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122-537: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturer headquartered in Akron, Ohio . Goodyear manufactures tires for passenger vehicles, aviation, commercial trucks, military and police vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, race cars, and heavy off-road machinery. It also licenses the Goodyear brand to bicycle tire manufacturers, returning from a break in production between 1976 and 2015. As of 2017, Goodyear

244-507: A log cabin in the forest in 1810, and became the region's first citizen. In June 1811, Spicer sent for his family, who came that same year by ox teams accompanied by Capt. Amos Spicer and Paul Williams. In 1811, Paul Williams settled near the corner of what is now Buchtel Avenue and Broadway. He suggested to General Simon Perkins , who was surveyor of the Connecticut Land Company 's Connecticut Western Reserve , that they found

366-534: A female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.8% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the city was 35.7 years. 22.9% of residents were under age 18; 12.4% were between 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of

488-634: A holding that developed from the Goodyear Aircraft Company after World War II , designed a supercomputer for NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center in 1979, the MPP . The subsidiary was sold in 1987 to the Loral Corporation as a result of restructuring. In 1987, Goodyear formed a business partnership with Canadian tire retailer Fountain Tire . In the 1980s, incoming Goodyear CEO Robert E. Mercer argued that

610-522: A joint wholesale distribution network across the United States. At the same time, Goodyear also announced that it was ending its distribution relationship with American Tire Distributors , which is the largest tire wholesaler in the US. In 2018, Goodyear was ordered to pay $ 40.1 million to J. Walter Twidwell, who claimed he developed mesothelioma because of exposure to asbestos . After the trial, Goodyear asked

732-409: A lab to treat burn victims, making Akron Children's Hospital the first hospital in the world to achieve such a feat. Akron City and Akron General hospitals are designated Level I Trauma Centers . According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the principal employers in the city are: Akron is home to E. J. Thomas Hall , one of three Akron performance halls. Regular acts include

854-478: A lack of materials and rising costs resulting from hyperinflation. In February 2021, Goodyear announced that it will acquire the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company for $ 2.5 billion. The transaction closed in the second half of 2021. Source: Former Board members include Shirley D. Peterson , William J. Contay , James C. Boland and Rodney O'Neal . Mark Stewart is the chief executive officer and president of

976-406: A local CBS -affiliate television station, reported that an internal PowerPoint slide on political attire from a Topeka, Kansas , training seminar was circulating on social media. The leaked slide depicted a "zero tolerance" policy towards some political movements. President Donald Trump called for a boycott of Goodyear tires the following day, as Trump campaign attire such as MAGA hats were among

1098-572: A mill in 1856, and the following decade mass-produced oat bars for the Union Army during the American Civil War ; these continued to sell well after the war. Akron incorporated as a city in 1865. Philanthropist Lewis Miller , Walter Blythe, and architect Jacob Snyder designed the widely used Akron Plan , debuting it on Akron's First Methodist Episcopal Church in 1872. Numerous Congregational , Baptist , and Presbyterian churches built between

1220-497: A new world headquarters in the city. The project, Akron Riverwalk, will feature a large retail and commercial development area. The project began in 2007, but was put on hold because of the Great Recession . Bridgestone built a new technical center with research and development labs, and moved its product development operations to the new facility in early 2012. The Eastern Ohio Division of KeyBank , which has six branches in

1342-528: A nuclear processing plant in Ohio. In 1944, Goodyear created a subsidiary in Mexico in a joint venture with Compañía Hulera, S.A. de C.V. , Compañía Hulera Goodyear-Oxo, S.A. de C.V. or Goodyear-Oxo. Goodyear is the only one of the five biggest tire firms among US tire manufacturers in 1970 to remain independent into the 21st century. Goodyear's success was partly due to the challenge posed by radial tire technology, and

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1464-610: A part in two of Akron's major riots, the Riot of 1900 and the Wooster Ave. Riots of 1968. Others giving speeches on race in the city include W. E. B. Du Bois (1920) and President Bill Clinton (1997). In 1971, Alpha Phi Alpha Homes Inc. was founded in Akron by the Eta Tau Lambda chapter, with James R. Williams as chairman. The centerpiece, Henry Arthur Callis Tower , is located in

1586-597: A population of 702,219. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau in Northeast Ohio about 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Cleveland . After being first settled by Miner Spicer in 1810, the city was founded by Simon Perkins and Paul Williams in 1825 along the Little Cuyahoga River at the summit of the developing Ohio and Erie Canal . The name is derived from

1708-401: A position largely occupied by men. Initially, Ledbetter's salary was in line with the salaries of men performing substantially similar work. Over time, however, her pay slipped in comparison to the pay of male area managers with equal or less seniority. By the end of 1997, Ledbetter was the only woman working as an area manager and the pay discrepancy between Ledbetter and her 15 male counterparts

1830-530: A process of modernizing and expanding Goodyear plants in cities like Lawton, Oklahoma , Napanee, Canada, Point Pleasant, West Virginia , and Scottsboro, Alabama . In the 2000s, the move of business into low-wage countries, facilitated by GATT (which Goldsmith had warned government against, calling it "a policy to impoverish"), resulted in plants across North America being shuttered, for instance Cumberland, Maryland ; New Toronto, Ontario , Canada, and Windsor, Vermont were closed. The last major restructuring of

1952-623: A resort hotel in Arizona were sold for $ 220.1 million. The company also sold the Celeron gas and oil corporation. In 1998, the All American Pipeline, Celeron Gathering, and Celeron Trading and Transportation were sold, largely completing what Goldsmith's hostile takeover had suggested good management should do. In the years following 1987, the company invested in its tire business. President Tom Barrett succeeded Chairman Robert Mercer in 1989, and began

