The Purple Team — Powered by COi Rubber
Build your sales career in the world of manufacturing.
Connect manufacturers with custom rubber and plastics solutions. Develop customer relationships, learn practical sales skills and grow toward leadership—with COi supporting technical quoting, manufacturing and order fulfillment.
Apply to the Purple TeamAlready calling on buyers? Your buyers need a second source. Be the rep who brings it. Non-exclusive: keep your current lines.
Where rubber and plastic parts show up
Molded rubber and plastic parts are inside industrial machinery, vehicles, agricultural equipment, appliances, HVAC systems and many other products. COi makes custom parts such as gaskets, grommets, boots, diaphragms and molded components for manufacturers that need a dependable supplier.
U.S. plastics and rubber products manufacturers recorded approximately $287.9 billion in shipments in 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, via the St. Louis Fed ALFRED database.
That figure covers the broader U.S. manufacturing sector. COi’s addressable opportunities are a subset. It does not represent COi revenue, available customer accounts or what a representative may earn.
The practical opportunity is simple. Buyers at manufacturers often need a supplier they can trust for a part. You help them find one, then build the relationship that can lead to repeat orders.
Build your own independent sales business
The Purple Team is for people who want to build their own business, not take a salaried job. You develop customer relationships, earn repeat business and, as you qualify, work toward leading a productive team. COi handles quoting and manufacturing.
You work as an independent representative. There is no salary, no company equity and no guaranteed income. Territory and customer ownership are not part of this program unless set out in your written agreement.
Who can join
Experienced representatives and agencies
You already call on OEM buyers (OEM means original equipment manufacturer, the company that builds the finished product). Add COi as a complementary product line for the buyers you know, including Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers (companies that supply parts to the OEM, or to the OEM’s suppliers).
Motivated newcomers
You are new to industrial sales and willing to learn. You will learn how to identify suitable buyers, understand how parts are used, and submit qualified opportunities to COi, starting with the training described below.
Either way, the commitment is learning, prospecting, follow-up, accurate records and professional conduct. An RFQ (request for quote) is a buyer’s request for a price on a specific part. A qualified opportunity is a real company and buyer with a part that fits COi’s capabilities.
The founder’s story
デイヴィッド・チャオ — President & CEO, COi Rubber; Founder, The Purple Team
David Chao began a career in industrial rubber sales and built his path through perseverance and hard work. He became CEO of COi Rubber, later acquired full ownership of the company and purchased its Pomona office and warehouse property.
The Purple Team is being developed around a belief that shaped his journey: your starting point does not have to determine your future. Through practical skills, customer service and disciplined effort, people can create new opportunities.
David’s story is his own and is not a typical or promised result for any participant. A longer founder story will be added when the material is ready.
What COi provides
- Quoting and manufacturing. You send the RFQ. COi reviews the drawings and specifications and sends a written quote, so you never need to quote price or lead time yourself. Turnaround depends on the engineering review and no time is promised.
- Manufacturing and fulfillment. Our Wuhu, China manufacturing facility is IATF 16949 certified. COi Rubber Products is US owned, with offices in Diamond Bar and Pomona, California.
- Account visibility. Planned: a view of quote status on your accounts. How updates will work during the pilot will be explained when you are accepted.
- Leads. Planned for the pilot: COi-generated leads matched to a representative’s ZIP code area, interests or expertise, when available. This is not built yet and no number of leads is promised.
Purple Team Academy (proposed learning sequence)
- Understand COi’s products and customers.
- Identify a suitable buyer and application.
- Gather the information needed for an RFQ.
- Follow a quote through sampling and qualification.
- Support the first order and develop repeat business.
- Learn mentoring responsibilities after demonstrating competence.
Learning outside COi: TLARGI
The Los Angeles Rubber Group, Inc. (TLARGI) is a professional organization for the rubber industry. Its education programs include a Basic Rubber Technology course, technical information sessions and an annual technical conference (tlargi.org). We plan to recognize participation in programs like these as one way to build the knowledge needed for the next rank, once the requirements are written. Attending does not earn a rank by itself. Dates, fees and eligibility are set by TLARGI. COi has not agreed to pay for any program, and COi is not affiliated with TLARGI through this program.
Available today: COi’s public ビデオライブラリ, which covers rubber testing topics. It is technical product content, not Purple Team training. Planned for the pilot, not yet built: the Purple Team lessons and training manual, weekly team calls, monthly technical seminars, and recognition for first accepted RFQs and first orders.
Your career path (proposed)
Ranks are based on verified customer activity, not on signing up. Advancement considers account quality, qualified RFQs, paid customer business, repeat orders and effective mentoring.
Scout
Learn: COi’s products and customers, and how to identify a suitable buyer.
Qualify: complete the introductory training and three qualified buyer introduction calls.
Take on: submit qualified opportunities to COi.
Associate
Learn: what an RFQ needs, so the quote can be accurate.
Qualify: submit your first qualified RFQ.
