Tag: tires

Goodrich Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio

B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company

The B.F. Goodrich Company was founded in 1870 by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. The company began as a manufacturer of rubberized hoses and later began manufacturing pneumatic bicycle tires. In 1896, B.F. Goodrich became the first company in the United States to manufacture pneumatic automobile tires.

Plant of the B. F. Goodrich Co., Akron, Ohio.

B. F. Goodrich Company

On December 31, 1870, Goodrich formed the partnership of Goodrich, Tew & Company with his brother-in-law Harvey W. Tew and a group of Akron investors. After completing the construction of a two-story factory on the banks of the Ohio Canal, Goodrich was in business as the first rubber company west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Plant of the B. F. Goodrich Company, Akron.

B. F. Goodrich Company

Shortly before the Great Depression, Goodrich acquired the Hood Rubber Company of Water-town, Massachusetts, and the Miller Rubber Company of Akron. The Depression reduced rubber demand and affected the company’s labor relations with its 15,000 employees in Akron. The United Rubber Workers union (URW) was formed in 1934, and in 1936 national labor leader John…

Goodyear Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio

Goodyear – Rubber Company

IN 1889, with just 13 employees, Goodyear production began. The product line included bicycle and carriage tires, horseshoe pads, and poker chips. By 1916, Goodyear had grown into the world’s largest tire company, and by 1926 it was the world’s largest rubber company.

The Goodyear-Zeppelin Corp's. Airship Factory and Dock

The Goodyear-Zeppelin Airship Factory

The Air Dock, as it is known, was constructed in 1929. It was the largest building in the world without interior supports and provided a huge structure in which “lighter-than-air” ships (later known as airships, dirigibles, and blimps) could be constructed. The first two airships to be constructed and launched at the Airdock were USS Akron and its sister ship, USS Macon, built…

Goodyear Factories, Akron, Ohio

Goodyear Factories

“The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, one of the largest rubber factories in the United States, is located in Akron, the rubber center of the United States. Goodyear produced more than 110,000,000 tires since 1998. It employees thousands of people. The annual payroll is over 43,000,000. Goodyear is the largest producer of auto tires and rubber…

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Plant

USS Akron flys proudly over the Goodyear plant. She was the world’s first purpose-built flying aircraft carrier, carrying F9C Sparrowhawk fighter planes which could be launched and recovered while she was in flight. The Goodyear company is named after American Charles Goodyear, inventor of vulcanized rubber. The first Goodyear factory opened in Akron, Ohio, in…

Aerial view of Goodyear Factory, Akron, Ohio

Goodyear Factory – Aerial view

By 1926 Goodyear was the largest rubber company in the world. Only four years earlier it was forced to temporarily halt production of racing tires due to heavy competition. Nevertheless, the popularity of the Goodyear tire on the racing circuit led to a popular demand for the return of the brand.

Firestone Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio

Firestone Rubber Co.

Firestone had its origins in the rubber city. Founded in1900, the company started operations with just 12 employees. Together, Firestone and Goodyear (also an Akron company) were the largest suppliers of automotive tires in North America for over 75 years. In 1906 Henry Ford chose Firestone for Model T original equipment tires.