John Dunlop, Charles Goodyear and the History of Tires John Dunlop, Charles Goodyear and the History of Tires John Boyd Dunlop with the first bicycle to have pneumatic tires. Hulton Archive/Getty Images By Mary Bellis Updated August 10, 2016. The rubber pneumatic tires seen on millions of cars across the world are the result of multiple inventors working across several decades. And those inventors have names that should be recognizable to anyone who's ever bought tires for their car: Michelin, Goodyear, Dunlop. Of these, none had so great an impact on the invention of the tire than John Dunlop and Charles Goodyear. Charles Goodyear and the Invention of Vulcanized Rubber None of it would have been possible without Charles Goodyear , who in 1844 -- more than 50 years before the first rubber tires would appear on cars -- patented a process known as vulcanization. This process involved heating and removing the sulphur from rubber, thus making the rubber water-proof and winter-proof and allowing it to retain its elasticity.

While Goodyear's claim to have invented vulcanization was challenged, he prevailed in court and is today remembered as the sole inventor of vulcanized rubber. And that became hugely important once people realized it would be perfect for making tires. continue reading below our video How to Negotiate Your Bills Lower John Dunlop and the Pneumatic Tire Robert William Thomson (1822 - 1873) invented the actual first vulcanized rubber pneumatic tire. Thomson patented his pneumatic tire in 1845, and his invention worked well, but it was too costly to catch on. That changed with John Boyd Dunlop (1840-1921), a Scottish veterinarian and the recognized inventor of the first practical pneumatic (inflatable) tire. His patent, granted in 1888, wasn't for automobile tires, however: it was intended for use on bicycles (see picture). Later Developments In 1895, André Michelin and his brother Edouard, who had previously patented a removable bike tire, were the first to use pneumatic tires on an automobile .

In 1911, Philip Strauss invented the first successful tire, which was a combination tire and air filled inner tube. Strauss' company the Hardman Tire & Rubber Company marketed the tires. In 1903, P.W. Litchfield of the Goodyear Tire Company patented the first tubeless tire, however, it was never commercially exploited until the 1954 Packard. In 1904, mountable rims were introduced that allowed drivers to fix their own flats. In 1908, Frank Seiberling invented grooved tires with improved road traction. In 1910, B.F. Goodrich Company invented longer life tires by adding carbon to the rubber. Goodrich also invented the first synthetic rubber tires in 1937 made of a patented substance called Chemigum. Industries - Business History of Industries - Business History Books April 29, 1813 - Jacob Frederick Hummel, of Philadelphia, PA, received a patent for a "Varnish of Elastic Gum to Render Water Proof"; rubber.

1820 - Thomas Hancock invented the "masticator", first machine specifically designed for processing of rubber; if strongly processed (masticated), rubber became plastic, could be made to flow, developed method of milling rubber; supplied Charles Macintosh with masticated rubber (named "Pickled" rubber) to produce macintosh coats; 1837 - received British patent for mastication process; November 21, 1843 - received British patent for 'vulcanisation' process for rubber (14 patents between 1820-1847). May 30, 1821 - James Boyd, of Boston, MA, received a patent for a "Fire Engine Hose"; fire hose of cotton web lined with rubber (to replace riveted leather hose which dried out, cracked, burst from excessive pressure); improved hose - 40 to 50 feet in length, weighed more than 85 pounds with the couplings; hose oilers were developed to keep the leather supple and pliable; 1871 - Cincinnati Fire Department used B.F. Goodrich Company's new rubber hose reinforced with cotton ply.

June 17, 1837 - Charles Goodyear received first patent for "Improvement in the Process of Divesting Caothchouc, Gum-Elastic, or Inida Rubber of Its Adhesive Properties, and also of Bleaching the Same, and thereby Adapting It to Various Useful Purposes"; resolved to solve problem of india-rubber's melting in summer heat; devised process to treat India rubber with metallic solutions such as copper nitrate and strong acid for a few minutes, followed by washing with water; process treated rubber on the surface and below the surface to a useful condition; patent explained method and use of water paste of quicklime to bleach rubber for which he listed various new purposes; obtained additional patents to revise process by using sulphur and oil of turpentine.

March 9, 1844 - Charles Goodyear, of New York, NY received a patent for "India-Rubber Fabric" ("Corrugated or Shirred India-Rubber Goods...by the stretching of strips, or threads, of india-rubber to such extent as may be desired"); received a second patent for "Improvement in India-Rubber Fabrics"; June 15, 1844 - Charles Goodyear received patent for "An Improvement in India-Rubber Fabrics" - method of treating india rubber so that it would lose its adhesiveness and susceptibility to extremes of heat and cold; accidentally dropped a mixture of natural rubber and powdered sulphur on a hot stove in Woburn, MA; heat completed the vulcanization process. March 17, 1845 - Stephen Perry of London, owner of rubber manufacturing company Messers Perry and Co., received patent for the rubber band; first made from vulcanized rubber. December 10, 1845 - Civil engineer Robert W.

