Steve Otradovec, a 25-year veteran of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., has been picked to lead the company’s Topeka, Kan., manufacturing facility. Otradovec began serving as the plant manager earlier this month, replacing former plant manager Tim Davis, who transferred to lead Goodyear’s manufacturing operations in Luxembourg.
Otradovec began his career with Goodyear working in research and development for the company’s engineered products division in Lincoln, Neb. He held various management positions for Goodyear in both Lincoln and Owen Sound, Ontario. In 2009, he joined the Goodyear-Topeka facility, with 1,700 current employees and 69 acres under roof, as manager of quality and Technology.
“Having worked at the Topeka facility for the past two years, Steve already has the respect of the workers at the plant and an excellent understanding of the products they produce,” Patrick Hurley, vice president of strategic manufacturing initiatives for Goodyear North American Tire, told local media. “Steve is an asset to our company and to the Topeka community and I am confident he will do a great job in his new role.”