2074-560: A significant collapse in population having lost over one third (34.4%) of its population between 1960 and 2020. Although Akron is in northern Ohio, where the Inland North dialect is expected, its settlement history puts it in the North Midland dialect area. Some localisms that have developed include devilstrip , which refers to the grass strip between a sidewalk and street. As of the census of 2020, there were 190,469 people living in

2196-583: A tender offer for up to 40 million shares of its stock from other shareholders at $ 50 per share. The tender offer resulted in Goodyear buying 40,435,764 shares of stock in February 1987. As a result of the stock buyback, Goodyear took a charge of $ 224.6 million associated with a massive restructuring plan. It sold its Goodyear Aerospace business to Loral Corporation for $ 588 million and its motor wheel business to Lemmerz Inc. for $ 175 million. Two subsidiaries involved in agricultural products, real estate development, and

2318-554: A town at the summit of the developing Ohio and Erie Canal . The name is adapted from the Greek word ἄκρον ( ákron ), meaning summit or high point. It was laid out in December 1825, where the south part of the downtown Akron neighborhood sits today. Irish laborers working on the Ohio Canal built about 100 cabins nearby. After Eliakim Crosby founded "North Akron" (also known as Cascade) in

2440-540: Is 41.57 inches (1,056 mm), falling on an average 160 days. Monthly precipitation has ranged from 12.55 in (319 mm) in July 2003 to 0.20 in (5.1 mm) in September 1960, while for annual precipitation the historical range is 65.70 in (1,669 mm) in 1990 to 23.79 in (604 mm) in 1963. Akron consists of 21 neighborhoods, with an additional three that are unincorporated but recognized within

2562-796: Is home to a historic 1920s atmospheric movie palace , the Akron Civic Theatre . One of the building's features is a starry sky with clouds that drift over it when the lights are dimmed. Radial tire The first radial tire designs were patented in 1914 by G. H. Hamilton and T. Sloper -patent № 467 filed in London , and in 1916 by Arthur W. Savage , a tire manufacturer (1915–1919), firearm designer and inventor in San Diego, CA - U.S. patent 1,203,910 . No actual products were created. Michelin in France designed, developed, patented, and commercialized

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2684-517: Is known. Indonesia has a fabulous potential wealth in natural resources and the New Order [the fascist regime headed by pro-U.S. General Suharto] wants it exploited. So they are returning the private properties expropriated by Sukarno's regime. Goodyear's Sumatran rubber empire is an example. It was seized [by the rubber workers] in retaliation for U.S. aggression in Vietnam in 1965. The rubber workers union

2806-606: Is now a museum on Broadway Street near the corner of Exchange. When the Ohio Women's Rights Convention came to Akron in 1851, Sojourner Truth extemporaneously delivered her speech named " Ain't I A Woman? ", at the Universalist Old Stone Church. In 1870, a local businessman associated with the church, John R. Buchtel , founded Buchtel College, which became the University of Akron in 1913. Ferdinand Schumacher bought

2928-502: Is often difficult to recognize until more than 180 days of the pay change. Ginsburg argued that the broad remedial purpose of the statute was incompatible with the Court's "cramped" interpretation. Her dissent asserted that the employer had been, "Knowingly carrying past pay discrimination forward" during the 180-day charging period, and therefore could be held liable. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst identified Goodyear as

3050-446: Is one of the top four tire manufacturers along with Bridgestone (Japan), Michelin (France), and Continental (Germany). Founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling , the company was named after American Charles Goodyear (1800–1860), inventor of vulcanized rubber. The first Goodyear tires became popular because they were easily detachable and required little maintenance. Though Goodyear had been manufacturing airships and balloons since

3172-468: Is received during the statutory limitations period, but is the result of intentionally discriminatory pay decisions that occurred outside the limitations period." In rejecting Ledbetter's appeal, the Supreme Court said that "she could have, and should have, sued" when the pay decisions were made, instead of waiting beyond the 180-day statutory charging period. Justice Ginsburg dissented from the opinion of

3294-542: Is recognized as having one of the best orthopaedics programs in the nation with a ranking of 28th. Akron General Health in affiliation with the Cleveland Clinic operates Akron General Medical Center, which in 2009, was recognized as one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report . Akron Children's Hospital is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric care and burn care. In 1974, Howard Igel and Aaron Freeman successfully grew human skin in

3416-518: Is the Akron Civic Theatre , which opened in 1929 as the Loew's Theater. This atmospheric-style theater was designed by John Eberson and built by Marcus Loew. The theater contains many Moorish features including arches and decorative tiles. It features elaborate wood carvings, alabaster statuary, and European antiques. The theater seats 5,000. Behind it on the canal is the Lock 3 Park amphitheater , which annually host

3538-749: Is water. Akron has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), typical of the Midwest , with four distinct seasons, and lies in USDA hardiness zone 6b, degrading to zone 6a in the outlying suburbs. Winters are cold and dry but typically bring a mix of rain, sleet, and snow with occasional heavy snowfall and icing. January is the coldest month with an average mean temperature of 27.9 °F (−2.3 °C), with temperatures on average dropping to or below 0 °F (−18 °C) on 3.3 days and staying at or below freezing on 40 days per year. Snowfall averages 47.2 inches (120 cm) per season, significantly less than

3660-485: The Akron Symphony Orchestra , Tuesday Musical Club, and Children's Concert Society. World-class performances events include Broadway musicals, ballets, comedies, lectures, entertainers, attracting 400,000 visitors annually. The hall seats 2,955, divided among three tiers. To maintain top-notch acoustic sound, the counter-weighted ceiling is adjustable, altering the physical dimensions of the hall. Located downtown

