Goodyear Promises More Innovation to Help Dealers Grow
For Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., “Get There” is much more than just an advertising slogan shown on the side of the company’s iconic blimps. The phrase is indicative of Goodyear’s commitment to innovation and excellence, as outlined at its annual dealer conference.

About 2,000 members of the tiremaker’s North American dealer network gathered in Dallas Jan. 31 through Feb. 3 to get a look at new products and attend workshops aimed at improving their businesses.

“There’s no better time to be in this industry than right now,” North American Tire President Rich Kramer told dealers. “The tire industry is one of the fastest-growing industries out there. It’s more than 100 years old, and we continue to have similar growth rates as the computer industry, which is only about 30 years old.”

He noted that last year, the RMA reported 3% overall growth in the industry, with a 13% increase in both high performance touring and off-road light truck tires, a 17% increase in passenger touring tires and a 42% increase in 19-inch replacement tires.

Goodyear has an arsenal for its dealers that no other tiremaker can offer: global brand recognition, status as a top global competitor, innovative product technology and a tremendous distribution network, Kramer said.

“We’re in a better place than we were, but in many ways this is a race with no finish line,” Kramer said. “We know where we are and we know where we’ve been, but we also know where we’d like to be.”

“Over the last five years, we’ve been through a lot of adversity and we’ve been through a lot of good times,” said chairman and CEO Bob Keegan. “We’ve barely scratched the surface of our potential.”

“We are going to look through the (economic) slow-down, because we know when the market comes back, our job is to be prepared for the economy that’s waiting,” he continued. “We’re going to be crystal clear in our theme: innovate or die.”

New Rollouts
With that said, Goodyear used the conference as an opportunity to show off its new products, beginning with the Assurance and Eagle GT tires.

The Assurance, a mid-tier offering in the passenger tire segment, will initially be offered in 27 sizes, ranging from 15- to 17-inch wheel diameters, by the end of March. The tire features a wet tread zone with dual “aquachannel” grooves and a dry tread zone with strong shoulder blocks, according to Goodyear.

“Our target consumer is the middle-class ‘every day’ driver who values a dependable tire at an affordable price,” said Joey Viselli, Goodyear brand director.

The Eagle GT, which will be available in July in 26 sizes, is a mid-tier entry into Goodyear’s line of high performance tires. By September, 17 more sizes will be added, creating a lineup that ranges from 15- to 22-inch wheel diameters.

The tire features dual zone asymmetric tread with a high performance zone for grip and handling, plus an all-season zone for year-round traction. The Eagle GT also has Goodyear’s “TredLock” technology, with microgrooves that lock together to provide a solid foundation for cornering, the company said.

On the commercial side, two new additions to the DuraSeal line were introduced: the G316 line-haul trailer tire and the G287 mixed-service tire. Also launched were the G149 regional haul tire and the G150 school bus radial.

On the Dunlop side, the new SP384 regional steer tire and the SP461 regional drive tire made their debuts, while a new KRH regional steer/all-position tire was introduced in the Kelly brand.

Getting Them There
Despite the challenging landscape of today’s economy, Goodyear is confident its dealers will succeed.

“There is some economic uncertainty, but we have confidence in our products and services,” said Larry Mason, president of consumer tires. “Folks seem ready for 2008.”

Keegan said the key to surviving in today’s market is to seize opportunities in the segments that continue to grow. “Listen to the opportunities in the market that are screaming to you; the areas where we can do significant business in the meantime (until the economy picks up).”

“It’s not going to be easy to approach being extraordinary,” he continued. “But together we have the talent, passion, capability, smarts, new products and marketing capability to do that.”