While many of the quarterly results released at the moment make for depressing reading, those published by Goodyear Tire & Rubber yesterday show that the US-based tyre maker is making even better than expected progress on the path back to financial strength. An obviously pleased Richard Kramer reported on 29 October that Goodyear “delivered outstanding earnings growth in the quarter and achieved a segment operating income margin of more than 11 per cent, the highest in more than a decade, despite an increasingly challenged global economy. The chairman and chief executive officer added that “these results reflect our focus on capturing the value of our branded products in the marketplace and continued progress generating cost savings through our operational excellence activities.”