PULANDIAN, China, March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear
Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) announced today that it
has established its first development center in China.
Located at the company's state-of-the-art tire manufacturing
facility here, the new center expands Goodyear's capabilities in
the Asia Pacific region and will
enable it to increase the speed and efficiency of high-value-added
tire development, especially for China-based automakers.
"China is the world's largest
and fastest-growing market for passenger cars and commercial
trucks, and critical to Goodyear's growth strategy," said
Richard J. Kramer, the company's
chairman and chief executive officer. "The new China development center will be an integral
part of our network of global innovation centers and strengthen our
innovation leadership role in the global tire industry."
Locating the Chinese center in Pulandian will support Goodyear's
market-back innovation approach providing direct interactions
between customers and designers, and the building of local
capabilities. It will also allow the company to enter new original
equipment platforms in China,
including new energy vehicles.
"The time is right for us to increase our capabilities in
China to ensure we remain first
with our customers," said Kramer. "We have built strong
relationships with original equipment manufacturers and our
investment in this new development center will allow us to expand
our new product offerings, accelerate our speed to market and
increase the value we deliver to these key customers."
Core tire technology will continue to be developed in Goodyear's
global Innovation Centers in Akron,
Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, with China development activities focused on
product customization for original equipment fitments and project
support services.
In addition to the two global innovation centers, Goodyear also
operates development centers in Hanau, Germany and Hebron, Ohio.
Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It
employs about 67,000 people and manufactures its products in 50
facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation
Centers in Akron, Ohio and
Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to
develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the
technology and performance standard for the industry. For more
information about Goodyear or its products, go to
www.goodyear.com/corporate. GT-FN
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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company