3782-525: The Akron, Bedford and Cleveland Railroad , began service. On August 25, 1889, the Boston Daily Globe referred to Akron with the nickname "Summit City". To help local police, the city deployed the first police car in the U.S. that ran on electricity. The Riot of 1900 saw assaults on city officials, two deaths, and the destruction by fire of Columbia Hall and the Downtown Fire Station (now

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3904-558: The Akron-Summit County Public Library , and John S. Knight Center are considerably newer. The library originally opened in 1969, but reopened as a greatly expanded facility in 2004. The Knight Center opened in 1994. The First Methodist Episcopal Church first used the Akron Plan in 1872. The plan later gained popularity, being used in many Congregationalist , Baptist , and Presbyterian church buildings. The city

4026-555: The Environmental Protection Agency , began in 1987 and concluded in 2000. The area remains restricted with regular reviews of the site and its underground aquifer. City founder Simon Perkins negotiated a treaty with Native Americans to establish a mail route from the Connecticut Western Reserve to Detroit in 1807, an early example of historic humanitarian affairs in Akron. Aside from being part of

4148-676: The First Night in Akron. The Akron Art Museum also downtown, features art produced since 1850 along with national and international exhibitions. It opened in 1922 as the Akron Art Institute, in the basement of the Akron Public Library . It moved to its current location at the renovated 1899 post office building in 1981. In 2007, the museum more than tripled in size with the addition of the John S. and James L. Knight Building, which received

4270-446: The Glaciated Allegheny Plateau . It is bordered by Cuyahoga Falls on the north and Barberton in the southwest. It is the center of the Akron metropolitan area which covers Summit and Portage Counties, and a principal city of the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area . Located on the western end of the plateau, the topography of Akron includes rolling hills and varied terrain. The Ohio and Erie Canal passes through

4392-684: The Goodyear Heights neighborhood for employees. Likewise, Harvey S. Firestone built the Firestone Park neighborhood for his employees. During the 1910–1920 decade, Akron became a boomtown , being America's fastest growing city with a 201.8% increase in population. Of the 208,000 citizens, almost one-third were immigrants (also Clark Gable ) and their children from places including Europe and West Virginia. In 1929 and 1931, Goodyear's subsidiary Goodyear-Zeppelin Company manufactured two airships for

4514-486: The Greek word ἄκρον ( ákron ), signifying a summit or high point. It was briefly renamed South Akron after Eliakim Crosby founded nearby North Akron in 1833, until both merged into an incorporated village in 1836. In the 1910s, Akron doubled in population, making it the nation's fastest-growing city. A long history of rubber and tire manufacturing, carried on today by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company , gave Akron

4636-562: The Information Age . Current Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city include Goodyear and FirstEnergy . In addition, the city is the headquarters to a number of other notable companies such as GOJO , Advanced Elastomer Systems, Babcock & Wilcox , Myers Industries, Acme Fresh Market , and Sterling Jewelers . Goodyear, America's biggest tire manufacturer and the fifth-largest private employer in Summit County, recently built

4758-596: The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company in 1935. Lasting five weeks and consisting of roughly 5,000 strikers including union sympathizers from other factories and neighboring states, the Akron Rubber Strike of 1936 successfully used the "sit-down" tactic to force recognition of the United Rubber Workers . During the 1950s–60s Akron surged as use of the automobile did. The historic Rubber Bowl

4880-698: The K–12 system ; the popularization of the church architectural Akron Plan , the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous , the Akron Experiment into preventing goiters with iodized salt , the 1983 Supreme Court case City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health ; and portions of the 2014 Gay Games . A racially diverse city, it has seen noted racial relations speeches by Sojourner Truth in 1851 (the Ain't I A Woman? speech), W. E. B. Du Bois in 1920, and President Bill Clinton in 1997. In 1914, Marcus Garvey founded

5002-577: The New York Supreme Court for a new trial. Goodyear attorney James Lynch said Goodyear did not receive proper consideration from the jury. Lynch said that the other side's attorneys engaged in character assassinations against expert witnesses . During closing remarks, the attorneys for Twidwell put up a slide with the heads of Goodyear's expert witnesses pasted onto "insulting caricatures." In December 2018, Goodyear ceased operations in Venezuela due

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5124-583: The Underground Railroad , when active, John Brown was a resident, today having two landmarks (the John Brown House and the John Brown Monument) dedicated to him. During the 1851 Women's Rights Convention, Sojourner Truth delivered her speech entitled " Ain't I A Woman? ". In 1905, a statue of an Indian named Unk was erected on Portage Path, which was part of the effective western boundary of

5246-601: The Universal Negro Improvement Association in Kingston, Jamaica; its Akron branch opened in 1921. Episodes of major civil unrest in Akron have included the riot of 1900 , rubber strike of 1936 , the Wooster Avenue riots of 1968 , and the 2022 protests surrounding the killing of Jayland Walker . The first settler in the Akron area was Major Miner Spicer, who came from Groton, Connecticut . He built

5368-591: The White and Native American lands from 1785 to 1805. The Summit County chapter of the Ku Klux Klan reported having 50,000 members, making it the largest local chapter in the country during the 20th century. At some point the sheriff, county officials, mayor of Akron, judges, county commissioners, and most members of Akron's school board were members. The Klan's influence in the city's politics eventually ended after Wendell Willkie arrived and challenged them. Race played

5490-522: The snowbelt areas closer to Lake Erie . The snowiest month on record was 37.5 inches (95 cm) in January 1978, while winter snowfall amounts have ranged from 82.0 in (208 cm) in 1977–78 to 18.2 in (46 cm) in 1949–50. Springs generally see a transition to fewer weather systems that produce heavier rainfall. Summers are typically very warm and humid with temperatures at or above 90 °F (32 °C) on 10.7 days per year on average;

