Alpha Rho was founded in 1965 by Alvan Tall who had previously spent 18 years working in corporate management for the Foster Grant Company, a major manufacturer of sunglasses and novelty items.

Initially, Alpha Rho was involved in custom molding. Several small air operated machines were purchased and Alpha Rho began molding small precision parts. Some of these early products were made for the medical, computer, aerospace, and toy industries.