Goodyear Celebrates 111 Years of Innovation
September 13th, 2009In celebration of Goodyear’s 111th anniversary, the company is recognizing its most significant moments in history with a compilation of “Goodyear’s top 111 innovations, inspirations and historic firsts.”
The list reflects Goodyear’s pioneering spirit of innovation throughout the years, which has been felt across the earth, the skies and even the moon.
“Innovation is what has made Goodyear what it is today,” said Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear’s senior vice president and chief technical officer. “Not only is innovation an important part of our past, but it’s even more so our goal for the future.”
Goodyear’s top 111 innovations, inspirations and historic firsts
1898: Frank A. Seiberling borrowed $3,500 for the down-payment on an abandoned strawboard factory on the Little Cuyahoga in Akron, Ohio, founding The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
1899: Automobile tires (called Clincher tires) were added to the company’s original product line, which included bicycle tires, carriage tires and horseshoe pads.
1900: P. W. Litchfield, “the father of innovation,” joined Goodyear as the company’s first technically trained engineer. Litchfield, called the “brain” of the company, set up the development department and would serve three decades as Goodyear CEO.
1901: The first advertisement using the Goodyear Wingfoot trademark appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. Seiberling said the winged foot of Mercury would help Goodyear tires circle the Earth, and the logo remains highly recognizable around the world today.
1901: Goodyear’s first innovative design, the Straight Side tire, added a braided wire bead that allowed the tire to hold 10 percent more air, providing a more comfortable ride.
1901: Goodyear helped a young Henry Ford get started in racing, giving him new tires for his first car race. Goodyear’s racing debut was a success and Ford won the Detroit Driving Club race.
1902: In response to increasing demand, construction on Goodyear’s new Akron factory began. The new facility would be four times larger than the original building on the Little Cuyahoga.
1904: Goodyear received a patent for the Tire-Building Machine, which mechanized some of the manual labor involved in tire making. This machine sped tire production and reduced safety risks associated with manual tasks, while allowing quality and uniformity.
1904: Goodyear developed the first detachable rim, which quickly replaced the Clincher rim as industry standard. Goodyear’s Universal Rim was easier to mount and provided a smoother ride.
1906: Goodyear produced the world’s first easily detachable straight-side, the Quick Detachable Tire. This replaced the Clincher tire as industry standard and is sometimes referred to as “the tire that made Goodyear.”
1907: Goodyear introduced its first cord tire for electric automobiles. The cord was made of cotton, and the company would feature cotton cords for more than 30 years.
1907: Henry Ford bought 1,200 sets of tires for the Model T, which was the first automobile many middle-class Americans could afford. Automobile demand shot up with the introduction of Ford’s Goodyear-clad “Tin Lizzie,” marking an industry turning point.
1908: Goodyear developed its first All-Weather tread, which featured a diamond-shaped stud design that provided better traction than any competitors’ tires. The design was used for more than 40 years with only minor modifications.
1909: Goodyear developed the first pneumatic airplane tire, replacing the sled runners and bicycle tires that pilots including the Wright brothers were using at the time.
1910: Goodyear acquired its first subsidiary and foreign plant in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
1911: Goodyear tires are used on the first U.S. postal flight.
1911: The first transcontinental flight — from Sheepshead, NY to Long Beach, CA — lands 63 times over 84 days on Goodyear tires.
1912: Goodyear Heights community established, featuring modern amenities such as electricity, road lights and running water.
1912: Goodyear establishes one of the first industrial hospitals in the country near the World Headquarters in Akron, Ohio. The company also starts several social programs that offer education and health opportunities.
1912: Goodyear opens its first overseas branch in London, England.
1913: The mechanical rubber goods department is established
1913: Goodyear acquires a Connecticut cotton mill. Cotton was a key resource in tire making, as cords were made of cotton until the use of nylon in the 1950s.
1913: Goodyear begins its “Flying Squadron” employee training program to familiarize each employee with several production departments and duties.
1913: The Goodyear wins the Gordon-Bennett International Balloon Race, captained by two Goodyear associates.
1914: Goodyear begins producing observation kite balloons for the British in World War I.
1914: At the fourth annual Indianapolis 500 race, all cars ride on Goodyear tires.
1915: Goodyear opens sales branches in Australia, Argentina and South Africa, expanding its global presence into the Latin America and Asia- Pacific regions.
1915: The first clock tower is erected at the Akron, Ohio factory on Market Street. The clock tower will become a prominent icon for the city.
1916: Goodyear acquires its first rubber plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia.
1916: Goodyear becomes the world’s largest tire company
1916: Work begins to establish Goodyear Ranch, a town centered on cotton cultivation, in Arizona. The 8,000-acre community features a school, park, movie theater and hospital. Today, Goodyear, AZ is home to more than 18,000 residents and is the spring training location for the Cleveland Indians.
1916: Goodyear acquires Wingfoot Lake in Akron, Ohio, to provide water for factory operations. The lake will become a common place of recreation for associates and their families.