Thompson received a British patent for world's first pneumatic tires (carriage wheels with inflated tubes of heavy rubber stretched around their rims); became popular on horse-drawn carriages, later prevented the first motorcar passengers from being shaken to pieces. May 8, 1847 - Robert W. Thomson, of Adelphi, Middlesex, England, received first U.S. patent for a "Carriage Wheel" ("improvement in carriage wheels"); rubber tires; application of elastic bearings around rims of carriage wheels; June 10, 1846 - received British patent. September 1856 - Henry Lee Norris, Spencer Thomas Parmelee established Norris & Co.

in Edinburgh, Scotland to manufacture Indian rubber overshoes footwear, boots based on rubber patent of Charles Goodyear (had acquired Castle Silk Mills); September 1857 - registererd North British Rubber Company as limited liability company; expanded production to range of rubber products (tyres, conveyor belts, combs, golf balls, hot water bottle, rubber flooring); 1870 - succeeded by William Erskine Bartlett (received a British patent on October 21, 1890 for beaded edge tires - could hook securely to wheel's rim to remain firmly attached by compressed air in tire; patent acquired in 1907 by British Dunlop tyre company); WW I - manufactured 1,185,036 pairsch boots to cope with Army's demands for sturdy boot suitable for conditions in flooded trenches; WW II - supplied vast quantities of wellingtons and thigh boots; 1946 - acquiried Heathhall, extensive factory in Dumfriesshire (built in 1912 to manufacture car, aeronautical engines); 1958 - introduced Green Hunter and Royal Hunter wellingtons; 1966 - renamed Uniroyal Limited; 

1978 - sold golf ball production business; was sold off; tyre factory at Newbridge near Edinburgh acquired by Continental; 1986 - Uniroyal acquired by The Gates Rubber Company Limited (Denver, CO); name changed to The Gates Rubber Company Ltd.; 1996 - Consumer and Industrial Division of Gates acquired by Tomkins PLC of London; May 2002 - Hunter Boot Ltd.

became Hunter Division of Interfloor Group Limited (formed by Rutland Fund Management Limited; Europe’s leading manufacturer of underlays for carpets, laminated flooring); sold in 2004 to MBI Fortis Bank NV, GLE Development Capital Ltd; renamed Hunter Boot Ltd.; April 2006 - filed for bankruptcy protection; acquired by consortium led by Conservative party treasurer Jonathan Marland, Peter Mullen, shirt maker Thomas Pink, private investor Julian Taylor, Pentland Group. 1869 - Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich with J.P. Morris became largest stockholder in Hudson River Rubber Company in New York for $5,000.00 under a license agreement with Charles Goodyear; 1870 - established first rubber company west of the Allegheny Mountains (Akron, Ohio); December 31, 1870 - began partnership, Goodrich, Tew Company; February 19, 1871 - began making such rubber products as fire hoses, industrial belts and bicycle tires; March 1871 - opened Akron Rubber Works with 20 workers; 1880 - B.F.

Goodrich (Benjamin F.) Company incorporated; September 24, 1907 - registered "Goodrich" trademark first used January 1, 1894 (pneumatic tires made wholly or partly of rubber or having rubber incorporated therewith); 1961 - company exited tire industry, focused on aerospace, performance materials. 1872 - Giovanni Battista Pirelli established Pirelli SpA in Milan.

1888 - John Boyd Dunlop, Harvey Du Cros established Pneumatic Tyre and Booth's Cycle Agency Ltd in Dublin, Ireland (Dunlop, Scottish veterinarian, had devised, fitted rubber air tubes held on to wooden ring in 1887; tacked linen covering around wheels as major improvement in riding comfort); December 7, 1888 - received British patent for "An Improvement in Tyres of Wheels for Bicycles, Tricycles or other Road Cars" (Robert William Thomson had earlier patent for "carriage wheels" with pneumatic tire, there was little demand for it in his lifetime, was forgotten); pneumatic tire (rubber tube filled with air); 1889 - first used Dunlop Rubber Company name for private company created to serve as manufacturing unit for founder company; 1890 - began commercial production; 1893 - name changed to Pneumatic Tyre Company Limited; 1894 - Dunlop joined Tubeless (Fleuss) Pneumatic Tyre Company, competitor; 1896 - Dunlop patents acquired by du Cros for ï¿½3000; original company name changed to Dunlop Pne

umatic Tyre Company Limited; Byrne Bros., financed by Du Cros, went public as Rubber Tyre Manufacturing Company (Birmingham, UK business produced general rubber goods); 1901 - acquired by Du Cros; name changed to Dunlop Rubber Company Limited; 1912 - acquired original company; 1912 - acquired original company ; 1913 - original company name changed to Parent Tyre Company Limited; 1931 - founder company went into liquidation.

