Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. says it remains "on track to deliver the full value" of what the company calls its "integration" of the former Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
In a June 7 letter addressed to "our loyal customers," Ryan Patterson, chief operating officer and integration officer for the Akron, Ohio-based tiremaker's Americas region, said "it's hard to believe that a year has passed since we embarked on a journey to unlock greater growth potential for our customers by combining with Cooper Tire." (Goodyear finalized its acquisition of Cooper on June 7, 2021.)
"Since that time, you have remained our priority as we worked to deliver uninterrupted customer service while creating more value for your businesses. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together with you through the first year of integration.
"During this time, we continued to invest in building the power of our brands and products to help you win in your markets. This includes our first replacement tires designed for electric vehicles, the ElectricDrive GT consumer tire and the Endurance RSA ULT for last mile delivery vehicles. We also expanded our Mastercraft portfolio with the addition of two new lines. And we made our commercial tires more sustainable by beginning to replace petroleum with soybean oil.
"In addition to developing leading products, we listened to your feedback and made great strides as a supplier. While we still have work to do, we have improved our supply and inventory quality in an extremely volatile environment.
"I’m pleased to share that we remain on track to deliver the full value of this integration in 2023. Towards the beginning of next year, you can expect that, when you do business with Goodyear, you will have access to a single operating system, combined sales force, and an integrated brand and product portfolio.
"I know I speak on behalf of our entire team when I say that we deeply appreciate your loyalty and business. Together, we are positioned to become a stronger U.S. leader in the global tire industry, and I am confident that the best is yet to come."
