GOODYEAR PHILIPPINES

It was in 1919 when the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, started and established operations here in the Philippines. In those days it also served as a central warehouse facility for tires and other Goodyear products sold by sales representatives in China, Japan, the Dutch Indies (todays Indonesia) and other Far East territories.

When the Stevenson Act was eased in 1928, lifting restrictions on the exportation of rubber seeds and planting material, Goodyear was the first to take advantage of the opportunity. The company brought in budded stumps from Sumatra to the Philippines. It was planted in the 1,020 hectares Goodyear nursery in Kabalasan, 80 miles from the port of Zamboanga.

With the exception of World War II, Goodyear activities in the Philippines increased steadily to where it finally led to the decision of building a manufacturing plant for production of tyres, tubes, shoes and other rubber items.

It was in 1956 when the plant was built at a cost of $12 million C a considerable amount in those days C using almost entirely local materials. All the machinery and equipments were supplied by the parent company. The first tyre produced, a 6.00-16 6PR developed for the Philippine jeepney, rolled-out on June 9, 1956 and was presented to President Ramon Magsaysay. The factory was inaugurated October 6, 1956, making it Goodyears 13th established overseas subsidiary.

Goodyear has continued to expand throughout the years. In 1969, it opened new facilities in Mandaue City, Cebu. Other several sites and operations in the Visayas and Mindanao areas soon followed that expansion. In 1979, the Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC) purchased a minor equity in Goodyear Philippines, thus forging a strong link between the company and the country. This encouraged the company to work for the benefit not only of their shareholders, but also the Philippine nation. In 1996, Goodyear continued its expansion by acquiring the manufacturing facilities of Sime Darby Philippines in Parang, Marikina.
Offering not just safety and technology, Goodyear partnered with local businessmen and introduced the Servitek network. It was in 1987 when Auto-phil, the first fully operational Servitek outlet in the Philippines, opened in Dimasalang, Manila. It offers tire mounting, balancing, alignment and other tyre services. To date, there are 118 Goodyear retail branded outlets in the country comprising of 1 Hi-Performance Center, 74 Servitek and 43 TyrePro.
The continued improvement in the Philippine economy has brought forth phenomenal growth in the number of vehicles on the road and this has proved a boom for Goodyear Philippines, more vehicles equals improved sales. Add to this the fact that a number of major auto companies assemble their vehicles, utilizing both imported and local components. The majority of these manufacturers use Goodyear tires.

Goodyear Philippines manufactures the whole range of tires needed to keep the Philippines moving C from automobile radial tires through tires for trucks, buses, heavy equipments and farm vehicles.

Even fully imported vehicles, including trucks and heavy equipment - with tyres by other manufactures - are well aware of the dependability of Goodyear. They, too, will often opt for the companys products when it comes time for replacement.

In spite of international trade liberalization and the threat of cheap imports, Goodyear Philippines is confident of not just maintaining their number one position but continually increasing their market share in the Philippines. It is a fact that customers trust Goodyear, and Goodyear never betrays that trust.

The round-shouldered automotive radial tire is the largest selling item and is unique. Its foundation is the synthetic fiber mat, the cords of which are treated by controlled heating and further subjecting them to tensioning of many tons. This process provides the optimum strength and resiliency required and after the application of the exclusive Goodyear rubber compound and final processing C the resulting tire has proven to have a tread life of up to 100 percent longer than conventional tires.

Prior to any new tyre being introduced onto the market, it first has to undergo extensive testing in order to determine its suitability for Philippine road conditions. Simultaneously, samples will be machine tested to destruction, providing a database from which comparisons can be made with proven products. Only if the new product proves itself superior to an existing one will it then be introduced to the buying public.

Goodyear Philippines, Inc. has more than 700 associates. The company has received several global quality and environmental certifications with ISO 14001:2004 as the newest, which was received July 2004 . This ISO is the most important environmental standard in the world. A lot of companies use it and even governments encourage it. The main requirement to achieve certification is to set and develop environmental policy for the company and to establish an environmental management system (EMS) within it. The ISO/TS 16949:2002 is also one of the significant achievements of Goodyear since it is the first tyre company in the Philippines and the first Goodyear facility in the ASEAN region to earn such recognition. The certification specifies quality system requirements for the design, development, production and installation/servicing of automotive-related products and is recognized globally.

As Goodyear celebrates its 50th year of manufacturing here in the Philippines, it is proud to boast that of being Filipino, and a Filipino that people trust often with their lives. Having such a mighty brand name encourages a pride in both associates and dealers. They know that they are working simply with the best product on the Philippine market, and one with the best name.