5612-642: The wide radial tire on a request of the Lancia rally racing team for a tire to handle the power of the new Lancia Stratos and in the succeeding year, Pirelli introduced a wide tire with a reduced sidewall height like a slick, but with a radial construction for the Monte Carlo Rally winning works Stratos. Radial technology is now the standard design for essentially all automotive tires. Bias tires are still used on trailers due to their weight carrying ability and resistance to swaying when towed. For aircraft,

5734-539: The "Crossroads of the Deaf". On Easter Sunday 1913, 9.55 inches (243 mm) of rain fell, causing floods that killed five people and destroyed the Ohio and Erie Canal system. From 1916 to 1920, 10,000 schoolgirls took part in the successful Akron Experiment, testing iodized salt to prevent goiter in what was known as the "Goiter Belt". Rubber companies responded to housing crunches by building affordable housing for workers. Goodyear's president, Frank A. Seiberling , built

5856-434: The 1,200 mile crude oil "All American" pipeline from California to Texas. The project was initially estimated to cost $ 600 million but ultimately cost almost $ 1 billion. In October 1986 British financier James Goldsmith in conjunction with the investment group Hanson purchased 11.5% of Goodyear's outstanding common stock. This was viewed as a greenmail attack by some, and as shareholder activism by Goldsmith, who viewed

5978-485: The 1870s and World War I use it. In 1883, a local journalist began the modern toy industry by founding the Akron Toy Company. A year later, the first popular toy was mass-produced clay marbles made by Samuel C. Dyke at his shop where Lock 3 Park is now. Other popular inventions include rubber balloons, ducks, dolls, balls, baby buggy bumpers, and little brown jugs. In 1895, the first long-distance electric railway,

6100-617: The 1980s and 1990s, an influx of new polymer companies came to the region. In 2001, more than 400 companies manufactured polymer-based materials in the region. Many University of Akron scientists became world-renowned for their research done at the Goodyear Polymer Center . The first College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering was begun by the university. In 2010, the National Polymer Innovation Center opened on campus. Akron has designated an area called

6222-435: The 19th-largest corporate producer of air pollution in the United States , with roughly 4.16 million lbs of toxins released into the air annually. Major pollutants included sulfuric acid , cobalt compounds, and chlorine . The Center for Public Integrity reports that Goodyear has been named as a potentially responsible party in at least 54 of the nation's Superfund toxic waste sites. On February 8, 2008, Goodyear announced

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6344-578: The 2005 American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum while still under construction. Built between 1912 and 1915 for Frank A. Sieberling , Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens is the seventh-largest historic house in the United States . Located within the Sand Run Metro Park, the 104 acres (0.42 km ) F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm features a visitor center, hiking trails, three ponds, gardens, and an array of special programs throughout

6466-652: The 2010s, according to an investigation published in the French daily Le Monde in March 2024. According to the journalists, although Goodyear was aware of the problems, it did not recognize them. While the company quietly withdrew defective tires from the market and offered indemnities to the family of victims, it did not initially recognize the tires were defective and did not implement the European Union rapid alert system for unsafe consumer products, called Rapex. Veyance Technologies

6588-701: The Akron Police Department (APD) received a grant to help continue its work with other agencies and jurisdictions to support them in ridding the city of meth labs. The APD coordinates with the Summit County Drug Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration, forming the Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratory Response Team. Many industries in the United States either began or were influenced by

6710-470: The Biomedical Corridor, aimed at luring health-related ventures to the region. It encompasses 1,240 acres (5.0 km ) of private and publicly owned land, bounded by Akron General on the west and Akron City on the east, and also includes Akron Children's near the district's center with the former Saint Thomas Hospital to the north of its northern boundaries. Since its start in 2006, the corridor added

6832-551: The Channelwood Village area of the city. In 2008, 91-year-old Akron native, Addie Polk, became the poster child of the Great Recession , after shooting herself. In 2022, Akron resident Jayland Walker was killed by police after shooting at them while fleeing, sparking days of protest and the institution of a police review board. Akron is located in the Great Lakes region about 39 miles (63 km) south of Lake Erie , on

6954-445: The City Building since 1925). The American trucking industry was birthed through Akron's Rubber Capital of the World era when the four major tire companies B.F. Goodrich (1869), Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (1898), Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (1900), and General Tire & Rubber Company (1915) were headquartered in the city. The numerous jobs the rubber factories provided for deaf people led to Akron being nicknamed

7076-482: The Court, joined by Justices Stevens, Souter, and Breyer. She argued against applying the 180-day limit to pay discrimination, because discrimination often occurs in small increments over large periods of time. Furthermore, the pay information of fellow workers is typically confidential and unavailable for comparison. Ginsburg argued that pay discrimination is inherently different from adverse actions, such as termination. Adverse actions are obvious, but small pay discrepancy

7198-685: The German Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Company to form the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation. From the late 1920s to 1940, the company worked with Goodyear to build two Zeppelins in the United States. The partnership continued even when Zeppelin was under Nazi control and only ended after World War II began. On August 5, 1927, Goodyear had its initial public offering and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange . By 1930, Goodyear had pioneered what would later become known as " tundra tires " for smaller aircraft—their so-called low inflation pressure "airwheel" aviation wheel-rim/tire sets were initially available in sizes up to 46 inches (117 cm) in diameter. Over

7320-410: The Goodyear brand. This deal is similar to Titan's 2005 purchase of Goodyear's US farm tire assets. In 2011, more than 70 years after the dissolution of the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation, it is announced that Goodyear will partner with Zeppelin again (the legacy company Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik) to build more zeppelins together. In 2018, Goodyear and Bridgestone announced the creation of TireHub ,

