solutions serving industrial OEM customers; comparable product breadth and B2B distribution model.
• Minor Rubber: Custom molded rubber and elastomer components manufacturer serving OEM customers across industrial sealing applications; directly comparable custom molding focus and customer base.
• Robinson Rubber Products: Custom-molded rubber, silicone, and elastomer parts manufacturer supplying industrial and OEM customers; comparable custom rubber molding capabilities and target market.
• Elasto Proxy: Custom rubber seals, gaskets, and molded elastomer components supplier with strong design-engineering support; comparable emphasis on solving sealing challenges for OEMs through material expertise.
• Daemar: Manufacturer and distributor of seals, O-rings, gaskets, and molded rubber components serving industrial OEMs; comparable product portfolio and B2B supply model.

Broad incumbents

• Parker Hannifin (Sealing Division): Global diversified industrial manufacturer with a large sealing solutions division offering O-rings, gaskets, and engineered elastomer products; comparable product category but vastly broader scale, brand, and geographic footprint than CRS.
• Trelleborg Sealing Solutions: Global leader in polymer-engineered sealing solutions across aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets; directly overlapping in sealing product category but at much larger scale and with global engineering resources.
• Freudenberg Sealing Technologies: Major global supplier of seals and gaskets for automotive, industrial, and aerospace applications; competes directly in CRS's core categories with broader material science capabilities and global footprint.
• Greene Tweed: Manufacturer of high-performance seals and engineered elastomer components for industrial, aerospace, and oil & gas applications; comparable product focus but significantly larger and more diversified.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Rubber & Seal