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.
ATS Euromaster has launched a new section on its website dedicated to informing motorists about the European tyre label. The Michelin-owned fast fit chain decided to publish this information following an evaluation of an online survey it conducted, which showed up widespread unawareness of the label.
Desser Tire & Rubber Co., Inc. has been awarded a contract by General Atomics Aeronautical for warehousing and “in time” supply of aircraft tyres and tubes used in OEM Production and the US Military. The two year agreement valued at over $1 million per year encompasses supply of Desser OEM branded products as well as Dunlop and Goodyear aircraft tyres.
Fulda has announced the upcoming launch of its new high performance summer tyre, the EcoControl HP. The range will be introduced in time for the 2012 season and be available in 22 dimensions for 15 and 16-inch rim diameters. The tyre maker says the EcoControl HP is designed to take “meet both dry and wet conditions in its stride”; in September-October 2011 the new tyre was extensively tested against three competitor tyres by the independent testing and certification organisation TÜV SÜD Automotive, and was found to be a “well balanced performance tyre.”
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has warned aviation customers around the world that shortages of its cross-ply aircraft tyres may occur as of February or March 2012. This potential supply issue has arisen due to the severe flooding that has affected Thailand since October and disabled Goodyear’s main aviation tyre manufacturing facility in Bangkok. In order to ensure the best possible supply to its customers Goodyear says it will, in addition to increasing production at its aircraft tyre plants in the US and the Netherlands, obtain aircraft tyres from other manufacturers.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber’s directors have declared a quarterly dividend of 73.44 cents per share of mandatory convertible preferred stock. The dividend is payable 1 January 2012, to shareholders of record on 15 December 2011. The payout represents an annual rate of US$2.9375 per share, the tyre maker comments.
Reduced downtime, improved tyre management and greater security are three of the advantages Goodyear claims the introduction of microchips into its truck tyre range will bring. The tyre maker has released its first product to utilise the technology, the Goodyear Regional RHT II RFID (Radio Frequency Identity) 435/50R19.5 trailer tyre; the microchip built into the tyre helps deliver fleet operators the above benefits through interfacing with FleetOnlineSolutions, Goodyear Dunlop’s internet-based tyre management programme.
Qingdao, China based tyre manufacturing equipment maker MESNAC Co. has taken a 100 per cent equity position in US firm Wyko Tire Technology. In its relatively short history MESNAC has rapidly grown to the number four position in its field and speaking to Tyres & Accessories in China at the end of November, company executives hinted that the next phase of growth would be both outside its native China and would include acquisitions such as the latest Wyko purchase. MESNAC has indicated it will retain the Wyko brand and continue to provide normal service and support to customers, with no disruption in business.
Michelin has its Tweel, Goodyear the lunar Spring Tire, and now Bridgestone has unveiled its own airless tyre at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Japanese manufacturer’s take on the airless concept employs a mesh of thermoplastic resin spokes that support the tyre’s tread. The spokes are positioned tangentially from the tyre’s centre and the outer tread layer is made from tyre rubber; all tread and inner components are produced using 100 per cent recyclable materials, Bridgestone states.
The put option Goodyear had for its Amiens plant in France, which was to be sold to Titan Tire Corporation following completion of a social plan for the closing of the site’s passenger car tyre business, expired on 30 November. It now appears that Titan will drop its tentative acquisition of the European component of Goodyear’s agricultural tyre business, shredding plans first drawn up in 2009, and pursue acquisition opportunities elsewhere.
Cam Systems has announced that its third party integration module for the commercial vehicle market – 3PI – is being adopted by All Fleet Services, provider of the Goodyear Dunlop ActionLine. After implementation, the AFS call centre will be able to take an inbound call, issue the SMR job via 3PI directly into Cam’s UniSerV Call Logging module, creating a service record and reducing double handling in log management between AFS and Actionline service providers.
Goodyear Dunlop has made its debut on the football sponsorship pitch by signing an agreement with Italian team Juventus. On 24 November the tyre maker entered a deal with the Serie A team that covers the current season.
Goodyear has announced the first fleet deal involving its new 275/70R22.5 Marathon LHT II trailer tyre. One of the largest car transporter companies in the UK, ECM Ltd, fit the tyre to one of its vehicles at a 25 November event in Carlisle to mark the deal. ECM Ltd has an existing partnership with TruckForce, Goodyear’s truck tyre service and breakdown assistance support network. The tyre has been specifically introduced to the Goodyear range for ECM, with the product to be made available to the wider market later. Robert Mason, Goodyear’s regional business manager said: “I am delighted that we are able to strengthen the partnership that we have maintained with ECM Ltd over the last eight years.
Goodyear has announced that its Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tyre will be fitted as original equipment to Porsche’s new 911 Carrera 2. The tyre, which recently won the Auto Express 2011 tyre test, will be supplied in the sizes 235/40ZR 19 (front) and 285/35ZR 19 (rear). Goodyear remarks that tyre choice on the new 911 is vital, due to its rear engine configuration. The traction improvements yielded require the rear tyres to transfer 350 break horsepower to the tarmac; Goodyear says its Eagle F1A2 will meet this need through its “solid performance and quality credentials”.
SUV and 4×4 drivers are now able to join their car-owning brethren in fitting Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres to their vehicles. The newly launched line-up aimed at this segment is called the EfficientGrip SUV and Goodyear says it provides the road grip qualities found in the passenger car version of the EfficientGrip. The range is, adds Goodyear, available for a “solid range of SUV/4×4 vehicles”, from luxury/full-size vehicles through standard, compact and sub-compact ranges.
You need to look carefully to spot the ‘+’ sitting alongside the familiar Marathon name, yet the addition of this symbol is said to represent a sizable decrease in rolling resistance and thus reduced vehicle operating costs. Goodyear has introduced its latest generation commercial vehicle tyre range, the Marathon +, and says rolling resistance in its new LHD II+ and LHS II+ drive and steer tyres is seven per cent lower than in their predecessors.
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