7442-465: The Polymer Valley which consists of 400 polymer-related companies, of which 94 were located in the city itself. Research is focused at the University of Akron , which is home to the Goodyear Polymer Center and the National Polymer Innovation Center, and the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. Because of its contributions to the Information Age , Newsweek listed Akron fifth of ten high-tech havens in 2001. In 2008 "City of Invention"

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7564-413: The SEC because "Goodyear did not prevent or detect these improper payments because it failed to implement adequate FCPA compliance controls at its subsidiaries" and, for the Kenyan subsidiary, "because it failed to conduct adequate due diligence" prior to its acquisition. It was not alleged that Goodyear had any involvement with or knowledge of its subsidiaries' improper conduct. On August 18, 2020, WIBW ,

7686-504: The United States Navy, USS Akron (ZRS-4) and USS Macon (ZRS-5) . Goodyear built a number of blimps for the Navy during WWII and later for advertising purposes. Akron again grew when Kenmore was annexed by voter approval on November 6, 1928. Found hiding under a bed at one of his hideouts in the city, notorious bank robber Charles Arthur " Pretty Boy " Floyd was arrested under the name "Frank Mitchell" in March 1930. Goodyear became America's top tire manufacturer after merging with

7808-412: The advent of the automobile. In 1901, Goodyear founder Frank Seiberling provided Henry Ford with racing tires. In 1903, Goodyear president, chairman and CEO Paul Weeks Litchfield was granted a patent for the first tubeless automobile tire. In 1910, the company purchased an existing rubber factory in Bowmanville, Ontario , in Canada, which expanded their manufacturing outside of the United States for

7930-399: The age of 18 living with them, 27.3% were married couples living together, 23.8% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 39.8% had a female householder with no spouse present. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16, and the average family size was 2.86. 22.1% of

8052-456: The annual count has been as high as 36 days in 1931, while the most recent year to not reach that mark is 2023. July is the warmest month with an average mean temperature of 73.9 °F (23 °C). Autumn is relatively dry with many clear warm days and cool nights. The all-time record high temperature in Akron of 104 °F (40 °C) was established on August 6, 1918, and the all-time record low temperature of −25 °F (−32 °C)

8174-461: The banned products. Goodyear responded via Twitter, stating "the visual in question was not created or distributed by Goodyear corporate, nor was it part of a diversity training class". Following release of the audio that went with the slide, Goodyear admitted the slide was used at its Topeka factory. Defective tires are suspected to be the cause of multiple truck accidents and fatal injuries that occurred in France, Spain and other European countries in

8296-399: The blanket of University Park, this term is used frequently to describe the student-centered retail and residential area around East Exchange and Spicer streets, near the University of Akron. West Hill is roughly bounded by West Market Street on the north, West Exchange Street on the south, Downtown on the East, and Rhodes Avenue on the west. It features many stately older homes, particularly in

8418-457: The case in Europe and Asia. In 1968, Consumer Reports , an influential American magazine, acknowledged the superiority of radial construction, which had been developed in 1946 by Michelin . When Charles J. Pilliod Jr. became CEO in 1974, he faced a major investment decision regarding the radial tire, which today has a market share of nearly 100%. Despite heavy criticism at the time, Pilliod invested heavily in new factories and tooling to build

8540-411: The city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. In 1999, Akron ranked as the 94th-most-dangerous city (and the 229th safest) on the 7th Morgan Quitno list. Preliminary Ohio crime statistics show aggravated assaults increased by 45% during 2007. Historically, organized crime operated in the city with the presence of the Black Hand led by Rosario Borgio , once headquartered on the city's north side in

8662-439: The city was 62.2% White , 31.5% African American , 0.2% Native American , 2.1% Asian , 0.8% from other races , and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 61.2% of the population, down from 81.0% in 1970. There were 83,712 households, of which 28.8% had children under age 18 living with them, 31.3% were married couples living together, 19.5% had

8784-405: The city's population were under the age of 18, 61.6% were 18 to 64, and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey , for the period 2016-2020 the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $ 45,534, and the median income for a family was $ 52,976. About 24.4% of

8906-399: The city, built a regional headquarters downtown. The city has a free WiFi corridor centered in downtown. Neighborhoods in range include Goodyear Heights, East Akron, North Hill, Firestone Park, Kenmore, and West Akron. Northeast Ohio's Polymer Valley is centered in Akron. The area holds forty-five percent of the state's polymer industries, with the oldest dating to the 19th century. During

9028-508: The city, for a population density of 3,075.40 people per square mile (1,187.42/km ). There were 92,517 housing units. The racial makeup of the city (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 54.7% White , 31.4% African American , 0.3% Native American , 5.3% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 1.6% from some other race , and 6.6% from two or more races. Separately, 3.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 85,395 households, out of which 28.7% had children under

9150-401: The city, separating the east from west. Akron has the only biogas facility in the United States that produces methane through the decomposition process of sludge to create electricity. According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of 62.37 square miles (161.5 km ), of which 62.03 square miles (160.7 km ) (or 99.45%) is land and 0.34 square miles (0.88 km ) (or 0.55%)

9272-511: The city. After beginning the tire and rubber industry during the 20th century with the founding of BFGoodrich , Firestone , General Tire , and also the Goodyear merger with The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company , Akron gained the status of "Rubber Capital of the World". Akron has won economic awards such as for City Livability and All-America City , and deemed a high tech haven greatly contributing to

9394-476: The city. The neighborhoods of the city differ in design largely because of expansions such as town merging, annexation, housing construction in various time periods, and rubber era. Maple Valley covers the west end of Copley Road, before reaching I-77. Along this strip are several businesses using the name, as well as the Maple Valley Branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library . Spicertown falls under