John Boyd Dunlop 1887 - Colonel Samuel Pomeroy Colt appointed receiver for bankrupt National Rubber Company of Bristol, RI; manufactured variety of rubber goods (rubber boots, shoes); 1888 - reorganized as National India Rubber Company; acquired controlling interest in several smaller companies; 1892 - consolidated holdings with fledgling U.S. Rubber Company in Naugatuck, CT; became United States Rubber Company; largest manufacturer of rubber goods in world; 1896 - one of 12 original industrial stocks in first Dow Industrial average; 1901 - Colt president (Chairman in 1918); January 2, 1917 - registered "Keds" trademark first used July 14, 1916 (rubber, leather, and fabric boots and shoes); 1961 - name changed to Uniroyal Inc.; September 10, 1963 - registered "Uniroyal" trademark first used September 5, 1962 (rubber adhesives); August 1986 - merged with tire division of B.F.

Goodrich Company in joint venture private partnership, became Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company (Goodrich held 50% interest); June 1988 - Goodrich stake acquired for $225 million. by Clayton & Dubilier, Inc.; May 1990 - acquired by Michelin Group for about $1.5 billion. Samuel Pomeroy Colt - United States Rubber (~rigenweb/stones1/Colt200s.jpg) June 2, 1891 - John Boyd Dunlop, of Belfast, Ireland received a patent for a "Tire for Vehicle-Wheels" ("pneumatic or inflated tires for the wheels of velocipedes and other vehicles"). May 28, 1889 - Andre and Edouard Michelin began manufacturing rubber bicycle tires (1886 - had taken over failing family agricultural goods business in small central French town of Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne region of France); September 11, 1891 - Edouard Michelin received a French patent (received U. S.

patent on May 16, 1893) for a "Pneumatic-Tire" ("comprises two distinct and independent parts...to permit the rapid removal of the exterior tire for the purpose of changing or repairing the air chamber in case of its becoming broken or deteriorated"); detachable tire; 1898 - introduced 'Michelin Man' (known as Bibendum in rest of world; by Marius Rossillon O'Gallop, well-known illustrator); 1900 - introduced Michelin Guide as motorist's guide (included driving distances, locations of gas stations, hotels, spare parts, repair services). June 2, 1891 - John Boyd Dunlop, of Belfast, Ireland received a patent for a "Tire for Vehicle-Wheels" ("pneumatic or inflated tires for the wheels of velocipedes and other vehicles"). 1892 - Nine rubber companies in Naugatuck, CT consolidated operations, founded U. S.

Rubber Company; May 26, 1896 - included in twelve industrial manufacturing stocks in Dow Industrial average created by Charles Dow (until 1930); 1961 - name changed to Uniroyal Inc.; September 10, 1963 - registered "Uniroyal" trademark first used September 5, 1962 (rubber adhesives); August 1986 - merged with B.F. Goodrich Company, became Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company; June 1988 - Goodrich sold its 50% stake for $225 million to group of investors led by Clayton & Dubilier, Inc., private equity firm; May 1990 - acquired by Michelin Group for $1.5 billion. June 7, 1892 - John F. Palmer, of Riverside, IL, received two patents for a "Pneumatic Tire"; first self-healing bicycle cord tire; tread portion designed to operate under compression, any puncture would tend to close rather than open: manufactured by B.F. Goodrich Company. December 20, 1892 - Alexander T.

Brown and George F. Stillman, of Syracuse, New York, received a patent for a "Pneumatic Tire for Vehicles"; inflatable (pneumatic) automobile tire; automobile tire that could be easily detached or mounted to the rim of wheel (no permanent connection between tire and wheel necessary, no tools for tightening required, other than those to inflate). August 29, 1898 - Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. incorporated in Ohio; November 21, 1898 - Frank A. Seiberling (38) and 13 workers began production of bicycle, carriage tires, horseshoe pads, fire hose, rubber poker chips in converted strawboard factory in East Akron, OH; first month sales = $8,246.00.

1900 - Harvey Firestone (31) incorporated Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, OH; 1902 - first factory opened with 12 employees; 1906 - sold 2,000 sets of detachable tires to Henry Ford for first mass-produced automobiles in America; 1907 - developed first commercial "demountable rim" (made tire repair, replacement easier); 1911 - first Indianapolis 500 winner drove on Firestone tires; March 29, 1921 - registered "Firestone" trademark first used in 1900 (rubber tires); 1971 - developed first steel belted radial tire; 1979 - introduced temporary spare tire; 1988 - acquired by Bridgestone Corporation. August 3, 1900 - Inventor and entrepreneur Harvey S. Firestone (31) incorporated Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, OH; began production of carriage tires with only 12 employees; 1908 - Henry Ford chose Firestone tires for the Model T. June 14,1904 - Frank A.

