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 Tire & Rubber has become the latest company to join The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP), a collaboration between automotive manufacturers and suppliers and the US Environmental Protection Agency that aims to create new business-centred approaches to environmental protection; solutions that address green issues while providing value throughout the automotive supply chain.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will report fourth quarter 2011 financial results before markets open on Tuesday, 14 February. The announcement will be followed by the customary investor conference call at 08:30 (13:30 GMT) with Richard J Kramer, chairman and chief executive officer, and Darren R Wells, executive vice president and chief financial officer.
The Dunlop MultiTread mould cure premium retreaded commercial vehicle tyre range is being extended. The new products come in six sizes covering long and regional haul as well as municipal applications.
For long and regional haul applications, the MT SP344 all-position tyre and the MT SP244 trailer tyre are being added to the range, to complement the MT SP444 drive tyres, which are now supplemented with two 60-series sizes. For applications such as buses and other municipal vehicles including garbage trucks and road sweepers, the MT SP372 City all-position tyre and the MT SP472 City drive tyre are being introduced.
After two successive cold winters (2009 and 2010) a lot was hanging on a frosty conclusion to 2011. While only five years ago winter tyre sales barely registered at less than 1 per cent UK market share, by the end of the opening months of 2011 various sources were reporting that the market had swollen to around 450,000 units, doubling and even tripling some wholesalers’ stock forecasts.
Goodyear has been present in Turkey for half a century now, however the tyre maker hints it may need a little persuasion to maintain its production facilities there. In an interview with Istanbul-based daily Hürriyet, Goodyear’s EMEA Commercial Business Unit vice-president Michel Rzonzef said the cost of tyre production in Turkey is too high despite a weakening of the Turkish lira’s value; this is creating an impediment to new tyre investments.
As of 6 February, Goodyear Tire & Rubber will have a new vice-president of public relations and communications for its for its North American Tire business. Christopher Curran brings some 20 years in the communications and public relations sector with him into his new role with the tyre maker. Most recently he held the position of director of communications and issues management for The ServiceMaster Company, the world’s largest residential and commercial services network, and also has served in communications roles in the consumer products and health care industries. Curran replaces Ed Markey, who was named Goodyear vice president of corporate communications in March, 2011.
The point-S organisation has made the headlines again. Following the dismissal of point S Germany’s managing director Jürgen Benz last December, a move that took many by surprise, point S France now appears to have interesting times ahead as it distances itself from the most important player in the nation’s tyre market: Michelin. French media sources report a “thunderclap in the tyre world,” in which point S in France has failed to reach a consensus with Michelin regarding terms and conditions for the coming year and as a result has excluded tyres sourced directly from the market leader from its range. Michelin reportedly accounted for at least 40 per cent of the point S operation in France’s total turnover, thus market observers view the organisation’s decision as quite a dangerous one. But where exactly lies the danger?
Titan Tire will utilise the former Goodyear plant in Union City, Tennessee to produce and redistribute materials to other company facilities. Tire Review shares that Titan Tire chairman Bill Campbell told local media that the plant’s operation – polyester and blending rubber and steel strands used in tyre belts – will create 300 jobs by the end of 2012.
Today trucks carry some three-quarters of all freight transported in Europe and road freight is projected to grow a further 60 per cent over the coming three decades. Yet all is not blue skies and smooth sailing within the sector; according to a report published by Goodyear Dunlop, as many as 15 per cent of European hauliers worry they may be out of business within eight years due to increasing environmental regulation unless substantial progress towards improving fleet fuel efficiency occurs. The 44-page document, titled ‘The Road to 2020’, was released in tandem with a fleet symposium the tyre maker staged in Brussels on 25 January.
Goodyear Dunlop has announced two new senior management appointments in its Commercial division. Bob Mason will take up the position of TruckForce business manager for the UK hub network, while Craig Sprigmore will be appointed customer strategy manager, replacing Marc Preedy following his appointment to Commercial director. The firm says the appointments are in line with its “intention to improve consistency across the nationwide TruckForce network”.
Cam Systems has entered into a preferred partnership agreement with Leeds-based software provider panintelligence to offer its customers the opportunity to integrate state-of-the-art dashboard tools into the new wholesale, retail or commercial application platforms developed by the software provider based upon Microsoft’s SQL Server. The new offering will enable business owners to view and monitor the status of their operations at a glance from one central console to enhance their sales profitability, reduce their costs and operational risks and ultimately, to take quick, corrective action if required.
Continental Tire the Americas has announced a price increase on all of its replacement market commercial truck tyres, reports Tire Review. The increase of up to 9 per cent impacts Continental, General and AmeriSteel brand commercial truck tyres sold in the US, and will come into effect on 15 February.
Farm buying group AtlasFram has signed an exclusive supply agreement with Goodyear. All of AtlasFram’s 1250 farmer/landowner Members have now been enrolled in the exclusive Goodyear AGRI Club, which offers a number of financial and technical benefits to members.
Members receive a quarterly newsletter which contains the latest news about Goodyear tyres plus the current issue includes a voucher giving up to £150 discount when purchasing a set of Goodyear tractor tyres or up to £100 off a set of telescopic handler tyres. These vouchers can be redeemed at one of the company’s 76 approved agricultural tyre outlets.
Goodyear Dunlop UK has named Chris Ryder as national account manager of its commercial fleet operations. Ryder will be based at the company’s headquarters in Birmingham as well as travelling nationwide to build and strengthen relationships with key customers.
The role see him managing and developing Goodyear Dunlop’s expanding national key account portfolio as well as developing the tyre manufacturer’s industry leading sales practices.
Goodyear Dunlop has launched a website and related Twitter feed to provide fuel efficiency information to fleets. The site will offer the company’s tips on saving fuel, best practice case studies in green fleet management, and details on Goodyear Dunlop’s upcoming fleet symposium ‘Driving fuel efficiency in Europe’s road freight transport’. The event will take place in Brussels, Belgium on 25 January.
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