Vip Rubber and Plastic has a long and rich history. We are a family owned American manufacturer of rubber and plastic products, founded in 1961, by Howard Vipperman Sr. We are proud to be a trusted supplier to top industrial companies, led by generations wisdom and experience.
Howard Vipperman Sr., known to most as “Big Vip”, despite his relatively short stature, began his career in the rubber and plastic industry as a gasket cutter just after completing his time in the armed forces. Through years of dedication on the manufacturing floor, he gained valuable experience and knowledge in all areas of the rubber industry.
During a break from manufacturing, Big Vip purchased and operated a bar in Sepulveda, Ca. called the Woodsman. He was ultimately able to sell this bar and make enough profit to begin his business, which is how Vip Rubber and Plastic Company came into existence.
A company called Powers Rubber had just gone out of business, so Big Vip took what little money he had and rehabilitated that company under new ownership and with a new name – Vip Rubber Company. With only two employees, he leased the building and equipment and relied on his charisma, charm, friendships and strong business sense to get this family-owned American manufacturer started.
Big Vip was always the life of the party, and people loved to be around him. Kathy “Vipperman” LeClair, Big Vip’s daughter and current CFO of the company, remembers Vip fondly. “In 1961, my brother and sisters and I would all drive down with dad on Saturdays so Mom could clean the offices, and we would all help. We painted and did other housekeeping as well. Mom would wash and wax the floors on her hands and knees. We worked in the factory as well, doing different jobs like trimming, sorting and counting parts. We all had a lot of love for this company.”
In 1964 Big Vip’s wife Bernardyne Vipperman joined her husband at the company. Although Big Vip was a little unsure about this arrangement, it soon became a fantastic partnership and the business became more and more successful. Big Vip kept his focus on treating customers like friends and giving the best possible product at the best possible price. In 1966, VIP added plastic extrusion to the list of manufacturing capabilities.
Since then, many members of the family have come to play integral parts in the history of VIP’s success. Sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, and family friends have all joined forces to keep VIP the viable, family-owned American manufacturer it still is today.
Sadly in July of 1979 Big Vip passed away. Howard Wayne Vipperman stepped in to lead and now heads a team of over 200 sales, service, technical and manufacturing staff.
In 1994, Vip outgrew its facility in Anaheim, CA and moved to a facility in La Habra, CA with over 75,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Howard thought they would never fill up space, but Vip continues to expand as a family-owned American manufacturer, and the facility is now completely full!
Expansion continued and in 2016 Vip opened a plastic extrusion facility in the beautiful city of Minden, Nevada.
Today, we continue to focus on creating customer friendships and producing the highest quality product at the best possible price – all here in the USA. The company is still run by the family, with Big Vip’s son and daughter at the helm, now supported by the third generation of Vippermans, who look forward to continuing Big Vip’s legacy as a family-owned American manufacturer.
Today we have some of the brightest and most innovative minds under our roof. Our technical, manufacturing, quality and manufacturing teams are filled with solutions and willingness to put the customer first. There are many rubber companies out there, but there are not many with the vast history and experience needed to create projects that help companies truly create partnerships with their customers. We really do love what we do.
In 2019 Bernardyne (Deena) Campana was promoted to company president while Howard Vipperman Jr. stayed on as Chairman of the Board.
With the identification and rapid spread of the Coronavirus in 2020, our world will be forever changed. We joined the fight, manufacturing multiple custom components used in critical medical devices like respirators, nebulizers and oxygen chambers. Specifically we made gaskets, pump seals, IV tubing, straps, bumpers and many other rubber and plastic used in the medical field. Our goal was to do as much as we could to contribute to saving lives. Identified as an essential and critical manufacturing entity by Homeland Security, we were empowered to continue manufacturing with the same quality that our company was originally built on.
In 2021 we celebrated our 60th year in manufacturing. We are both humbled and grateful to everyone who has played a part in allowing us to grow and evolve over these past 60 years.
We hope our valued customers always know they are an important part of our family!