Kirkhill Rubber Co., a Brea manufacturer of...

Kirkhill Rubber Co., a Brea manufacturer of custom products ranging from ski bindings to rocket booster linings, has transferred ownership to its 900 workers in a leveraged employee stock ownership program, company officials said. The closely held company refused to disclose the value of the deal, which was finalized last Tuesday after about a year of negotiations. An employee trust now controls 70% of the company’s stock; the remaining shares are held by a small group of investors, including William J. Haney, chairman and chief executive for the past 35 years, and two children of late founder T. Kirk Hill. “No changes in management or in day-to-day operations of the company are anticipated,” Haney said in a prepared statement.