Goodyear

Goodyear production began on November 21, 1898, with a product line of bicycle and carriage tyres, horseshoe pads and poker chips. Since the first bicycle tyre in 1898, Goodyear pedaled its way toward becoming the world's largest tyre company, a title it earned in 1916. Goodyear now has more than 85,000 associates worldwide and manufactures in more than 85 facilities in 28 countries.

Goodyear established its New Zealand operations in 1917 and has been providing quality tyres and expertise to Kiwis ever since. Originally imported, Goodyear tyre production started in 1949 with a manufacturing agreement with Dunlop to produce Goodyear brand tyres in their new Upper Hutt plant. That production agreement continued through to April 1987 when Dunlop and Goodyear entered into a 50/50 joint venture named South Pacific Tyres. Goodyear then took full ownership in January 2006.