9516-548: The company (since 2024), succeeding Richard Kramer. Following the military coup in Indonesia in 1965, the Indonesian president Suharto encouraged Goodyear to return and offered rubber resources and political prisoners as labor. In an NBC special aired in 1967, reporter Ted Yates aired footage showing former Communist rubber union workers escorted at gunpoint to the rubber plantation. Bad as things are in Indonesia, one positive fact

9638-595: The company announced it would close its tire plant in the Philippines as part of a strategy to address uncompetitive manufacturing capacity globally by the end of the third quarter of that year. Goodyear announced plans to sell the assets of its Latin American off-road tire business to Titan Tire for $ 98.6 million, including the plant in São Paulo , Brazil and a licensing agreement that allows Titan to continue manufacturing under

9760-452: The company took place in 1991. Goodyear hired Stanley Gault , former CEO of Rubbermaid , to expand the company into new markets. The moves resulted in 12,000 employees being laid off. In 2005, Titan Tire purchased the farm tire business of Goodyear, and manufactures Goodyear agricultural tires under license. This acquisition included the plant in Freeport, Illinois . In the summer of 2009,

9882-401: The company's move into areas far removed from tire development production and sale as commercially ill-advised and wanted the company to divest, especially, its oil interests which he viewed as depressing the value of the company. On November 20, 1986, Goodyear acquired all of the stock held by Goldsmith's group (12,549,400 shares) at an above-market price of $ 49.50 per share. Goodyear also made

10004-520: The early 1900s, the first Goodyear advertising blimp flew in 1925. Today, it is one of the most recognizable advertising icons in America. The company is the sole tire supplier for NASCAR series and the most successful tire supplier in Formula One history, with more starts, wins, and constructors' championships than any other tire supplier. They pulled out of the sport after the 1998 season . Goodyear

10126-489: The first American-made vehicle with radial tires as standard equipment, Michelin tires fitted to the Continental Mark III . In 1974, Charles J. Pilliod, Jr. , the new CEO of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company , faced a major investment decision regarding retooling for the radial tire, following the 1973 oil crisis . Despite heavy criticism at the time, Pilliod invested heavily in new factories and tooling to build

10248-587: The first decade of the 20th century and the Walker-Mitchell mob, of which Pretty Boy Floyd was a member. Akron has experienced several riots in its history, including the Riot of 1900 and the Wooster Avenue Riots of 1968 . The distribution of methamphetamine ("meth") in Akron greatly contributed to Summit County becoming known as the "Meth Capital of Ohio" in the early 2000s. The county ranked third in

10370-532: The first time. In 1916, Litchfield found land in the Phoenix area suitable for growing long-staple cotton, which was needed to reinforce its rubber in tires. The 36,000 acres purchased were controlled by the Southwest Cotton Company, formed with Litchfield as president. (This included land that would develop into the towns of Goodyear and Litchfield Park .) In 1924, Litchfield forged a joint venture with

10492-603: The five-justice majority that employers are protected from lawsuits over race or gender pay discrimination if the claims are based on decisions made by the employer 180 days ago or more. The United States Congress overturned this decision by passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 which was the first bill signed into law by President Obama . This was a case of statutory rather than constitutional interpretation. The plaintiff in this case, Lilly Ledbetter, characterized her situation as one where "disparate pay

10614-408: The headquarters of companies such as Akron Polymer Systems. Akron's adult hospitals are owned by two health systems, Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. Summa Health System operates Summa Akron City Hospital and the former St. Thomas Hospital, which in 2008 were recognized for the 11th consecutive year as one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report . Summa

10736-1408: The impact on the environment. Similarly, Goodyear announced on April 22, 2008, that it had joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Transport Partnership. The transport partnership is an attempt between the truck transportation industry and the EPA to reduce air pollution and greenhouse emissions as well as increase energy efficiency. The SmartWay partnership's tractors and trailers will use Goodyear's Fuel Max linehaul tires that increase fuel efficiency while reducing emissions. According to Goodyear and EPA officials "the fuel-efficient line-haul tires deliver up to 4% improved truck fuel economy, and when used with other SmartWay-qualified components, each 18- wheel tractor and trailer used in long-haul can produce savings of up to 4,000 gallons per year, or more than $ 11,000 annually." On February 24, 2015, Goodyear agreed to pay more than $ 16 million to settle Foreign Corrupt Practices Act "FCPA" charges that two of its African subsidiaries allegedly paid $ 3.2 million in bribes that generated $ 14,122,535 in illicit profits. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission "SEC" FCPA charges involved Goodyear subsidiaries in Kenya and Angola for allegedly paying bribes to government and private-sector workers in exchange for sales in each country. According to

10858-400: The launch of an environmentally friendly tire produced using a cornstarch -based material. The Goodyear Eagle LS2000 partially replaces the traditional carbon black and silica with filler materials derived from corn starch thanks to "BioTRED compounding technology". The new technology increases the tires "flexibility and resistance to energy loss", which extend the tires life-span and lessen

10980-635: The locks, the city has a path paved with rubber. Akron was awarded with the City Livability Award in 2008 for its efforts to co-purpose new school buildings as community learning centers. In 2009, the National Arbor Day Foundation designated Akron as a Tree City USA for the 14th time. Many of the city's government and civic buildings, including City Hall and the Summit County Courthouse are from pre-World War Two, but

11102-412: The median income for a household in the city was $ 34,139. The per capita income for the city was $ 17,596. About 26.7% of persons were in poverty. The population of the Akron metropolitan area was 702,219 in 2020. Akron is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Canton combined statistical area , which was the 15th largest in the country with a population of over 3.5 million residents. Akron experienced

