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Goodyear Global Background

Our Beginnings

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Company was founded in 1898
by 38-year-old Frank Seiberling.
He purchased our first plant with
a $3,500 downpayment, using
money he borrowed from a
brother-in-law.

The timing couldn’t have been
better. The bicycle craze of the
1890s was booming and the
horseless carriage was a
wide-open challenge. On 29
August 1898, Goodyear was
incorporated with a capital stock
of $100,000.

A Global Footprint

Goodyear is one of the world’s
largest tyre companies, with
operations in most regions of
the world. Together with its
subsidiaries and joint ventures,
Goodyear develops, markets and
sells tyres for most applications. Goodyear New Zealand
Goodyear operates 50 plants in
22 countries, and employs One of the world’s largest tyre sold through aligned dealers business Goodyear and Dunlop
approximately 67,000 people companies, Goodyear established throughout the country. Tyres New Zealand Ltd in 2009.
around the world. Its two its New Zealand operations in In 1987, the Goodyear Tire and As well as owning the world-
innovation centres in Akron, 1917 and manufactured tyres at Rubber Company engaged in leading Goodyear and Dunlop
Ohio and Colmar-Berg, the Upper Hutt factory from 1949 a new joint venture with Pacific tyre brands in New Zealand,
Luxembourg strive to develop to 2006. Goodyear New Zealand Dunlop’s tyre manufacture and Goodyear and Dunlop Tyres NZ
state of the art products that set continues to influence product sales operations, which then also markets, wholesales and
technology and performance development and imports an included the Beaurepaires retail retails a range of other
standards for the industry. extensive range of passenger, network, to form South Pacific high-quality tyres. For more
motorsport, aviation and Tyres. Goodyear took 100% information about Goodyear
commercial tyres – appropriate ownership of South Pacific Tyres and its products, go to
for the New Zealand market and in 2006 and renamed the www.goodyear.co.nz.

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