Sumitomo Rubber Industries interested in Dunlop brand for Europe, North America

Tyres are just black and round, as friends and loved ones never grow weary of pointing out, but things get more complicated when the Dunlop name is on the sidewall. While most tyre brands are produced by a single company, Dunlop has the distinction of being made by no less than three. But things may soon become simpler.

During an earnings call with investors last week, Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) acknowledged its interest in acquiring the rights to the Dunlop tyre brand in Europe and North America. These currently belong to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, which recently announced its intention to position Dunlop as a “strategic player within the high-end value segment of the market” to prevent direct competition against its main Goodyear brand within the premium segment.

Replying to questions from a securities analyst, Satoru Yamamoto confirmed that Goodyear has been “talking about releasing the Dunlop brand.” The president and chief executive officer added that, yes, SRI is “interested in the premium Dunlop brand in Europe and the Americas, which is owned by Goodyear.”

USA plant coming – with or without Dunlop

Yamamoto further noted that SRI doesn’t consider acquiring the rights to Dunlop a prerequisite for expanding its manufacturing footprint within these regions. Later in the earnings call, he stated: “Regardless of the Dunlop brand I mentioned earlier, we are firm and unwavering in our goal to establish a North American plant in the US.”