11224-460: The nation in the number of registered meth sites. During the 1990s, motorcycle gang the Hells Angels sold the drug from bars frequented by members. Between January 2004 and August 2009, the city had significantly more registered sites than any other city in the state. Authorities believed a disruption of a major Mexican meth operation contributed to the increase of it being made locally. In 2007,

11346-577: The new 1948 Citroën 2CV model. In 1952, Michelin developed a radial truck tire. Because of its significant advantages in durability and fuel economy, this technology spread quickly in Europe and Asia in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1968, Consumer Reports , an influential American magazine, acknowledged the superiority of the radial tire design, documenting its longer tread life, better steering characteristics, and less rolling resistance, which improves fuel economy . In 1970, Ford Motor Company produced

11468-403: The new facility in early 2012. The city also continues to deal with the effects of air and soil pollution from its industrial past. In the southwestern part of the city, soil was contaminated and noxious PCB -laden fumes were put into the air by an electrical transformer deconstruction operation that existed from the 1930s to the 1960s. Cleanup of the site, designated as a Superfund site by

11590-501: The next few decades, Goodyear grew to become a multinational corporation. It acquired their rival Kelly-Springfield Tire in 1935. During World War II Goodyear manufactured F4U Corsair fighter planes for the U.S. Military. Goodyear ranked 30th among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts. WWII forced the dissolution of the Goodyear-Zeppelin partnership in December 1940. By 1956 they owned and operated

11712-459: The nickname "Rubber Capital of the World". It was once known as a center of airship development. Today, its economy includes manufacturing, education, healthcare, and biomedical research; leading corporations include Gojo Industries , FirstEnergy , Huntington Bank , and Charter Spectrum . Notable historic events in Akron include the passage of the Akron School Law of 1847, which created

11834-427: The northern portion of what is now downtown Akron in 1833, "South" was added to Akron's name until about three years later, when the two were merged and became an incorporated village in 1836. In 1840, Summit County formed from portions of Portage , Medina , and Stark Counties. Akron replaced Cuyahoga Falls as its county seat a year later and opened a canal connecting to Beaver, Pennsylvania , helping give birth to

11956-530: The population were living below the poverty line , including 35.0% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over. About 57.1% of the population were employed, and 24.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher. As of the census of 2010, there were 199,110 people, 83,712 households, and 47,084 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,209.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,239.3/km ). There were 96,288 housing units at an average density of 1,552.3 per square mile (599.3/km ). The racial makeup of

12078-400: The radial tire. The first Michelin X radial tire for cars was developed in 1946 by Michelin researcher Marius Mignol. There is no evidence that the former accountant turned researcher Mignol had knowledge of Hamilton or Savage's earlier work when he began his experiments in 1941. Michelin owned the leading automaker Citroën , so it was quickly able to introduce its new design, including on

12200-408: The radial tire. Today, only Goodyear, Cooper , Titan, and Specialty Tires of America remain independent among US tire manufacturers, and the radial has practically replaced all other construction methods for automobile tires on the market. Sam Gibara, who headed Goodyear from 1996 to 2003, has noted that without the action of Pilliod, Goodyear "wouldn't be around today." In 1974, Pirelli developed

12322-434: The radial tire. Sam Gibara, who headed Goodyear from 1996 to 2003, has noted that without the action of Pilliod, Goodyear "wouldn't be around today." Sales for 1969 topped $ 3 billion. Five years later sales topped $ 5 billion and Goodyear operated in 34 countries. In 1978, the original Akron plant was converted into a Technical Center for research and design. By 1985, worldwide sales exceeded $ 10 billion. Goodyear Aerospace ,

12444-428: The recently recognized Oakdale Historic District. Akron's suburbs include Barberton , Cuyahoga Falls , Fairlawn , Green , Hudson , Mogadore , Montrose-Ghent , Munroe Falls , Norton , Silver Lake , Stow , and Tallmadge . Akron formed Joint Economic Development Districts with Springfield , Coventry , Copley , and Bath (in conjunction with Fairlawn) townships. According to census data from 2010 to 2014,

12566-417: The slightly "low on air" (bulging) look that radial tire sidewalls have, especially when compared to bias-ply tires. With only radial cords, a radial tire would not be sufficiently rigid at the contact with the ground. To add further stiffness, the entire tire is surrounded by additional belts oriented closer to the direction of travel, but usually at some "spiral" angle. These belts can be made of steel (hence

12688-452: The steel wire beads and the combined tread/sidewall applied. The green (uncured) tire was loaded over a curing bladder and shaped into the mold. This shaping process caused the cords in the tire to assume an S-shape from bead to bead. The angle under the tread, the crown angle, stretched down to about 36 degrees. In the sidewall region the angle was 45 degrees, and in the bead it remained at 60 degrees. The low crown angle gave rigidity to support

12810-552: The stoneware, sewer pipe, fishing tackle, and farming equipment industries. In 1844, abolitionist John Brown moved into the John Brown House across the street from business partner Colonel Simon Perkins , who lived in the Perkins Stone Mansion . The Akron School Law of 1847 founded the city's public schools and created the K–12 grade school system , which currently is used in every U.S. state. The city's first school

12932-399: The term steel-belted radial), polyester , or Aramid fibers such as Twaron or Kevlar . In this way, low radial tires separate the tire carcass into two separate systems: Each system can then be individually optimized for best performance. Radial tires have different characteristics of springiness from those of bias-ply tires , and a different degree of slip while steering. A benefit

13054-469: The tire and automobile-related businesses that formed the core of Goodyear to that date were slow growing and a handicap. He set a strategy "to get away from the cyclical nature of the automobile business through mergers or purchase of businesses unrelated to tires or vehicles." In 1983, Goodyear acquired the natural gas company Celeron Corporation in exchange for stock valued at more than $ 740 million. It went on to invest heavily in gas exploration including

