Founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Akron, Ohio. It is one of the oldest, biggest and best-known tyremakers in the world. Goodyear makes tyres for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, SUVs, racing cars, aeroplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery. Find all the news and analysis you need relating to Goodyear here.
As of August 1, the price of all Titan branded and Titan manufactured Goodyear agricultural tyres will increase by up to eight per cent, and in some cases more. Titan International says this price rise applies to replacement market products and is being implemented to offset rising raw material, energy and transportation costs.
In an article published July 7, Bloomberg Business reports that Continental Tire the Americas spends around 15 per cent of its annual marketing budget influencing a group that holds significant clout with US consumers – tyre salespeople. Every year Conti invests around US$1 million inviting some 950 tyre salespeople to its proving ground in Uvalde, Texas in order to familiarise them with the company’s product and give them a good time into the bargain. And the tyre maker says these events pay off.
Russia’s Kama Trading House began building up its ‘Tyre & Service’ branded service centre network in 2010. Starting in Russia, the distributor of the Kama tyre brand (which is manufactured by JSC Nizhnekamskshina) expanded its operations into Kazakhstan and the Ukraine earlier this year. The company now announces it has ‘gone international’ with the opening of its first service centre in Eastern Europe. Together with tyre importer and re-exporter Czech Style Ltd., in June Kama established a presence in Zlin, Czech Republic – its first outside of the former USSR. Kama’s ‘Tyre & Service’ centre is located in the Zlin outlet of the ‘Czech Style’ service network, which incidentally belongs to Goodyear Dunlop’s Premio network.
Linglong tyres have been described as the “dark horse” of tyre testing after finishing fourth in a study conducted by Finnish firm Test World Oy. The firm’s tyres reportedly left the experience test drivers of with a good impression “especially in aspects of driving behaviour on wet roads.” According to a news item on Linglong’s website, Test World’s 2011 Summer tyre test examined more than 12 brands including tyres from Goodyear, Continental and Bridgestone. Linglong entered its Green-Max product into the test.
Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK says it is delighted to announce further investment in the Dunlop brand through a new television advertising campaign. Set to run across July, the Dunlop advert will appear on a number of channels, including Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky 1 and Sky Sports, thereby giving the brand exposure to relevant target audiences.
As of July 1, Slovenia’s Sava Tires will be known as Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires. This name change was announced by Sava Tires management at a press conference on June 28; the reason given for adopting the new name was that it will bring the Sava operation’s company name in line with the other Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe companies. Furthermore, it is expected the new name will give the company greater visibility and strengthen its market position.
Transense, the saw-wave RFID company that has developed the Translogik range of TPMS and related technologies, has made “huge progress” in the last three years. That’s the view of the firm’s board which released an AGM statement on 29 June lauded the businesses improvements. “Transense is now in a position to leverage its technological expertise and a much broader range of technical projects are now underway. In fact, there are more live development projects now than at any time in the company's history, such that the medium to long term future looks promising,” the statement explained.
Peter Tan, managing director of Goodyear’s global natural rubber development and sourcing centre, Goodyear Orient Company (Private) Limited (GOCPL), has announced his intention to retire at the end of this year after 39 years with the company. Franco Fan, currently manager, Asia Raw Materials at Goodyear’s Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Shanghai, has been named Tan’s successor. Fan will relocate to Singapore July 1 and work with Tan until his retirement.
Data collected by Encircle Marketing over the 12 months between May 2010 and April 2011 suggests that the market for passenger car tyres is stable, with prices marginally up over the duration of the period. Premium brand tyres averaged £93.92 in April against £90.50 in May 2010, while the upper budget (£54.54 in April), lower budget (£50.12) and mid-range (£68.51) all experienced similar average price increases in the period. Both the premium and upper budget segments’ average prices saw a slight dip in October 2010, interrupting an otherwise slowly upwards incline.
The first 25 sizes of Kumho’s replacement for the KU19 and proven KU31 have been launched on the UK market. The Ecsta Le Sport KU39, to give it its full title, is an asymmetric ultra high performance tyre designed with Europe’s top car marques in mind, and was developed using the twin methods of the latest KADAS prediction tools and on Europe’s most demanding test tracks. The Y-speed rated product’s key selling points are its enhanced performance, braking in wet conditions and controlled ride and refinement, according to the Korean manufacturer. Its high grip tread compound delivers improved traction and braking performance, while its specially designed casing provides impressive high speed stability.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber is reported to have filed a suit against Continental Tire the Americas and aims to block Continental, via court order, from hiring one of its former managers. According to US industry publication Tire Review, Goodyear fears the former facility manager will take the company’s trade secrets with him and share them with Continental. The suit has been lodged with the United States District Court in the Northern District of Ohio.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will broadcast its Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. Global Industrials and Basic Materials Conference on its investor relations website. The conference takes place in Chicago on Thursday, 16 June, where Darren R Wells, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will discuss the company’s strategies and field questions from analysts and investors.
A Goodyear blimp crashed in Reichelisheim, near Frankfurt on Sunday evening, killing the Australian pilot who had previously helped his three passengers to safety. The blimp, which was operated by Lightship Europe Ltd and leased by Goodyear, reportedly caught fire during a flight organised for journalists to take pictures of the state of Hessen. Goodyear Dunlop Germany expressed its sadness and sympathy for the family of the pilot. Aviation authorities have initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.
UK car magazine Auto Express has suggested that fitting high-quality tyres can help to improve the value of readers’ cars, suggesting three tyres for summer and winter. The magazine awarded the Continental SportContact 3 top summer tyre, and the Goodyear UltraGrip 7+ was victorious in the cold weather tyre category. Issue 1,169 of the magazine, currently on shelves, also recommended the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 and the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric in the former category, and Conti’s WinterContact TS830 and Dunlop’s SP WinterSport 3D as cold weather alternatives. The summer tyres were tested on 18" and the cold weather products on 16" fitments.
Britain’s vehicle manufacturing industry has received welcome news from BMW, whose plan to invest £500 million in its Mini assembly plant in Oxford plus in its Swindon and Birmingham sites will safeguard some 5,000 UK jobs. The German manufacturer announced this investment during a Downing Street meeting between leading vehicle manufacturers and the Prime Minister. During the meeting, Mr. Cameron told industry representatives that “we really want to see the automotive industry flourish and we are determined to do the things to help it succeed.”
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