Take on: follow your RFQ through the quote.
Account Partner
Learn: how a quote moves through sampling and qualification to a first order.
Qualify: generate your first customer-paid order.
Take on: supporting the account. The servicing requirements are written in the agreement.
Senior Partner
Qualify: sustained account production and repeat business. Requirements to be announced.
Take on: mentoring other representatives, after you have shown competence.
Regional Partner
Qualify: production plus the ability to train productive representatives. Requirements to be announced.
Take on: helping develop a local team.
Principal Partner
Qualify: sustained leadership and commercial performance. Requirements to be announced.
Take on: broader leadership responsibilities, defined in writing.
Support and recognition at every rank is planned for the pilot: weekly team calls, monthly technical seminars and recognition for first accepted RFQs and first orders. “Partner” is a program rank. It does not give company equity, and ranks do not guarantee income.
How progress is tracked (proposed points)
Verified milestones earn points that support recognition and advancement. These starting values are proposed and not final. Points track progress and recognition. They are not money and are not a commission.
| Verified milestone | Proposed points |
|---|---|
| Qualified buyer introduction | 100 |
| Qualified RFQ | 500 |
| COi-approved quote | 300 |
| Approved sample | 1,000 |
| First customer-paid order | 2,500 |
| Repeat customer-paid order | 1,500 |
Points for training and mentoring, and the thresholds for the higher ranks, have not been decided. Points need recorded activity and verified milestones, and duplicate or unverified entries do not count. A progress dashboard is planned and is not built yet.
Team building and the national vision
As representatives develop customer relationships and demonstrate consistent performance, qualified participants may progress toward mentoring others and helping develop local teams. Leadership advancement depends on productive customer activity, effective support and written program requirements. Recruiting alone does not create commission entitlement.
Proposed team model. Qualified representatives may help recruit, train and mentor new representatives. As that team produces customer sales, a qualified leader may earn an override on those customer sales, within a fixed program limit and under written terms. These rules are proposed, not final, and any agreement will be reviewed before use. Overrides come only from customer sales actually collected. Recruiting or signing someone up pays nothing by itself, membership fees generate no commission, and nothing here is guaranteed.
The Purple Team is a pilot, starting in Pomona, California. More local teams will follow in phases, only after real customer demand and COi’s ability to support them. A national network of up to 60,000 members is a long-term aspiration, not a forecast or a current number.
napoleon@coirubber.com
daniel@coirubber.com
marcos@coirubber.com
How compensation works
- Non-exclusive. You can represent other companies, and COi can work with other representatives.
- Eligible opportunities must be reviewed and accepted by COi. Existing COi customers and open opportunities are excluded unless otherwise agreed in writing.
- Commissions may apply to qualifying initial and repeat orders on accepted accounts while the representative meets the servicing requirements in their agreement. Payment is based on eligible customer sales actually collected.
- Leadership compensation, if any, is explained in the written agreement with defined qualifications and responsibilities.
- The arrangement that applies to you is decided after COi reviews your application and is given to you in writing before you start. This page is not an offer or a contract, and earnings are not guaranteed.
Apply to the Purple Team
Apply in a few minutes. Please attach a resume below (optional upload; you can also email it to napoleon@coirubber.com). Not every applicant qualifies, and applying does not mean you are accepted. Napoleon’s sales team reviews every application and Daniel follows up with next steps.
Non-exclusive. A second source your buyers will thank you for.
The first 200 representatives join free. After that, a one-time joining fee is planned, proposed at $125. No payments are accepted today. What any fee covers and the refund terms will be given to you in writing before you pay anything.
Questions
Do I need industrial sales experience?
No. Experienced representatives and agencies bring existing buyer relationships. Newcomers learn how to find suitable buyers and submit qualified opportunities. Both start the same way, with an application.
Can I keep my other product lines?
Yes. The program is non-exclusive. Keep your current lines and add COi.
Which accounts are eligible?
Eligible opportunities must be reviewed and accepted by COi. Existing COi customers and open opportunities are excluded unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Do repeat orders count?
Commissions may apply to qualifying initial and repeat orders on accepted accounts while you meet the servicing requirements in your agreement. Payment is based on eligible customer sales actually collected.
What does it cost?
The first 200 representatives join free. After that a one-time joining fee is planned, proposed at $125. Nothing is collected today, and what it would cover and the refund terms will be given to you in writing first.
Will COi send me leads?
ZIP code and interest-matched leads are planned for the pilot, but they are not built yet. No number of leads is promised.
Do I need to send a resume?
Yes. Please attach a resume (PDF or Word, up to 2 MB) to your application. If the upload does not work, email it to napoleon@coirubber.com with your name in the subject line. Not every applicant qualifies, and sending an application or resume does not mean you are accepted.
What happens after I apply?
Napoleon’s sales team reviews your application. Daniel manages the follow-up. COi decides the arrangement that applies to you and gives it to you in writing before you start or pay anything.