Seiberling and William C. Stevens. of Akron, OH, received a patent for a "Machine for Making Outer Castings for Double-Tube Tires"; tire making machine. August 23, 1904 - Harry D. Weed, of Canastota, NY, received a patent for "Grip-Tread for Pneumatic Tires" ("applicable for use on the traction-wheels of automobiles to prevent the tire from slipping on slippery pavements...composed entirely of chains linked together and applied to the sides and periphery of the tire and held in place solely by the inflation of the tire"); tire chains for automobiles. 1905 - Trelleborgs Gummifabriks AB is founded. Under the management of Henry Dunker, rapidly becomes Scandinavia's leading rubber-production company, with bicycle and car tires, industrial rubber goods and raincoats as its principal products; 2005 -one of world's leading groups in polymer technology. 1911 - Charles Gates, Sr.

bought The Colorado Tire and Leather Company in Denver, CO for $3,500; made single product, Durable Tread, steel-studded band of leather that motorists fastened to flimsy car tires to extend mileage; renamed The Gates Rubber Company; 1917 - John Gates (brother) invented rubber and fabric V-belt; world's largest manufacturer of V-belts within decade (still is); 1954 - opened first international manufacturing facility in Brantford, ON, Canada; grew into one of world's largest manufacturers of industrial, automotive belts and hoses, host of related products; only non-tire producing rubber company with sales, manufacturing operations in all of world's major markets; 1996 - largest non-tire rubber company in world; acquired by Tomkins plc. Charles Gates, Sr. - Gates Rubber ( February 4, 1913 - Louis H. Perlman, of New York City, received patent for a "Wheel"; demountable tire-carrying rim for cars (similar those used on today's cars, but wider); first automobile tire rim designed to be removed and remounted.

April 14, 1914 - Stacy G. Carkhuff (Firestone Rubber Co.) received a patent for a "Vehicle-Tire"; first U.S. patent for non-skid tire pattern; abrupt oblique edges of raised portions molded on the tire provided against skidding in all directions; arranged in rows diagonally across the tread surface of the tire. April 5, 1923 - Firestone Tire and Rubber Company began the first regular production of balloon tires (large-section, thin-walled tires with a small bead) for commercial use; wider contact area, more comfortable ride, reduced the danger of high-pressure blowouts; steel-wheeled tractor could be replaced with pneumatic tires with better grip, less vibration, more comfort, lower fuel consumption; created a new worldwide market in agricultural and earth-moving tires; 1932 - Firestone low-pressure balloon tires revolutionized work on farms. November 1, 1923 - Goodyear bought rights to manufacture Zeppelin dirigibles. November 12, 1923 - Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company announces it has purchased all patents and rights to manufacture Zeppelin dirigibles.

May 27, 1924 - Thomas A. Edison received a patent for a "Method of Producing Chlorinated Rubber". May 12,1925 - Alden L. Putnam, of Detroit, MI, received a patent for a "Pneumatic Treaded Vehicle Wheel"; treaded pneumatic tire. April 10, 1930 - Synthetic rubber first produced. 1931 - Ishibashi Shojiro founded Bridgestone Tire Corporation; name was transposed English translation of his last name ("Stone Bridge" transposed better sounding "Bridge Stone"); made company name and trademark; guaranteed exchange of any defective tire for new one; one hundred thousand tires had to be recalled during following three years; after WW II - operated 46 plants in 23 nations; 1984 - name changed to Bridgestone Corporation; March 1988 - acquired 88-year-old Firestone Tire & Rubber for $2.6 billion. - Ishibashi Shojiro - founder, Bridgestone Tire ( June 14, 1932 - Thomas A.

Edison received a patent for "Production of Molded Articles" ("improved method for molding such articles as are made of rubber containing material or the like and to molds or platens used in carrying out such method and coated to prevent the material of the articles molded from adhering to the molds when such articles are removed therefrom"). November 8, 1932 - Douglas Frank Twiss and Edward Arthur Murphy, of Birmingham, UK, received a patent for the "Manufacture of Goods from Aqueous Dispersions of or Containing Rubber and Similar Resins" ("manufacture of goods of rubber or similar material by known operations such as dipping, spreading, coating, moulding, extrusion, chemical deposition or electrophoretic deposition from emulsions or dispersions of rubber or similar materials...represent a penultimate stage and are in a more or less pasty condition containing a relatively large proportion of water...for the most part lacking in mechanical strength and easily lose their shape"); foam rubber (developed in 1929 as frothed natural latex rubber); assigned to Dunlop Rubber Company Limited; 1934 - ubiquitous - used on motorcycle seats, London bus seats, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre seats, mattresses.

