Thirty years ago, Arthur Dodge III became intrigued with a little piece of recycled, re-bonded rubber his father had created in his company’s lab. Dodge had no idea then that his perseverance and pioneering vision would create an entirely new market of innovative composition surfaces.
“After studying overseas, I came back to the United States with the idea that I was going to get into a completely different line of work, not join the family business,” said Dodge. “But when father showed me a piece of recycled rubber and challenged me to find an opportunity for this unique product, I accepted the challenge, and I haven’t looked back.”
In the late 1980s, many materials such as plastic, metal and paper were being recycled into new products. Recycled rubber, however, was not yet popular, and Dodge saw it as an opportunity to create a new market. After selling his first major flooring order, 40,000-square feet for Nickelodeon’s corporate offices in the Viacom Building in New York City, Dodge realized a huge potential market waiting to be developed.
Today, as CEO and President of Ecore International, Dodge oversees a 500-employee company that transforms reclaimed materials, such as tires and rubber byproducts into durable, ergonomic and sound reducing performance surfaces designed for a variety of applications and markets. Because all of the products Ecore manufactures include an element of composition rubber, Ecore surfaces are safer, quieter and a more comfortable option underfoot than traditional resilient flooring.
“The last 30 years have been an amazing and rewarding journey,” said Dodge. “We founded Ecore on the principle of making people’s lives better by providing high-quality, sustainable products that address common flooring concerns – and we are doing just that. As our research and technology evolves, we will continue to develop sophisticated solutions for industry-specific problems. I am very excited to see what the next 30 years brings.”
Dodge’s passion for sustainability goes beyond his work at Ecore, as he was recently elected Director of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and Chairman of ISRI’s Tire Chapter. As ISRI Director, Dodge participates in national policy discussions related to recycling industry domestic and international trade and helps support the promotion of recycling industries’ contribution to a cleaner and healthier planet.
In his role as Tire Chapter chair, Dodge connects with recycled rubber industry leaders to help support and raise awareness of contributions to safety and environmental applications for the tire recycling and recycled rubber products industries.
“Creating a fully sustainable corporate culture with dedicated employees committed to upholding our mission is the driving force behind our work,” added Dodge.