1917: The Wingfoot Express is the first cross-country trucking journey. The Wingfoot Express demonstrates the toughness and reliability of Goodyear tires and introduces the first truck with a sleeper cab.
1917: Goodyear enters a contract with the U.S. Armed Forces and builds its first blimps for the Navy.
1917: Goodyear purchases a coal mine and becomes a pioneer in mechanized mining. Goodyear will continue to advance mining technology for more than 90 years.
1918: The Goodyear Heights bus line in Akron, Ohio, is one of first public routes in the country. The bus cost two cents per ride.
1919: Goodyear develops the first bullet-proof gas tanks for airplanes. These tanks are used on U.S. fighter jets during war.
1920: Goodyear Hall (a center containing an auditorium, classrooms, recreational facilities and the state’s largest gymnasium at the time) is constructed in Akron, Ohio. A dream of future CEO P.W. Litchfield, the center made Goodyear a pioneer of employee wellness and education.
1921: Goodyear releases the first off-road tire, the Rut Proof tire.
1925: The Pilgrim is Goodyear’s first commercial blimp and is used to display promotional and public service messages. The Pilgrim is 50,000 cubic feet and is the first non-rigid craft to use helium.
1927: Goodyear becomes the rubber industry’s first company to establish a Hospital Association for employees.
1927: Goodyear improves the golf ball by developing a more elastic rubber core
1928: Goodyear develops the Double Eagle tire.
1928: Goodyear purchases 2,500 acres in the Philippines for a rubber plantation.
1929: Construction begins on the Goodyear Airdock. The Airdock is the largest building without internal support beams in the country.
1932: Goodyear adopts a 6-hour workday to address the high level of unemployment caused by Depression. This allows more associates to keep a steady paycheck and provide for their families.
1933: Goodyear patents the nightsign, a lighted display sign for blimp promotions that could be seen at all times, even in the dark.
1934: Goodyear develops the first studded mud and snow tire.
1935: Goodyear acquires The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company.
1935: Explorer II, a Goodyear-built stratosphere balloon, sets the world altitude record at 72, 395 ft.
1936: Shoe production begins in Windsor, Vermont. Shoe soles and heels are manufactured from Goodyear quality rubber.
1936: Goodyear announces the SureGrip tire.
1937: Goodyear develops and tests the first American-made synthetic rubber tire.
1939: Admiral Byrd uses Goodyear tires on his Antarctic expedition.
1939: The Goodyear Aircraft Corporation is formed.
1942: Goodyear wins a government contract to build 5,000 Corsair fighter planes for the U.S. army. Goodyear also produces guns, shells, tank tracks, gas masks, rafts and bullet-proof gas tanks for the war effort.
1946: Goodyear revives the use of blimps for promotion, broadcasting the first game
1947: Goodyear establishes one of the earliest industrial programs to encourage protection of the environment, the Goodyear Conservation Awards recognizing resource management. In 1973, Keep America Beautiful Inc. selects Goodyear’s environmental improvement program as the nation’s best.
1947: Called the “most important engineering development in tires since the introduction of the balloon tire in 1923,” the Super Cushion tire was Goodyear’s greatest success of the time. The Super Cushion featured reduced air pressure – the standard tire of the day required 28 to 32 pounds of pressure, while the Super Cushion needed only 24 — and increased air volume.
1949: Goodyear kicks off an aggressive marketing campaign Nov. 6, 1949, with a wave of television promotion. Goodyear first sponsored “The Paul Whiteman Revue,” a weekly program on ABC. By 1949, more than three million households had televisions, and Goodyear remained a leading sponsor throughout the 1950s.
1950s: Researchers and engineers develop the 3-T process (time, temperature, tension), which prepared tire fabric using machines that were four stories high and 120 feet long at the base. Each $1 million machine preconditioned the tire fabric – either nylon or rayon – before exposing it to extreme temperature and tension.
1952: Goodyear announces the L3 GEDA, an improved version of its “electronic brain,” or computer. Goodyear Aircraft would use the L3 GEDA to solve problems concerning space flight, as engineers were racing to develop the first spaceship.
1954: The world’s first passenger conveyor belt, a Goodyear creation, carries patrons of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad up an incline of 227 feet, from the New Jersey end of tunnel tubes under the Hudson River up to the Erie Railroad terminal.
1954: Full line of tubeless tires uses exclusive process
1960: Mickey Thompson sets the land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats. Thompson broke the 400 mph barrier on Goodyear tires.
1962: Goodyear engineers use the innovative 3-T process to develop a polyester tire cord, which they called Vytacord. Tires with Vytacord required less rubber in the tire body and many tire manufacturers followed Goodyear’s lead and began using polyester cords.
1963: Goodyear produces its billionth tire.
1963: The Orange Bowl becomes the first live sporting event to be nationally broadcast to television from a Goodyear blimp.