October 10, 1933 - Waldo L. Semon, of Silver Lake Village, OH, received a patent for a "Synthetic Rubber-Like Composition and Method of Making Same"; plasticized PVC (polyvinyl chloride in a rubber-like form); vinyl - for use as water-proof boots or shoes, insulating coatings, resilient flooring material. June 4, 1940 - Synthetic rubber tire unveiled. December 27, 1941 - U.S. government began to ration rubber, due to shortages caused by World War II; tires were first items restricted by law. May 11, 1947 - B.F. Goodrich Co. announced the development of a tubeless tire. September 1960 - Park Incheon founded Samyang Tire Co., Ltd.

in Yang-dong, Kwangju City, Korea; January 1961 - produced first tire, averaged 20 per day; April 1963 - manufactured first compact passenger car tire in Korea; June 1964 - developed tube; January 1969 - developed snow tire; 1976 - became leader in tire sector, listed on Korea Stock Exchange; December 1976 - produced one million tires in year (record in Korea); April 1978 - developed Korea's first TB radial tire; July 1983 - total output exceeded 30 million tires; September 1984 - Kumho Corporation merged with Kumho Tire; July 21, 1987 - Kumho & Co., Inc.

registered "Kumho" trademark first used October 28, 1986 (automotive vehicle tires and inner tubes); December 1990 - total output exceeded 100 million tires; August 1992 - ranked among top 10 in world tire market; March 1996 - name changed to Kumho Tire Co., Ltd.; 2003 - ranked 9th in world tire industry. August 9, 2000 - Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announced it was recalling 6.5 million tires that had been implicated in hundreds of accidents and at least 46 deaths. Tire makers commit to spend at least $8.6 billion in projects | Rubber and Plastics News Tire makers commit to spend at least $8.6 billion in projects By Bruce Davis Follow Author SHARE × International Tire Industry The world's major tire makers committed at least $8.6 billion in the past year toward new and expanded capacities and research capabilities, exceeding by about $600 million the total budgeted in 2012-13.

That amount of planned capital expenditures spending ranks as the fourth largest 12-month total that Tire Business, a sister publication of Rubber & Plastics News, has tracked over the past 21 years. South Korean manufacturers Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. and Nexen Tire Corp. and India's Apollo Tyres Ltd. top the list of announcements this year with billion-dollar-plus commitments. Hankook's $1.3 billion budget is for its car and light truck tire plant in Clarks-ville, Tenn., and a research and development center in South Korea. Nexen's spending of $1.1 billion is for a consumer tire factory it plans to build in the Slovak Republic, while Apollo has budgeted $1 billion for a plant in Eastern Europe and modernizations in India. Possible locations for the European plant still are being evaluated, with sites in Hungary and the Slovak Republic reportedly at the top of the list. The spending announced in the past year was spread fairly evenly among the three major continents, with $2.77 billion committed to projects in Asia, $2.4 billion for Europe and $2 billion for North America, where Hankook Tire, Giti Tire Group, Kumho Tire Co. Inc.

and Trelleborg Wheel Systems have committed to building factories. Goodyear is budgeting $500 million toward a new plant for the Americas, but the Akron-based tire maker has said repeatedly it won't make a final decision on location until late this year. Latin America, site of extensive investments in the past few years, got $77 million in specific spending projects in the past 12 months. Over the past year, tire makers announced 11 new tire plants that represent nearly 46 million units in new annual capacity for consumer tires and 4 million to 5 million for commercial tires to be brought on stream in the 2015-18 timeframe. This is in addition to more than a dozen factories brought on stream in the past year that account for more than 50 million units a year of passenger/light truck tires and 5 million commercial/OTR units a year.

This contrasts with six announced plant closings by year-end 2015 representing about 10 million units of annual capacity for consumer tires and 4 million for commercial tires In terms of capital spending during fiscal 2013, Michelin and Bridgestone Corp.'s Tire Division were by far the biggest spenders, investing $2.63 billion and $2.62 billion, respectively, into their tire businesses. Goodyear and Continental A.G. trailed at $1.17 billion and $1.06 billion, respectively. On average, tire makers profiled here invested 8 percent of sales into capital improvements in 2013, up slightly from 7.7 percent in fiscal 2012. Nexen Tire topped the list individually, investing 17.9 percent of sales in capital improvements, ahead of P.T. Gajah Tunngal at 15.2 percent and Maxxis International at 10.5 percent. When it comes to research and development, Bridgestone and Michelin stand above the crowd in terms of pure spending on R&D and are among the leaders in terms of percentage of sales devoted to it.