13176-459: The tire strength and shape is called the carcass. Since the 1960s, all common tires have a carcass of cords of polyester, steel, or other textile materials, inlaid with several layers of rubber. In the past, the fabric was built up on a flat steel drum, with the cords at angles of about +60 and −60 degrees from the direction of travel, so they criss-crossed over each other. They were called cross ply or bias ply tires. The plies were turned up around

13298-414: The transition is happening more slowly, as tires are certified along with the airframe . A radial has less material in the sidewall, so it weighs less, runs cooler and lasts longer. For smaller planes, bias tires afford more stability at higher speeds and have stronger sidewalls. A series of plies of cord reinforces a tire. Without this, a tire would be flexible and weak. The network of cords that gives

13420-540: The tread and the high sidewall angle gave comfort. To increase strength, the manufacturer would increase the number of plies, and the heat buildup in the tire . By comparison, radial tires lay all of the cord plies at 90 degrees to the direction of travel (that is, across the tire from lip to lip). This design avoids having the plies rub against each other as the tire flexes, reducing the tire's rolling friction. This allows vehicles with radial tires to achieve better fuel economy than with bias-ply tires. It also accounts for

13542-405: The varied responses. At the time, the entire US tire industry produced the older bias-ply technology. Estimates to fit factories with new machinery and tools for making the new product were between $ 600 million and $ 900 million. This was a substantial amount in a low margin business with sales revenue in the low billions. The US market was slowly shifting towards the radial tire, as had already been

13664-513: The year. The Akron Police Museum displays mementos including items from Pretty Boy Floyd , whose gang frequented the city. Akron is home to the American Marble and Toy Museum. As a result of multiple towns merging, and industry boom, Akron's architecture is diverse. Originally a canal town, the city is divided into two parts by the Ohio and Erie Canal , with downtown being centered on it. Along

13786-496: Was Communist-run, so after the coup many of them were killed or imprisoned. Some of the survivors, you see them here, still work the rubber – but this time as prisoners, and at gunpoint. United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stated, Lilly Ledbetter was a supervisor at Goodyear Tire and Rubber's plant in Gadsden, Alabama, from 1979 until her retirement in 1998. For most of those years, she worked as an area manager,

13908-458: Was a 29-day West Coast Tour culminating in its decommissioning in mid-August 2015. Akron, Ohio Akron ( / ˈ æ k r ən / ) is a city in and the county seat of Summit County, Ohio , United States. At the 2020 census , the city proper had a total population of 190,469, making it the fifth-most populous city in Ohio and 136th-most populous city in the U.S. The Akron metropolitan area , covering Summit and Portage counties, had

14030-560: Was added to the seal when the All-America City Award was received for the third time. Some events of the 2014 Gay Games used the city as a venue. In 2013, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company opened its new global headquarters on Innovation Way, further cementing the company's relationship with the city. Bridgestone built a new technical center with state-of-the-art R&D labs, and moved its product development operations to

14152-587: Was part of a transition to a more high-tech fleet of airships. The "Spirit of America," christened on September 5, 2002, was retired after 13 years of service. Its retirement was part of Goodyear's initiative to introduce a new generation of NT Zeppelin model airships. A series of final events marked the blimp's retirement, including coverage of the ESPYS, Crossfit Games, and the Special Olympics World Games LA 2015 Opening Ceremony. The blimp's final voyage

14274-618: Was purchased by ContiTech and no longer has the rights to Goodyear's licenses. Goodyear-branded wiper blades are made under license by Saver Automotive, in Ohio. The wipers were never under the Veyance umbrella. Goodyear also produces the rubber for Lacoste tennis shoes, the AG-LT 21 and AG-LT 21 Ultra. In August 2015, Goodyear Airship Operations announced the retirement of the "Spirit of America" blimp. This GZ-20A model airship, based in Carson, California,

14396-424: Was set on January 19, 1994. The most precipitation to fall on one calendar day was on July 7, 1943, when 5.96" of rain was measured. The first and last freezes of the season on average fall on October 21 and April 26, respectively, allowing a growing season of 174 days. The normal annual mean temperature is 51.7 °F (10.9 °C). Normal yearly precipitation based on the 30-year average from 1991 to 2020

14518-533: Was stark: Ledbetter was paid $ 3,727 per month; the lowest paid male area manager received $ 4,286 per month, the highest paid, $ 5,236. Lilly Ledbetter sued Goodyear claiming she was paid less than men doing the same work. She won the suit and was awarded $ 360,000, the jury deciding that Goodyear had clearly engaged in discrimination. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court . In Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. , 550 U.S. 618 (2007), Justice Alito held for

14640-414: Was that cars could now be made lighter because they would not have to make up for the deficiencies of bias-ply tires. However, motorists were not accustomed to the feel, hence the suspension systems of cars had to be modified. Ford Motor Company engineer Jack Bajer experimented in the 1960s on a Ford Falcon , by giving it less tight steering, and adding both isolators to the drive shaft and bushings to

14762-583: Was the first global tire manufacturer to enter China when it invested in a tire manufacturing plant in Dalian in 1994. Goodyear was a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average between 1930 and 1999. The company opened a new global headquarters building in Akron in 2013. The first Goodyear factory opened in Akron, Ohio, in 1898. The company originally manufactured bicycle and carriage tires, rubber horseshoe pads, and poker chips , and grew with

14884-583: Was used by the National Guard of the United States as a base during the racial Wooster Avenue Riots of 1968 . Like many other industries of the Rust Belt , both the tire and rubber industries experienced major decline. By the early 1990s, Goodyear was the last major tire manufacturer based in Akron. Despite the number of rubber workers decreasing by roughly half from 2000 to 2007, Akron's research in polymers gained an international reputation. It now centers on

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