1964: Goodyear Memory Belt, which automatically re-routes packages using coded info in matrix, is introduced.
1967: Goodyear’s “People Mover” shows Disneyland visitors “a future without traffic jams.”
1970: Goodyear tires are the first tires on moon as part of the Apollo 14 mission.
1971: Goodyear manufactures the world’s largest tire –11 ½ ft high, 7,000 pounds — at its new $23 million super-tire plant in Topeka, Kansas.
1972: Side-looking radar pioneered by Goodyear Aerospace is used on U.S. Air Force F-4 fighter jets.
1974: The U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare awards the outstanding public service award to Goodyear for its 1973 blimp message campaign promoting Social Security programs.
1975: Goodyear wins the largest single tire service contract in history for the trans-Alaskan pipeline project.
1976: Researchers team with the Cleveland Clinic to develop the artificial heart.
1976: Goodyear chemical division develops the first plastic beverage bottles, made out of shatterproof polyester resin
1977: Goodyear introduces the Tiempo, the first tire for year-round use in all climates. The Tiempo becomes the most successful tire in company history, selling 3.5 million in the first year.
1979: U.S. cities install Goodyear rubber railroad crossings at a rate of two per workday.
1980: Goodyear introduces the Arriva all-season radial tire.
1981: The White House honors Goodyear for its method of disposing of PCBs, giving the company the Environmental Industry Award in the field of hazardous waste control.
1982: Goodyear establishes the Highway Hero program to honor truck drivers for heroism and public service on the road.
1987: The first tire with a “Z” speed rating- meaning it can operate at speeds higher than 149 mph – is released.
1991: Four tires are released in an unprecedented launch: Aquatred, Invicta, Wrangler GSA and Eagle GSC.
1992: Goodyear begins selling tires through mass retailer Sears.
1994: Goodyear initiates the Customer Trust program, allowing customers to specify their preferred level of diagnosis and service for auto outlets.
1995: Goodyear introduces UltraGrip tires.
1997: Goodyear signed a deal with NASCAR making the company the “exclusive tire supplier” of NASCAR’s top three racing divisions.
1997: Goodyear adds three blimps to its fleet – two in Europe and one in Latin America.
1997: A six-year, $600 million expansion for Goodyear Chemicals is initiated.
1998: The IMPACT advanced tire manufacturing process is implemented.
1998: Goodyear announces a $15 million expansion of Europe’s Luxembourg Tech Center.
1999: Goodyear enters a $1 billion global alliance with Sumimoto Rubber Industries, Ltd., which had rights to the Dunlop brand in much of the world. The alliance reinforces Goodyear as the world’s largest tire company.
2000: Goodyear forms an internet-based purchasing alliance with five other tire companies at RubberNetwork.com.
2000: The Spirit of South Pacific airship helped cover the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
2000: Goodyear opened a distribution and sales center in Dubai, opening the door to more than 40 markets in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.
2001: Goodyear’s GT3 tire debuts as the first tire made from a compound derived from corn.
2001: The company is named the exclusive tire supplier for the top two drag race divisions of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
2001: The Fortera line is introduced for SUVs.
2002: All North American manufacturing plants are certified to ISO 14001 for their environmental management systems.
2004: Assurance tires are introduced, featuring TripleTred and ComforTred technologies.
2005: Goodyear reveals DuraSeal technology, which immediately repairs tread punctures ¼ inch or less and helps prevent tire air loss.
2005: Goodyear introduces the Fortera tire featuring SilentArmor. This innovative tire uses a layer of DuPont™ Kevlar® for added strength and toughness.
2006: A campaign to name the new U.S. blimp invites the country to submit their suggestions. An Ohio teacher wins the contest and the blimp is named the Spirit of Innovation.
2006: The Spirit of Goodyear blimp helps promote the Disney “Cars” movie, temporarily wearing the movie’s “Lightyear” blimp logo. The movie’s airship is clearly based on the Goodyear blimp.
2007: A Jeep Wrangler traveling on Goodyear MT/R tires sets the world record for the highest altitude ever reached by a four-wheeled vehicle.
2009: Goodyear introduces the Assurance Fuel Max tire, which helps consumers save gas money by reducing rolling resistance 27 percent compared to the Goodyear Assurance.
2009: Dunlop defies gravity, setting a world record for the largest loop-the-loop.
2009: Goodyear teams with NASA to develop an airless tire to transport vehicles across the Moon’s surface. The Spring Tire features 800 load bearing springs to allow the tires to carry heavier vehicles over greater distances than the wire mesh tire previously used on the Apollo mission.
2009: Helen and John Taylor break a Guinness World Record driving a car equipped with Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires. The couple’s three-week, 9,000+ mile drive through all 48 contiguous states in the U.S., showed the potential fuel savings of the Fuel Max’s breakthrough tread compound. The Taylors broke the drive’s previous fuel economy record of 58.82 miles per gallon (MPG) with a final MPG average of 67.90.