On average, the 20 companies for which spending data were available devoted 2.4 percent of sales toward R&D, up measurably from the 1.7 percent average in fiscal 2012. Michelin and Pirelli & C. S.p.A. both committed 3.2 percent of sales to R&D, ahead of Kumho Tire, Nexen Tire and Sumitomo Rubber Industries at 2.8 percent. The major investments of the past 12 months, by company alphabetically, are: Alliance Tire Group c $160 million to build a radial agricultural and construction tire plant in Dahej, Gujarat, India, with an estimated 50,000 metric tons of annual capacity, and expand capacity at its factory in Tirunelveli, India, nearly 30 percent to 84,000 tons of radial and bias-ply ag and construction tires and bias OTR and forestry tires. Anhui HeDing Tires Technology Co. Ltd.

c $322 million for a passenger tire plant in Bengbu, Anhui Province, China, with a projected first-phase annual capacity of 4 million high-performance radials, rising eventually to 12 million. Apollo Tyres Ltd. c $685 million over four years to build a car and truck tire factory in Eastern Europe, with capacity for 16,000 passenger and 3,000 truck tires a day. Site selection is still underway. c $340 million for modernization/expansion of two Indian plants—boosting capacity at a radial truck tire plant in Chennai nearly 50 percent to 8,900 units a day, and converting a bias-ply truck tire plant in Kalamassery to specialty/industrial tires. Bridgestone Corp. c $57 million in its car and light truck tire plant in Bari, Italy, to upgrade the 52-year-old factory's tire-assembly machinery and restore capacity to 3.5 million tires a year. The factory earlier had been targeted for closure.

c $77 million through mid-2015 to expand capacity for plants in Camacari, Brazil—boosting car and light truck tire capacity by roughly 25 percent to more than 10,000 tires a day—and doubling daily output of radial farm tires at Santo Andre, Brazil, to 60 units by July 2015. c $425 million in Vietnam to double the size of a passenger tire plant under construction near Hai Phong City to roughly 49,000 units a day. c $140 million to boost capacity for radial car tires at its Wuxi, China, factory by nearly 31 percent to about 22,600 tires a day. Brisa Bridgestone Sabancy Lastik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. c $290 million for a passenger tire plant in Aksaray Province Organized Industrial Zone, Turkey, with capacity of about 13,000 units a day, due on stream by early 2018. Brisa is a joint venture between Bridgestone Corp. and Turkish industrial conglomerate Sabanci Holdings. Ceat Ltd.

c $104 million to expand car tire capacity at its 2-year-old plant in Halol, India, by about 80 percent to roughly 270 metric tons per day. Continental A.G. c $226 million to double capacity for truck and bus radials at its factory in Otrokovice, Czech Republic, to 1.5 million tires annually by 2018. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. c The Findlay, Ohio-based tire maker is evaluating an investment of perhaps as much as $140 million to modernize its Tupelo, Miss., car and light truck tire plant, aided by up to $39 million in state and local funding. Federal Corp. c Plans to spend an undisclosed sum to build a passenger and light truck radial tire plant in Taoyuan, Taiwan, its second factory on that island nation. The plant is expected to have a nameplate capacity of 6 million units a year when it begins operations in late 2016. Giti Tire Group c $560 million for a 1.8 million-sq.-ft.

passenger/light truck tire plant and distribution center in Chester County, S.C., with a first-phase annual capacity of 5 million tires. Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. c $800 million for a car and light truck tire plant near Clarksville, Tenn., with initial capacity of about 6 million tires annually by 2016 and about 1,800 full-time jobs at full capacity. A second-phase build-out will boost capacity to 11 million units a year by 2018. c $240 million for a tire proving grounds and engineering center on a 1,420-acre site southeast of Seoul over the coming seven years. c $260 million research and development center in Daejeon, South Korea, a million-plus-sq.-ft. facility that will house more than 1,000 scientists and engineers when it opens in 2016. JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. c $230 million to expand passenger and truck/bus tire capacity at its 3-year-old tire plant in Chennai, India, nearly 66 percent to 4.8 million radial tires a year.

The expansion will boost employment 50 percent to 7,500. Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd. c $100 million-plus for a radial truck and bus tire factory in Kunshan, China, with an estimated daily capacity of 6,000 units when it comes on stream in 2016. Kumho Tire Co. Inc. c $413 million to restart construction of its delayed consumer tire plant in Macon, Ga., with a January 2016 production start-up being planned. The factory, to be built on an 150-acre site, is expected to create 450 jobs. Annual capacity is expected to start at 3 million tires per year, with the potential for 10 million units longer term. Maxxis International/Cheng Shin Rubber Co. Ltd. c $320 million for a car and motorcycle tire plant in Karawang, Indonesia. c $80 million to $180 million to expand capacities at plants in Zhangzho (motorcycle and bicycle tires), Xiamen Jimei (passenger radials) and Chong-qing (passenger radials), China.

c $100 million to build a plant for motorcycle tires and automotive spare tires in Yunlin County, Taiwan. Michelin c $138 million to support an expansion of agricultural tire capacity at its plant in Olsztyn, Poland, the scope of which was not disclosed. Mitas A.S. c $33 million to $46 million to modernize and more than double capacity for bias and radial agricultural tires at its plant in Ruma, Serbia, to 35,000 metric tons by mid-2016. Nexen Tire Corp. c $1.1 billion for a passenger/light truck tire plant in Zatec, Czech Republic, with a capacity estimated at 6 million units annually and more than 1,000 employees. A second phase could double the project's size. Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. Ltd. c $115 million for a car and light truck tire factory in Thailand's Rayong Province with an expected annual capacity for 2 million car and light truck tires. c $182 million for a 365-acre tire proving grounds near Yantai, Shandong Province, China.

