The US-based multinational Goodyear invented the rubber vulcanization technology and was the first company that applied this technology to tyre production.
Vehicle tyre production is not something strange to the Chinese people. Its rise was closely connected with the development of vehicle manufacturing during the new industrial revolution period.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company started in 1898 when Frank Seiberling purchased the company”s first plant using money he borrowed from a brother-in-law. The rubber and cotton had to be transported from halfway around the world, to a landlocked town that had only limited rail transportation. Seiberling named his company after the courageous pioneer Charles Goodyear, the discoverer of vulcanization. He also determined the distinctive winged-foot trademark that remains a symbolic link with the company”s past.
Technology and innovation are the foundation of Goodyear. The Goodyear Research Center employs more than 1,000 engineers and scientists. Every year, Goodyear invests nearly 400 million US dollars in the R & D of new products, thus ensuring that its products are always the most advanced. The Engineering Rubber Department of Goodyear is the market leader for many kinds of products. Over a wide range, many Goodyear products, such as air springs, vehicle soft tubes, conveyor belts, industrial rubber tubes, and industrial belts, Goodyear has no competitor in the market. In 2006, Goodyear had more than 90 factories distributed in 28 countries. Its global sales incomes hit 19.7 billion yuan, making it rank among the world top 500 companies chosen by Fortune.
Considering the great market potential in China, in 2005, Goodyear moved the headquarters responsible for the Asian-Pacific region from the United States to Shanghai and invested 18 million US dollars in establishing a factory in Dalian for vehicle tyres. In August 2007, Goodyear and Yanzhou-based Yinhe Group established a joint-venture in Yanzhou, Shandong Province. With investment volume of 300 million US dollars, this is the largest manufacturer of heavy intensity conveyor belts in Asia. Counting on its technological advantage, Goodyear is speeding up expanding its market in China.