Cooper: Company Overview

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is an American corporation that designs, manufactures, markets, and sells replacement automobile and truck tires. It also has subsidiaries specializing in medium truck, motorcycle, and racing tires. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire operates globally with 60 manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical, and design facilities.

Corporate Profile:

  • Headquarters: Findlay, Ohio, USA
  • Products: Automobile and truck tires
  • Subsidiaries: Avon Tyres and others
  • Acquired by Goodyear: June 2021
  • Slogan: “The tire with two names … the company and the man who built it.”

Historical Background:

  • Founded as M and M Manufacturing Company in 1914 in Akron, Ohio.
  • Acquired The Giant Tire & Rubber Company in 1920; moved to Findlay, Ohio, in 1922.
  • Cooper name originated in 1919 with I. J. Cooper’s Cooper Corporation in Findlay.
  • Merged with other entities in 1930 to form Master Tire and Rubber Company.
  • Name changed to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company in 1946.
  • Cooper Tire logo featuring the Cooper Knight headgear first used in 1941.
  • Contributed to the World War II effort, recognized with the Army-Navy ‘E’ Award.
  • Became a publicly held corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1960.

Significant Developments:

  • Acquired UK-based Avon Tyres in 1997.
  • Acquired Standard Products Company in 1999, expanding its global workforce.
  • Joint venture with Kenda Rubber Industrial Company in China in 2007.
  • Acquired 51% ownership in China’s Cooper Chengshan (Shandong) companies in 2005.
  • Sold Oliver Rubber Company to Michelin in 2007.
  • Purchased a unit of Serbia’s Trayal Corporation in 2011.
  • Attempted acquisition by Apollo Tyres in 2013, which later fell through.
  • New regional distribution center in Whiteland, Indiana, announced in 2020.

Acquisition by Goodyear:

  • On February 22, 2021, Goodyear announced an agreement to acquire Cooper Tire for approximately $2.8 billion.
  • The transaction completed in June 2021, resulting in Cooper shareholders owning about 16% of the combined company.

Tire Brands:

  • Cooper Tires: Produces tires for passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs, and commercial trucks.
  • Avon Tyres: Specializes in tires for motorcycles, road cars, and race cars.
  • Other brands: Dean, Mastercraft, Mickey Thompson, Roadmaster, Starfire.

Motorsports and Sponsorships:

  • Official tire of the A1 Grand Prix (2005–2008).
  • Supplier for British Formula Three Championship (branded as Cooper since 2009).
  • Supplier for FIA Formula Two Championship (2009–2012).
  • Official tire of Champ Car Atlantic Championship, IMSA Prototype Lites, and Mazda Road to Indy formula ladder in the United States.
  • Official supplier of FIA World Rallycross Championship and Americas Rallycross Championship.

Management:

  • As of 2016, Cooper Tire had 10,540 employees.
  • Bradley E. Hughes serves as the president and CEO.

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