Goodyear wins US Secretary of Defense award

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has been named a recipient of the 2016 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the nation’s highest honour given to employers for exceptional support of guard and reserve employees. Goodyear and the other recipients will be honoured in a ceremony at the Pentagon on 26 August.

Goodyear was one of 15 companies across the US recognized and selected from more than 2,400 nominations submitted by guardsmen and reservists. Goodyear is the first company in the tyre industry to receive the award, which was created in 1996.

“The extraordinary support Goodyear provides contributes greatly to the readiness and resilience of our guardsmen and reservists,” said Defense Secretary Ash Carter. “Their support allows those troops to serve our nation at home and abroad knowing their civilian careers are secure, and is vitally important to the success of our national security strategy.”

Goodyear was recognized based on its military support actions, which include hiring 1,000 Guard, Reserve and veteran employees from 2011-2014 and renewing that commitment in 2015. Meanwhile Goodyear’s executive leadership supports the company’s military employee resource group, which advises on hiring initiatives and mentors new Guard and Reserve employees, and provides community and company networking assistance.

“On behalf of the 1,400 Goodyear associates who are either U.S. military veterans or reservists, we proudly accept the Freedom Award,” said Steve McClellan, president, Goodyear Americas. “We take enormous pride in our century of commitment to those who serve, through our iconic blimp program, our charitable giving and our position as the largest tyre producer for the U.S. military.”