Goodyear Archives - Page 131 of 243 - Tyrepress

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.

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Goodyear Dunlop Performs Well in ADAC Tests

Goodyear Dunlop has reported that its portfolio has performed well in the ADAC 2009 summer tyre test, following the publishing of the results by the German Automobile Association. The report praises the Goodyear, Dunlop and Fulda brands from the Goodyear Dunlop portfolio. Representing Europe’s biggest market, Germany’s ADAC is particularly influential in helping customers decide which brand to purchase.

Mark Davison, sales and marketing director at Goodyear Dunlop, said, “The huge efforts made in the field of development have once again been richly rewarded with these results. We will be circulating these results to our customers in the months to come, by way of our planned communication strategies.” The company was keen to highlight in particular the performance of the new Goodyear OptiGrip tyre, the Dunlop SP Sport Fast Response and the Fulda Carat Progresso.

26th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Singapore MP: Tyrexpo Asia an ‘Important Platform for Buyers and Sellers’

TyrexpoAsia 2009 has been described as “an important platform for buyers and sellers and key decision makers in the global tyre and equipment market,” by prominent Singapore Member of Parliament Inderjit Singh MP. Mr Singh made the remarks during the show’s opening today (Tuesday 24th March) at the Singapore Expo Centre. He told a reportedly packed audience that the exhibition “created valuable opportunities to tap into a wealth of networking and business opportunities for event organisers and business delegates.”

Mr Singh, the deputy government whip, said that the automotive sector will be a key beneficiary of the success of Singapore as a centre for the rubber and tyre industries. The country’s pivotal position in the Asian tyre market is underlined by the presence of major companies with headquarters in the island state.

24th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Agrees State Aid Deal to Retain Topeka Jobs

In the US, Goodyear agreed on Friday to a ten-year guarantee on the 1,400 jobs situated at its Topeka, Kansas plant in exchange for $14.2 million in state financing. The additional funds are to be used to support the refurbishment of the outdated production machinery housed at the plant. Previous reports had put the figure requested by Goodyear at $37.5 million, with the tyre maker wanting to invest $250 million in the proposed refitting.

The commerce secretary David Kerr – who had voiced concerns at the size of the initial figure – stated to the Topeka Capital-Journal that the Kansas state Impact programme would support the issuance of incentive bonds for Goodyear’s benefit. The debt will be repaid through revenue generated by the company’s state payroll tax, he said.

23rd March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

NZ Wholesaler/Retailer Changes Name

One of New Zealand’s leading tyre marketers, wholesalers and retailers has announced a new name and corporate identity designed to represent the current and future direction of the business. From today, Goodyear & Dunlop Tyres (NZ) is the new trading name of South Pacific Tyres (NZ), the company that is custodian of the Goodyear and Dunlop brands, as well as the Goodyear Auto Service Centre, Beaurepaires and Frank Allen Tyres branded retail stores.

Goodyear & Dunlop Tyres managing director and CEO Judith Swales stated, “Goodyear and Dunlop are the two of the world’s leading tyre brands, so we are very pleased and proud that they form the basis of our new trading name and corporate identity. The Goodyear & Dunlop Tyres name better reflects Goodyear’s ownership of our business whilst acknowledging the heritage and legacy that is synonymous with the Dunlop brand in New Zealand and Australia.”

23rd March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Announces 26th North American Highway Hero

Goodyear has announced the winner of its 26th Goodyear North American Highway Hero Award, honouring Colorado truck driver Jorge Orozco Sanchez. He saved the lives of two young girls after a horrific highway accident last October. The announcement was made at a special awards banquet during the Mid-America Trucking Show. Alongside the award, he also received a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond, a plaque and a specially designed ring.

An independent owner-operator, Orozco Sanchez was hauling grain on Oct. 28, 2008 on Highway 392, north of Greeley, CO, when an SUV suddenly crossed the centre line and crashed head-on into his tractor-trailer rig. After impact, the truck pushed the SUV backward down the road for about 200 feet. As the vehicles stopped moving, a shaken Orozco Sanchez quickly jumped from his cab and went to the other vehicle. There, with flames already beginning to surround the vehicles, he saw two girls, strapped into their car seats and crying, and a woman up front who was not moving. Working with a passer-by who used a fire extinguisher to fight back the flames, Orozco Sanchez used his knowledge of child car seats – he has two young children – to rescue the two girls.

One of the youngsters was extracted quickly, but the fire was getting bigger and the smoke was so thick he had trouble seeing into the vehicle. He was finally able to remove the other girl, then the truck’s saddle fuel tanks ruptured and exploded, creating an inferno. The 27-year-old mother died in the crash. Orozco Sanchez sustained burns on his arms from the rescue and was taken to a nearby hospital. The fire reduced the cab and the SUV to rubble, also burning the side of a nearby building.

20th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

State Officials Clash on Goodyear Topeka Request

Kansas officials have reportedly disagreed over a decision whether to respond affirmatively to a request from Goodyear to provide nearly $38 million in state aid, in order to continue operating from the company’s plant in Topeka. The tyre manufacturer says that it will commit to $250 million-worth of spending on equipment upgrades at the plant if Kansas is willing to offer its suggested incentives. Goodyear says that without the upgrades, up to 700 jobs may have to be cut.

19th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear to Test Twice More before NASCAR Indianapolis

Following the tyre problems witnessed at last year’s Indianapolis NASCAR round, at which teams were forced to pit after every ten laps for fresh rubber, Goodyear will test its tyres at the Motor Speedway twice more this year. The additional tests join the two already performed, and are scheduled for April and June. The Allstate 400 will be run on 26 July.

