Paul-Martin Rubber Company

 Another mid-20th-century company, which was far removed from the paper and textile industries, was the Paul-Martin Rubber Company.

Martin Jaffe was formerly the plant manager of the Paragon Rubber Co., located in Easthampton. In 1945, he started his own business in the manufacture of rubber molded products, and the company was named the Paul-Martin Rubber Company. Attempts to determine who Paul was in the business name were unsuccessful. 

In March 1945, the business started out in the basement of the former Holyoke Silk Hosiery Company's mill building at 178 Sargeant Street. 

As Noma Electric Company, the principal occupant needed more space, Paul-Martin Rubber Co. moved its operation to a 7,500 square-foot space at 380 Dwight Street. It was the first business that moved into what was called the Beebe-Holbrook complex, operated by the Holyoke Water Power Co. This building was formerly a part of the American Writing Paper Co.'s (AWPCo) holdings.

Holyoke Water Power had acquired the property in 1944 from AWPCo and was converting the space to incubators for small businesses. The complex was built in the late 1800s and included the Wauregan Paper Co., Beebe-Holbrook Paper Co., and Massasoit Paper Co.

Paul-Martin Rubber Company produced many molded rubber products, such as diaphragms, washers, gaskets, and, as I recall, rubber tips for walking canes. In 1945, there were 20 employed, and three years later, 35. The president of the company was Martin Jaffe. The Vice-President and plant manager was Melvin Stern.

In 1950, the workers voted to unionize under the CIO United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum, and Plastics union. 

In 1951, the company was running three production shifts, and five years later, the company added 10,000 square feet of space when Adams Plastic Company moved.

On December 29, 1972, Holyoke Water Power sold the Beebe Holbrook complex to a corporate entity created for Martin Cohen of Highland Upholstery and Martin Jaffe of Paul Martin Rubber. Holyoke Water Power had considered demolition as one of three options, which included continued rentals or sale of the complex.

Martin Jaffe continued to work at Paul-Martin Rubber Co. for 50 years until he died in 1998 at age 93. The company continued in business for a short time under new owner Thomas Laurino. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Secretary of State's Office dissolved the corporation in 2007. However, the business likely closed around three years earlier.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations include Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram, and Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican, with publication dates and pages shown.

Ancestry.com (paid subscription), Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Assessors' Office, City of Holyoke, Massachusetts

Martin Jaffe