Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
Public
Traded as NYSE: CTB
S&P 400 Component
Industry Manufacturing
Founded 1914
Headquarters Findlay, Ohio, U.S.
Products Tires
Subsidiaries
  • Avon Tyres
  • Mastercraft Tires
  • Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels
  • Roadmaster Tires
  • Dean Tires
  • StarFire Tires
Website CooperTire.com

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is an American company that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of replacement[1] automobile and truck tires, and subsidiaries that specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has 60 manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its worldwide family of subsidiary companies. In July 1960, the company became a publicly held corporation and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Cooper owns the UK-based Avon Tyres brand, which produces tires for motorcycles, road cars and for motor racing.

The company slogan is "The tire with two names ... the company and the man who built it."

History

The earliest corporate lineage for Cooper Tire was the M and M Manufacturing Company, founded in 1914 in Akron, Ohio by John F. Schaefer and Claude E. Hart, who were related by marriage. Their new company produced tire patches, tire cement and tire repair kits. They purchased The Giant Tire & Rubber Company of Akron, a tire rebuilding business, in 1920, and in 1922 moved the business to Findlay, Ohio,[2] at a site at the intersection of Lima and Western avenues that is still occupied by Cooper Tire, adjacent to The Cooper Corporation facility. The Cooper name originates from 1919 when Cincinnati auto-parts dealer I. J. Cooper formed The Cooper Corporation in Findlay, to manufacture new tires. The Cooper Corporation, the M and M Company, and The Falls Rubber company merged in 1930 to form the Master Tire and Rubber Company. The company name was changed to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company in 1946.[3]

The Cooper oval trademark with the Cooper Knight headgear was first registered and used in 1941. In those early years of the brand's identification, the logo also included a banner proclaiming the tires' "armored-cord" construction. The company's red, white, and blue logo would become one of the most easily recognized emblems in the tire industry.

During World War II the company, known as Master Tire and Rubber, manufactured pontoons, landing boats, waterproof bags and camouflage items, inflatable barges, life jackets and tank decoys, as well as tires, to supply the Allied forces. The U.S. government recognized the company's contribution to the war effort in a 1945 ceremony bestowing the Army-Navy ‘E’ Award (for excellence). Soon after the war (1946) the company name was changed to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company.

From 1946 to 1982, Cooper Tire was headed by a member of the Brewer family: first W.B. Brewer, then his sons, Wayne and Edward. Another son, Robert, was a vice president. W.B. Brewer took Cooper Tire public, and on July 11, 1960, the company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the callsign "CTB," the callsign's "B" standing for "Brewer." Throughout their tenure, the Brewers set a tone for hands-on leadership, management mingling with workers, and taking care of them. They built the trust and loyalty of the workers.[4]

Under the Brewers' leadership, Cooper Tire grew significantly. By 1983, the company joined the ranks of Fortune 500 companies as one of the largest industrial companies in the United States.[5]

In 1997, Cooper purchased Avon Tyres Ltd, based in Melksham, England.

The company's largest growth acquisition occurred in 1999 when it bought The Standard Products Company, which increased Cooper's total workforce by 10,000 employees. Dearborn, Mich.-based Standard Products produced sealing, plastic trim and vibration-control systems for the automotive original-equipment industry worldwide. The purchase included Standard Products subsidiaries Oliver Rubber Company and Holm Industries Inc. Oliver Rubber manufactured tread rubber and equipment for the truck-retread industry. Holm produced seals for home and commercial refrigerators.[6]

In December, 2003, Cooper agreed to a joint venture with Kenda Rubber Industrial Company, to construct a tire-manufacturing plant near Shanghai.

In January, 2005, Cooper agreed to purchase 11% of South Korea-based Kumho Tires Company, and also announced the formation of a new commercial division encompassing both Oliver Rubber Company and commercial tires.

