China’s Commerce Ministry has labelled US measures against Chinese imports, such as the tariffs on consumer tyres, as “groundless”. On October 15 ministry spokesman Yao Jian told journalists "the US launched a large number of trade remedy measures this year. Quite a few such measures were groundless and wrong."
The US International Trade Commission will determine by June 18 whether or not consumer tyres imported from China are harming or have the potential to harm potential tyre manufacturers, and will report its findings to President Obama and the US trade representative the following day.
(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear’s Eagle with ResponsEdge Technology has been named one of the 100 Most Innovative Products of the Year by Popular Science magazine. The tyre led the list of products named to Popular Science’s “Best of What’s New” in automotive technology. “We are pleased to be honoured by the editors of Popular Science for the innovation represented in the Eagle ResponsEdge tyre,” said Larry Mason, Goodyear’s North American president of consumer tyres. “Our product development process follows a market-back path – learning what consumers want and then designing tyres that deliver the benefits.”
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Johann Finkelmeier vice president and general manager of original equipment tyres in the company’s North American tyre unit. Finkelmeier will report to Larry Mason, Goodyear’s North American president of consumer tyres. Finkelmeier most recently served at Akebono North America as executive vice president, global strategy and business development OE/OES sales. Prior to that post he was president of ThyssenKrupp Steel North America, in Detroit.
Goodyear Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert J. Keegan announced the appointment of Arthur de Bok (43) as president of the company’s European Union business. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the business is Goodyear’s largest outside of North America with 2004 sales revenues of $4.5 billion.
(Akron/TR) Goodyear’s new Fortera, which features SilentArmor Technology, was named one of the “20 Seriously Hot Products that (Almost) Speak for Themselves” by Popular Science magazine. The story appears in the magazine’s April 2005 issue.
“To see our new Fortera SilentArmor tyre in this published gallery of high-demand new products is a real plus for Goodyear in the generation of word-of-mouth support and the creation of consumer buzz,” said Sanjay Sivanandan, vice president for Goodyear consumer tyres. “It demonstrates to consumers that tyres can be high-tech, too. In this case, people will recognize Kevlar as a key feature in these tyres. They don’t buy a tyre for technology alone; they buy the benefits of technology. They want relevant technology,” he said. Last year, Goodyear’s Assurance TripleTred line made the Popular Science list.
Goodyear has announced plans, from its headquarters at Akron, to increase the prices of all its consumer tyres by between four and five percent from the 1st December. This is as a direct result of increasing raw material charges. The increases affect the North American market and apply to Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly and all associate brands.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has appointed Barbara B. Gould (52) as director of investor relations from September 1st, succeeding Laura K. Thompson, who will become director, finance – consumer tyres for the North American business unit. Gould has a history of investor relations and as a financial analyst; in her new role she will report to Robert W. Tieken, executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Goodyear has published its monthly investor update, giving brief details of the company’s performance in various world markets. In North America in October, industry shipments of OE and replacement tyres fell. Goodyear made production cutbacks, which continued during November. European industry-wide replacement tyre shipments fell for both passenger and commercial and Goodyear’s sales followed this trend. For OE, Goodyear shipments of consumer tyres were up on last year while those of commercial tyres fell. In Eastern Europe, Goodyear’s shipments of OE and replacement tyres fell from October 2000 levels. Replacement shipments in Latin America fell and OE shipments rose, while in Asia, OE and replacement shipments both rose.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has appointed Kevin Kramer to the post of director of marketing, consumer tyres for North American Tire. Kramer has been with Goodyear for 18 years and has held numerous marketing appointments in the USA and Singapore. He is replaced in his former post of general business manager for the Southern Region by Steve McClellan, recently general manager of Allied Tires, a Goodyear-owned subsidiary.
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