STARCO Europe A/S c Plans to spend an undisclosed amount to expand its solid rubber tire plant in Sri Lanka beyond the original capacity of 80,000 tires annually. Toyo Tire North America Inc. c $161 million to expand capacity at its White, Ga., passenger/light truck tire plant by nearly 40 percent to about 8 million tires a year by 2017. Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. c $253 million for a car tire plant in Suzhou, China, on land next to its existing truck-bus tire plant. The plant will open with annual capacity of 6 million tires. Related Articles About Michelin North America | Michelin US In well over 100 years of innovation, Michelin continues to help define the tire industry. North America Michelin has been a part of the tire industry in the United States since 1907 when it purchased the International Rubber Company in Milltown, New Jersey. Tires and tubes were manufactured there up until 1930 when the Great Depression took its toll on what had become the fourth largest tire manufacturer in the country with 2,000 employees.

The Michelin North America as we know it today took form In March of 1950. With three sizes and two different tread designs of truck tires made with metallic plies, five people started Michelin Tire Corporation in New York City. There was an executive vice president, a vice president of sales, a secretary, a warehouse supervisor and one newly hired sales representative. The tires cost anywhere from 40-50% more than the competition but their construction with metal plies bonded to rubber allowed Michelin salesmen to offer a tire solution to fleets operating under the most severe conditions. This included fleets dealing with extremely heavy loads and in the sanitation business. This strategy established a reputation of durability and quality still prevalent today in the modern trucking industry. Growth in sales led to the need for a larger facility in 1954. Developed in 1953, Michelin began to import the all-steel one ply radial truck tire in 1956. This is the tire that revolutionized the world tire market. There was interest in the radial truck, but the bulk of Michelin’s sales were the older, metallic bias ply tires.

Even with steady annual growth, the annual sales volume in 1959 were less than a week’s production in a modern truck tire plant. While the radial passenger tire had been gaining acceptance in Europe with car manufacturers in the late 1950’s, it would be the mid1960’s before it was factor in the United States. Michelin’s world-wide growth in the 1960’s was phenomenal with the opening of twelve new plants and the announcement that a plant would be built in Nova Scotia, Canada by 1971. Two major events happened in 1966 that drew Michelin into the largest passenger tire market in the world. Up until 1966, Michelin had only been importing small quantities of radial passenger tires to service consumers with European cars originally fitted with Michelin radial tires. That year Ford decided the 1968 Lincoln Continental Mark III would have radial tires as original equipment. Although domestic tire manufacturers had purchased the license to develop radial tires, none were successful in developing a satisfactory radial tire. Ford then selected Michelin to be the supplier. This was a major boost for both the acceptance of the radial tire and establishing Michelin in North America.

The second major event that made Michelin a part of the U.S. tire market happened when SEARS went shopping for a radial tire. In an effort to get ahead of its competition and realizing the impending radialization of the tire industry, SEARS sought out a supplier and ultimately selected Michelin for their reputation of high quality and technical expertise in building radial tires. By the end of 1969 expansion necessitated another move to a larger headquarters and the work force had expanded to 250 people. The sales force was now up to 103 people in the field. Michelin had led a revolution in the transportation industry with the introduction of the radial tire. As the global demand for radial tires accelerated, Michelin responded with an expansion plan that opened twenty-three new plants, all producing radial tires. Michelin made the decision in the early 70’s to produce only radial tires and eliminate production of the old-style bias ply tires. Two plants had been opened in Nova Scotia in 1971 and it was announced that construction would soon begin for two plants in western part of South Carolina. One plant, US2 in Anderson, SC, would build semi-finished products to supply the other plant that would produce tires.

The plants were scheduled to open in 1975 and the very first radial passenger tire came off the line at US1, Greenville, South Carolina on March 10, 1975. A third plant, US3, in Spartanburg, SC came on line in 1978, producing radial truck tires for the rapidly growing radial market in the trucking industry. Expansion in the 1970’s in the U.S. was completed with the opening of US4 in Dothan, Alabama. Along with the plants, a research and development was opened center in South Carolina because the corporation has always believed in developing products exclusively for a North American market where huge geographical distances demanded different tires than established European markets. In 1979, Michelin opened a new headquarters building in Lake Success, New York to accommodate a continuously growing work force. Michelin opened the decade with 250 employees and by 1979 the number was 7,000. Michelin had also expanded its tire lines dramatically from two types of tires that still required tubes to a full line of tubeless radial passenger tires to serve the growing demand for tires with greater fuel efficiency, longer life and better handling.

