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 has developed a bit of a reputation for exhibiting forward-thinking and even outlandish concept tyres at the Geneva Motor show and the company’s presence at the 2019 exhibition is now different. In previous years we have had intelligent tyres and even spherical tyres, but this year it is flying tyres.
Thomas L. Williams, chairman and CEO of Parker-Hannifin Corporation, has been elected to the board of directors of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
Goodyear announced that it will expand its manufacturing facility in Slovenia to meet the growing demand for premium tyres in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The plant, in Kranj, will be expanded to house new tyre building machinery intended to increase its capacity by a quarter, creating more than 150 new jobs, and reaching full capacity by 2021.
Goodyear has been recognized by the Top Employers Institute as a ‘Top Employer’ in the United Kingdom for the sixth time. This certification is granted on a yearly basis by the independent organisation Top Employers Institute to companies that dedicate themselves to providing the very best working environment for employees through their progressive ‘people-first’ HR practices.
Goodyear will feature its flagship products and solutions for construction fleets at the 2019 Bauma exhibition in Munich (8-14 April 2019). These will include the recently-announced Goodyear Omnitrac mixed service tyre range, which makes its exhibition debut at the show. The manufacturer will also showcase its Goodyear Proactive Solutions TPMS Heavy Duty, EMTrack tyre management system and the TL-4A OTR tyre. The manufacturer will be on Stand 224 in Hall A6 at the Messe München.
It is not unusual for the start of the year to be replete with corporate acquisitions. Some even happen while much of the western world is enjoying Christmas and new year holidays. While European FinTyre Distribution (EfTD) did indeed enact the latest move in its ongoing strategic purchasing programme during the 2018 holiday break, it seems that this year February was the month of choice for getting the chequebooks out, with Bridgestone, Michelin and – in the UK at least – Goodyear all announcing strategic spending. For different but connected reasons all three challenge us to consider the impact of changing mobility trends.
Goodyear has launched the Vector 4Seasons Cargo light truck tyre. The all-season product aims to offer increased fuel efficiency, improved performance and extended mileage compared to the previous model. In Goodyear testing, the Vector 4Seasons Cargo offers shorter stopping distances and improved stability and handling in wet and dry conditions. The tyre manufacturer is also emphasising the reduced cost to drivers and fleet managers due to no longer having the inconvenience or cost of switching tyres between seasons.
In the US, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has launched the Eagle Exhilarate, which the company describes as “a game-changing, ultra-high-performance product that delivers on consumer demands, particularly wet performance”. Goodyear’s newest ultra-high-performance all-season product features a new built-in wear gauge tool and a high performing tread compound.
Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK has acquired Weeting Tyres, a leading tyre retail company based in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, UK. The company operates four branches as a franchisee in Goodyear’s HiQ autocare network – in Bury St Edmunds, Chelmsford, Ipswich & Kings Lynn – as well as one independent branch in Brandon, Suffolk, which also functions as its head office. The area served by the latter branch is described as having a high value car parc. All sites will become Goodyear’s equity operating under the HiQ brand following the completion of the acquisition.
Goodyear’s SoundComfort has been voted Product of the Year 2019 in a consumer research survey conducted by Nielsen in Belgium and the Netherlands. The noise reduction technology aims to address consumer and market needs as a result of the decreasing noise of car engines, especially since the arrival of electric and hybrid vehicles. With less noise coming from the engine, the noise caused by tyres is becoming more noticeable.
Research conducted in the USA and commissioned by Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tires found that while 88 per cent of young drivers can correctly identify the eye-roll emoji, only 51 per cent recognized the TPMS warning symbol.
Goodyear’s share price fell 12 per cent after the company published a trading update with the US stock market Securities and Exchange Commission ahead of Detroit Motor Show presentation scheduled for 15-16 January 2019.
Graybeard Distillery, home to Bedlam Vodka, has announced that Bob Keegan, the former CEO and chairman of Goodyear, has joined its board of directors. According to the distillery, Keegan will partner with Bedlam Vodka both as an investor and board member.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has promoted Gary VanderLind, vice president of Human Resources for the company’s Americas region to the position of senior vice president, Global Human Resources, effective 1 February 2019.
Goodyear has renewed its corporate membership of international development organisation Transaid for a further year. Transaid’s life-saving projects in sub-Saharan Africa, with its financial contribution providing essential unrestricted funding towards the testing and implementation of new programmes aimed at improving road safety and access to healthcare. Goodyear originally pledged its support in 2015.
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