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.
Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe has announced the appointment of three managing directors for France, Germany and the UK. Sylvain Valensi will head up France, Gerd Grünenwald takes control in Germany and Marco Molinari returns to the UK for his second stint as MD. Goodyear GB’s current MD – Steve MacDonald – will retire after 27 years with the company.
Goodyear’s EMT (Extended Mobility Technology) tyres are the most popular run-flat tyres sold as original equipment. For next year, Goodyear is expecting new record sales of one million EMT tyres to car manufacturers.
Every year, Canadian automotive journalists carry out a series of driving tests, after which they name their “car of the year” in various categories. In the 2001 awards, 10 out of 15 car and truck category winners were fitted with Goodyear tyres. Wayne Barnes, president and CEO of Goodyear Canada, said that the results underline the way the company works closely with OEMs to achieve better vehicle performance.
Goodyear has released details of its financial performance for the last quarter of 2000 and for the year as a whole. Sales for 2000 were a record $14.4 bn (1999: $13.4 bn), of which Dunlop contributed $2.3 bn. Goodyear estimates that currency factors reduced sales by $450 m. Net income was sharply down to $40.3 m (1999: $243.2 m). The number of tyres produced in 2000 rose by 22.8 million units to 223.3 m tyres, of which Dunlop shipped 37.3 m units. Samir Gibara, chairman and chief executive officer, described the results as “disappointing”, adding: “We have solid improvement plans in place for 2001.” Gibara went on to say that global rationalisation initiatives will reduce group employment worldwide by 7,200 and save $150 m this year, and $250 m annually thereafter.
Truck Racing at Nürburgring is traditionally a highlight of the racing season in Race- and Super Race-series for big trucks. Once again, 200,000 visitors came to see the competitions combined with a big entertainment programme. The smell of diesel and rubber, lots of sausages and beer, country music and a little bit of Western romance – these are the basic ingredients of this three-day-long fun and sports event. The important tyre manufacturers like Goodyear, Fulda and Pirelli were there too and used this occasion to communicate with their customers in an atmosphere much more relaxed than normal. The only tyre supplier for Truck Racing, Continental, had invited almost 2,000 guests for the races. For twelve years the German tyre manufacturer has supported European truck sport. And the involvement means more than just supplying the tyres. Technical support on the race tracks, mounting and professional advice are also part of the programme of sponsoring different teams. Since 1991 all teams of the Super Race-class have driven exclusively on Continental. With up to three trucks weighing 30 tons, the Continental service team accompanies the competitions all over Europe. Two service vehicles have space for 200 truck tyres each – enough to satisfy the needs of all the teams for a complete race weekend. Besides the enthusiasm for motor-sports Continental’s involvement has other practical reasons. Firstly, all target groups from the original equipment sector to the end user can be reached. And secondly, the racing itself provides concrete proof of the high performance and resistance of Continental’s truck tyres.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has announced worldwide sales in the 3rd quarter of $3.7 bn (Q3 2000 = $3.6 bn). Net income for the same period was $9.3 million, compared to $17 m for Q3 last year. For the first nine months of the year, the company posted a net loss of $29.6 m, compared to net income of $142.3 m for the equivalent period in 2000. Sam Gibara spoke of “a general economic slowdown” and “tough market conditions in many regions.” However, one plus point for the company was a market share gain of 3 per cent in the US replacement tyre market.
According to the US tyre manufacturer Goodyear, they have developed a filling material for car tyres on the basis of renewable raw materials. Thanks to this new rubber mixture, as reported by the press officer Mr Fischer, tyre production will be less harmful to the environment and, compared to the normal silica tyre tread mixture, it offers a lower rolling resistance. Above all, it should be fuel saving. This new technology, which will be used for the first time in the summer tyre GT 3, will offer additional advantages for safety and handling. Presenting the BioTred for the first time to the German press at the end of January in Frankfurt, the company attracted a lot of interest. BioTred is an artificial name, with a deliberate spelling difference to “tread”, in order to highlight its ecological advantage immediately to the consumer. BioTred is a patented tread mixture containing an element from corn starch. However, in parts this element will replace the substances soot and silica which have been used for processing up to now. According to Dr. Annette Lechtenböhmer, who is a chemical engineer at the Goodyear Technical Centre in Luxembourg and also a university teacher at the Hanover University Institute for Process Engineering, this new filling material will reduce CO2 emissions in different ways. On questioning it was confirmed that the starch suitable for producing the filling material could also be generated from potatoes. Since Goodyear has spent five years developing this material and holds a couple of patents, a lead over the competition should be possible.