19th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Tyre Retail Chain to Create Up To 500 Jobs

HiQ has announced plans to create up to 500 new jobs as part of its ambitious national franchise programme. The fast fit franchise chain, which currently has 137 HiQ centres across England and Wales, is creating the positions over the next three years as the number of outlets on UK high streets rises to a targetted 275 by 2012. The company has already accelerated the growth of the nationwide tyre and vehicle servicing network by signing long-term franchise agreements in 2008 when 106 Goodyear Dunlop owned HiQ centres were franchised. HiQ is now extending the model to many more towns and cities.

Currently 41 HiQ franchisees operate 137 HiQ centres, compared to just 15 franchisees operating 33 centres in 2007. New jobs are now being created weekly, with for example, 10 new positions announced for HiQ’s Kettering store this month. HiQ Retail Director Juergen Titz said: “The objective is to grow the business with new open points in towns and cities. The plan is to get 170 centres by the end of 2009 and 275 by 2012. The franchisee network is investing more than £2 million into improved customer environments in 2009, and this award winning franchise concept will increase transparency and certainty for our customers.”

18th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop Dons Red for Comic Relief

Friday 13 March saw Goodyear employees and visitors to the company’s West Midlands sites show support for Comic Relief and Red Nose Day by donning red clothes and participating in a range of money-raising activities. The tyre maker not only hosted a dress down day, cake sales, competitions and raffles; a visit from business forum Vistage.

Consisting of a group of specially selected chief executives who share experience and knowledge in order to develop their own and members businesses, Vistage members were showcasing best practice information, including a focus on the Goodyear Dunlop’s successful Dunlop Motorsport operations. Delegates took an exclusive tour of Dunlop Motorsport’s Birmingham factory, seeing at first hand the manufacturing process and business methods used to produce the segment’s championship winning car and motorbike tyres for series such as the British Touring Car Championship, Le Mans and Motor GP.

17th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Topeka Plant Needs $38 million State Aid: Goodyear

Goodyear has told Kansas state that it needs $38 million state aid if 700 jobs are to be saved at its Topeka plant. The manufacturer says that it needs to spend $250 million to upgrade its machinery in order to build large OTR tyres. The proposal will come before the Senate after the company’s presentation on Monday to a House committee. Goodyear hopes to be added to a bill including incentives for wind and solar equipment manufacturers relocating in the state.

Goodyear has reason to be optimistic about the success of its bid: the company is Topeka’s largest employer and in 2002 it received $10 million in incentives to keep the company operating in its current location and on the condition that it would spend a further $50 million there – the company would go on to invest $124 million there.

17th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Medicine Hat Goodyear to Shut Temporarily

The Goodyear plant in Medicine Hat, Canada – to the East of Calgary – has announced that it will shut down production temporarily next month. The factory will shut for one week, starting on 13 April. The plant is also set to lose 35 full-time jobs on 28 March, while it recently cut its working week to five days. The company says that stagnant demand and a struggling automotive sector have led to the decision, while plant manager Mike MacGregor has quashed rumours that staff numbers could be cut by a further 40-50, though he told local newspaper the Medicine Hat News that there is a possibility that the plant will shave another day off its already-curtailed working week. “What we’re trying to do is protect the remaining workforce,” he concluded.

17th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Wins Place on Fortune’s “Most Admired” List

US-based Fortune Magazine has once again listed Goodyear as one of the most admired companies in the world in its annual list-based issue. Chairman and CEO Robert J. Keegan expressed his pleasure at the ranking in a release from the manufacturer: “This global recognition by our industry peers is something for which all Goodyear associates can be proud.”

Among companies in the Motor Vehicle Parts category, Goodyear was the highest-ranked tyre company, the top US-based company and placed at number 2 overall. The tyre maker was awarded top-two finishes in five of the nine key attributes measured, coming first in Use of Corporate Assets and Social Responsibility and second in Innovation, Quality of Products and Services and Global Competitiveness.

16th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Proposes Temporary Wolverhampton Layoffs

Local news source The Express and Star has reported that Goodyear has proposed a series of temporary lay-offs to around 300 staff in Wolverhampton. The paper quotes Cyril Barrett, the branch chairman of union Unite, saying that it is likely that staff will take a total of 68 “lay-off days” spread through 2009. According to the report, 29 of these days will be paid – 14 at 60 per cent, 15 at £21.50 per day – while the remaining lay-off days would be covered by holidays and 25 days without pay.

Goodyear told the newspaper that the company is waiting for union feedback on the proposal.

16th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Analysts Upgrade Goodyear and Cooper Shares

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., both experienced gains in their share prices after analysts raised their ratings for the two firms’ stock. According to Bloomberg, Cooper climbed 17 per cent after CRT Capital Group Inc. rated the stock as “fair value,” up from “sell.” Goodyear gained 15 per cent after KeyBanc Capital upped its rating to “hold” from “underweight.”

11th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

A Step Closer to Renewable Rubber

Genencor announced the first transfer of BioIsoprene product – designed to provide an alternative to petrochemically derived isoprene, a key intermediate for synthetic rubber production – to Goodyear. Four containers of the clear liquid were handed over to Goodyear at Genencor’s Palo Alto, California, research facility. “This is a historical moment, after substantial research on this technology,” said Rich LaDuca, senior director of business development at Genencor. “It signifies a new era in biochemicals. We’re excited to be ushering in a future where tyres and many other products will be produced with renewable materials.”

Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, and Goodyear first announced their research collaboration on the technology and integrated production system for BioIsoprene product in September 2008. BioIsoprene is derived from renewable raw materials, and represents a significant development within the biochemical and rubber industries. Aside from synthetic rubber for tyre production, traditional isoprene is used for the production of a wide range of products, such as surgical gloves, golf balls and adhesives. Thus, the potential for BioIsoprene is substantial, according to the companies. (Tire Review/Akron)

10th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors