Goodyear

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898, when Frank Seiberling used money, borrowed from his stepbrother, to acquire the first factory. Rubber and cotton were delivered from another part of the globe to a small town with a limited railway transportation service. Seiberling named the company after brave researcher Charles Goodyear, who was the first one to discover vulcanization. He also invented a distinctive trade mark – a wingfoot that up till now remains a symbolic link to the company’s past.

From a small company…

At first Goodyear Company that was engaged in production of tires for bicycles and carts, poker chips and gaskets for horseshoes employed only 13 people. After the first full working month income totaled $8246. From the moment of the first bicycle tire production in 1898 Goodyear Company passed a way to the world biggest company, engaged in tire production. The company received this honorary title in 1916. In the meantime the logo was accepted "More people ride on Goodyear tires than on any other kind". In 1926 Goodyear became the largest company, producing rubber. These first legendary years set the tone for the company’s work and its relationships with customers, which is evident until now.

…to a world famous brand

If you look at Goodyear brand now with its thousands of scientific discoveries, innovations, new inventions, small and significant improvements, you feel an energetic, innovatory, practical character of the company’s founders. Nowadays Goodyear Company is the world biggest tire manufacturer, is present on 6 continents and can boast of sales volume of over $15 billion per year. Apart from tires under Goodyear trade mark, the company produces tires of such other world respected brands, as Dunlop, Kelly, Fulda, Lee, Sava and Debica. The company also manufactures auto rubber parts and polymers for automotive and industrial markets.

Innovations

Innovations - a continuous flow of new ideas, materials and technologies – were always the basis of Goodyear Company activity. In 1943 the company founded the first research laboratory that gained thousands of patents later on. A lot of inventions of Goodyear Company’s scientists and specialists found application not only in tire and automotive industry, but also in production of artificial hearts and joints, glues, artificial lawns for sports grounds, packing of food stuff and many others.

Researches on the science edge

Goodyear research center became a training base for Paul Flori – the Nobel prizewinner in the sphere of polymers. Two laboratory assistants were awarded with Goodyear medal – the highest award of American Chemical Society, which is awarded to scientists and engineers are honored that made outstanding discoveries.

Researches in the sphere of rubber and polymers.

At the moment in Goodyear research center work scientists and engineers from around the world, making their contribution in an ultramodern science branch, acting in production of rubber and polymers. The employees combine their field of activity with work in such branches as computer development, physics, mathematics, mechanical engineering, metallurgy and others, creating innumerable quantity of unique processes and materials.