Dayco
Today’s Dayco began in Dayton, Ohio as the “Dayton Rubber Manufacturing Company” (DRMC). The year was 1905. Among its first products was the rubber sealing ring for glass jars used in home canning. At the time, the fledgling automobile industry was in great need of inventions, so DRMC created the first airless automobile tire in 1920, the first raw-edge V-belt in 1921 (the same design used today) and the first raw-edge cog belt in 1926. Then in 1934, DRMC was the first company to manufacture automobile tires using the “new” synthetic rubber technology. In support of the war effort from 1941 through 1945, DRMC expanded its product line to include, tank tread rollers, rubber rafts, and oxygen hoses. After the War—in 1946—the company shortened its name to the Dayton Rubber Company. During the post-war boom, DRC introduced one of its most memorable brand-name products: the “Dayton Thorobred tubeless tire in 1954, followed by the Super Thorobred V-belt with Dacron fiber in 1956. Looking to expand its market, DRC developed the arched-cross-section V-belt for agricultural applications in 1957, and the heavy duty Poly Rib belt for diesel engine truck applications in 1959. The expansion culminated in 1960, when the company changed its name to “Dayco Corporation” in order to reflect its diversity. The innovations introduced by Dayco at the end of the 20th century changed the design of accessory drives for the entire industry. It began in 1979, when Dayco developed the first automotive serpentine belt for the Ford Mustang—a design now used on virtually all new vehicles. In 1984, Dayco introduced the visibly different Top Cog V-belt. The next Dayco innovation for serpentine drives came in 1985 from the OE division: a spring-loaded automatic serpentine belt tensioner, featuring Dayco’s patented “flat” spring technology. In 1987, Dayco developed the visibly different Poly Cog serpentine belt. Next, making a major investment in its OE business, in 1989 Dayco’s Automotive OE division established the Automotive Systems Technology Center in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. Mark IV Industries, Inc. bought Dayco in 1988. The 1990s was a decade of global acquisitions for Mark IV. Acquired companies with an impact on the Dayco Aftermarket included Anchor Swan (1990), Pirelli’s belt business (1993), and Purolator (1995)—the same year that Dayco Aftermarket moved its headquarters from Dayton, Ohio to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