In 1970 there were three types of truck tires offered and the 70’s ended with an expanded line of tires to meet multiple and various needs of fleet owners, from over the road long haul operations to fleets hauling rocks or coal. There were now radial tires for bread fleets and small package delivery fleets. The 1980’s brought the challenges of consolidation and recession to the tire industry. Fully recovered from the effects of World War II, Japanese and European countries were competing toe to toe with American companies in a global economy. Many smaller tire companies were absorbed by larger ones because it was obvious that you had to get bigger in order to survive. Michelin had to invest heavily in the expansion of North America and it was not immune to the effects of the recession that hit the tire industry in 1980 and 1981. Serious losses were off-set by becoming more cost conscious and better planning. There was major competition to deal with now who were successfully manufacturing radial tires. Michelin has always been a resilient company and it came out of that period stronger and smarter. Two more plants, one in Lexington, SC and one Nova Scotia, were opened in the early 80’s.

To consolidate headquarters operations and manufacturing, Michelin made the decision to relocate its North American headquarters from New York where it had been since 1950 to Greenville, South Carolina. The doors opened at its present location in September of 1988. After a careful study of market trends and monitoring the actions of its two major global competitors, Michelin made the decision in 1989 to purchase the Uniroyal-Goodrich Tire Company. This acquisition would not only make Michelin the largest tire company in the world, but would provide the corporation with a portfolio of strong brands with a rich heritage in the American tire market. Uniroyal and BFGoodrich Tire formed a joint venture in 1986 to leverage each others’ strengths in the original equipment and replacement market. Michelin went into the 90’s in a position to offer the best products at the best price point in all virtually every consumer category. Where We are Going We’re accelerating mobility and meeting energy, environmental, and human challenges at the same time. Innovation Research, Development and Testing Producing the highest quality tires that deliver miles and miles of driving pleasure isn’t luck.

It starts at the Michelin Americas Research and Development Corporation, where innovation and technology converge with the real-world needs of demanding consumers in a highly fragmented industry. Employing 1,060 people, mostly engineers, Michelin’s R&D center in North America has developed some of the finest products in the world, including the first 80,000-mile passenger tire for American-made vehicles. Rather than focusing on one strong attribute, Michelin tires deliver just the right combination of benefits. For example, great handling combines with exceptional wet traction and high mileage together with comfort. That’s because Michelin engineers are not content with any sort of compromise or trade-offs. Laurens Proving Ground A vital extension of Michelin’s research and development community is the Michelin test facility in Laurens, S.C. This 3,500-acre site maintains 12 special tracks of varying lengths and surfaces for testing tires and suspension systems and for driver training. Engineers test tires for noise, adherence to wet surfaces, gravel endurance, off-road inclines, traction in mud, and vehicle dynamics, such as high-speed lane change and drift.

Used primarily by Michelin, the facility also offers other groups test opportunities, such as vibration analysis and chassis loading tests in a confidential environment. The facility is also used to train law enforcement officers from North and South Carolina to enhance their skills in handling emergency situations. Training, Sales, and Marketing A large degree of Michelin’s success in North America can be attributed to its sales and marketing groups. Michelin has long been recognized by the industry for having the best and most complete training for its sales force. The current training center in Greenville, S.C., not only conducts sales training but also hosts Michelin dealer sales personnel from all over the country to help them become more professional salespeople and better business managers. Michelin marketing teams strive each day and in every category of tires to bring increased value to consumers. Learn more about Michelin innovation A Better Way Forward® There’s a place where the road of tomorrow is being created today. From tires that make your car more fuel efficient and safer to production and recycling methods that reduce our impact on the environment. Michelin is striving to help you find a better way forward®. Learn more about Michelin’s a better way forward® Environmental Protection As a core value, protecting the environment is pervasive throughout all facets of Michelin operations.

It is a value that says growing market share or delivering revenue will not be accomplished at the expense of the environment. Whether participating and leading studies on the effect tires have on the environment or working to get membership for all the plants in the EPA National Performance Track program, Michelin is concerned about every aspect of the impact its operations has on the environment. To date, nine plants are members of the EPA National Performance Track program for environmental improvements beyond requirements. Michelin is one of the first tire manufacturers to have taken this step. MICHELIN Challenge Bibendum Michelin North America today Since 1998, the Michelin Group has hosted MICHELIN Challenge Bibendum®, a global forum inviting hundreds of carmakers, energy suppliers, and technology associates as well as non-governmental organizations and politicians to help develop clean vehicles and sustainable mobility.

Question: Which Andre built the first factory to mass-produce rubber tires?
Answer: Michelin