Former General Chief Jerry O’Neil Dies

Born Michael Gerald O’Neil in January 1922, O’Neil was the last of the direct descendants of the founders of what was once the Big Five tiremakers – Goodyear, Firestone, General, BFGoodrich and U.S. Tire. His grandfather, Michael, had founded O’Neil’s department store in Akron, and his father William started General Tire in 1915.

At age 38, O’Neil became president of General Tire in 1960, and moved the company into an era of diversification that eventually led to its sale to Continental AG.

While he retired as CEO in 1984, O’Neil remained on the board of what became GenCorp until 1993. During his 40-plus years with General, O‘Neil moved the company beyond tires and into aerospace, defense, automotive and polymer products.

The 1980 saw a rash of tire company mergers and takeovers, and it was debt incurred while fending off an attempted takeover that forced GenCorp to shed its core tire business to Continental in 1987 for a reported $620 million. (Tire Review/Akron)

GRI recently conducted programs in Sri Lanka to empower women and motivate children under its Green x Circle initiative. The company said these endeavors aimed to address the needs of the community, focusing on both women empowerment and youth motivation.

GRI recently organized a training program titled "Management of household finance under current economic conditions" at the Ingiriya Rubber Collecting Center in Sri Lanka, South Asia led by Shashika Nimali, an NLP practitioner and life coach. The company said this initiative provided women in the industry with essential skills and knowledge to effectively manage household finances. GRI's tailored training sessions equipped participants with tools for informed decision-making, ultimately fostering greater financial security and independence, the company said.