Eric Bequin, Manager of Advertising at Goodyear Luxembourg, will become the new Director of Advertising, Europe, from the 1st of May. He succeeds Rainer Keinath, who is leaving the company voluntarily.
A partnership has been formed in the US between Goodyear and Nevada-based Amerityre to manufacture polyurethane tyres, which Goodyear says could be on the market in three to four years. Amerityre already produces urethane tyres for bicycles, lawn and garden equipment and has produced four sets of prototypes, which it has fitted to pick-ups and other vehicles. CEO Richard Steinke says that the tyres have been driven for 2,000 miles with 30 holes in each tyre. Rick Vannan, Goodyear director of advance product and process technology, says that any product will require two years of internal testing and, if urethane replaced rubber completely, 10-15 years to convert factories.
Agritechnica is the largest agricultural exhibition in Europe and the 2001 event was held in Hanover from 13th to 17th November. This year’s show area has increased by 4% to a total of 196,000 square metres and more than 1,300 exhibitors from 30 countries showed their goods and services. The exhibition showcases the latest advances in technology for modern agriculture, including tractors, other agricultural machinery, accessories and spare parts. Included in these are tyre manufacturers who offer agricultural tyres, with such famous names as Continental, Goodyear, Michelin, TWS and Vredestein, among others. Agritechnica usually proves a great draw for those involved in agriculture; this year with 247,000 visitors 9.5% more came through the doors than two years ago, 34,000 of these coming from 100 countries outside Germany, and similar levels were expected this time around. The November date for the show is well-timed, as this is the time of year when many farmers are planning their investments for the coming season.
The world-wide market for agricultural machines and tyres is has been characterised by a rationalisation processes over several years. The leading competitors in the tyre sector (Michelin-Group, Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS), Continental and Goodyear) have more or less completed repositioning themselves in the market. The widest multi-brand variation has been attained by the Michelin-Group, which covers with its four brands (Michelin, Kleber, Taurus and Stomil) all price-segments and applications. However, the development of this tyre segment cannot be viewed in isolation. It is influenced and defined by a number of fundamental and mutually connected parameters. These are: · the general economical development of the agricultural sector, · the changing structure of the German agricultural sector since reunification, · seasonal influences/aspects (e.g. weather conditions) and · sales, numbers and specifications of agricultural machines (especially tractors). In Germany fewer and fewer farming companies have concerns about a permanently increasing average area of land – a trend that can be observed throughout the rest of Europe. At the same time agricultural machinery is becoming more powerful, larger and faster, and the tyre manufacturer has to produce a product that can cope with these demands and yet remain gentle on crops to ensure maximum yield. In the first half of the year 2001 the already decreasing number of machinery sales found an additional seasonal reason in the sinking investments of the farmers, due to the BSE and the FMD-crisis. The increased cost-consciousness of the farmers became obvious in an trend towards cheaper brands. In the second half of the year the tyre market recovered a little bit from its bad results in the first six months but the overall negative figures could not be overcome completely so that ultimately a five percent loss was expected, compared to the previous year. This meant a total number of 220,000 tractor tyres sold in Germany (radial: 143,000 pieces).
Goodyear’s newest Blimp has finished its first flight successfully. The blimp “Spirit of Goodyear” follows the “Spirit of Akron” which crashed last year.
Goodyear’s Chief Engineer of Product Design has warned of the economic cost of tyre under-inflation as gasoline prices reach a new high in the USA. Petrol consumption and tread life are adversely affected. A Goodyear survey showed up to 28p.c. of vehicles had “seriously under-inflated” tyres.
In an attempt to quicken the recall of tyres, Bridgestone/Firestone is to airlift tyres from its Japanese plants to the USA. At least one flight a day is anticipated. Ford has announced that it is to stop production of the Ford Explorer at its St. Louis factory and of the Ford Ranger at two New Jersey plants for two weeks. The Ranger is fitted with the same size tyres as those fitted on the Explorer and being recalled by Bridgestone/Firestone. The move will free up 70,000 tyres for replacement and it is estimated that the cost to Ford in lost production will be over $100 m in after-tax profits. Ford is also understood to have increased orders of tyres other than Firestone to speed up replacement of tyres for the Explorer. Goodyear says it has increased production fivefold and production at Michelin’s US factories has tripled.
Goodyear is to consolidate and streamline fabric production for its engineered products (conveyor belts, hoses, air springs) at its plant at Cartersville, Georgia. Automotive and truck tyre fabric production was discontinued at the plant last year.
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