In October, 2005, Cooper announced an agreement to obtain 51% ownership in China’s third largest tire manufacturer, Cooper Chengshan (Shandong) Passenger Tire Company Ltd., and Cooper Chengshan (Shandong) Truck Tire Company Ltd., to produce truck and passenger car tires for mainland Chinese and export markets.[7] Two of the businesses of the joint venture are Cooper Chengshan Passenger Tire, and Cooper Chengshan Tire.[8] In 2007 Cooper set up a manufacturing venture in eastern China with Kenda Rubber Industrial Company, a company based in Taiwan. Cooper generates 25% of its global sales in China.[7] In 2007 Cooper sold its Oliver Rubber Company subsidiary, which produced tread rubber and retreading equipment, to Michelin for $69 million.[9][10]

At the end of 2011, Cooper bought Serbian tire company Trayal from Kruševac. Cooper took over a unit of Trayal Korporacija AD from Bulgarian company Brikel EAD for $13 million and invest as much as $50 million.

On June 12, 2013, a deal was finalized in which Apollo Tyres of India would buy Cooper for $2.5 billion. This move would have made Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. the only major U.S. tire manufacturer. Cooper is the second largest U.S.-based tire company, after Goodyear.[11] On December 30, 2013 Apollo pulled out of the deal since Cooper has not disclosed vital information about its lack of control over its Chinese business. The Chinese plant went on an indefinite strike against the proposed acquisition forcing Apollo to try to lower the $35-per-share bid in the original deal.[12]

Tire brands

Cooper Tires

Cooper Tires produces Cooper branded tires for passenger cars, light trucks, sport utility vehicles and commercial trucks.[13]

Avon Tyres Logo

Avon Rubber PLC

In 1997, the tire business of Avon Rubber PLC of Melksham, Wiltshire, in the United Kingdom was sold to Cooper. This left Avon able to concentrate on its core businesses of automotive components, technical products, and protective equipment. Cooper Tire remains a major employer in central Melksham.

Other brands

In addition to Avon, Cooper Tire manufactures tires under the associated brand names Dean, Mastercraft, Mickey Thompson, Roadmaster, and Starfire.[14] Cooper Tire formerly manufactured all tires sold under the Sears Guardsman brand at Sears, Roebuck & Co. stores. Cooper manufactures tires for Discount Tire Company under the Arizonian brand name, and Futura Tires for Pep Boys. Cooper Tire also manufactures Hercules branded tires in Findlay, Ohio. Cooper tires can be purchased at many tire retailers, like Tire Discounters, Pep Boys, Discount Tire, and more.

Motorsports and sponsorships

Cooper racing tires (A1GP)

Avon, then part of Avon Rubber PLC, was involved in Formula One in the 1950s (1954 and from 1956 to 1959), then in 1981 and 1982.

Cooper became the official tire of the A1 Grand Prix, dubbed the World Cup of Motorsports, for the series' initial 2005-2006 season and was under contract to produce slick tires and treaded rain tires for the series championship until 2008.

Since 1982, Avon Tyres had been the sole supplier for the British Formula Three Championship. From the 2009 season onwards, these were re-branded "Cooper" as Cooper became the championship's official title sponsor, and will be until the end of the 2014 season at least.[15] Avon Tyres was also the exclusive supplier for the FIA Formula Two Championship when revived in 2009 to 2012.[16]

In April, 2010, Cooper/Avon Tyres presented a written proposal to Formula One Team Association (FOTA) to be the official tire supplier for the 2011 Formula One season.[17] This was ultimately rejected and Pirelli became the official tire supplier for 2011 onwards.

In the United States, Cooper became the official tire of the Champ Car Atlantic Championship in 2007. Cooper became the official tire of the IMSA Prototype Lites series (formerly IMSA Lites) in 2010.[18] Cooper Tires is the official supplier of the Mazda Road to Indy formula ladder: USF2000 (since 2010), Pro Mazda (since 2013) and Indy Lights (since 2014).

As of 2014, Cooper is the official supplier of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.[19]

On the 7th of July 2017, it was announced that Avon Tyres would be the primary kit sponsor for Championship side Derby County for the 2017/2018 season.

Management and company personnel

Cooper has 10,540 employees as of its 2016 annual report. Bradley E. Hughes is Cooper's President, and CEO.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Profile for Cooper Tire Rubber". Yahoo. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  2. ↑ Holzinger, Albert G. (April 1993). "A successful competitor - Cooper Tire and Rubber - Company Profile". Nation's Business. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  3. ↑ "History of Cooper Tyres". Cooper Tires (Australia). Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  4. ↑ http://thecourier.com/local-news/2014/10/13/c101214newcoop_4_25_52-xml/
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
  6. ↑ http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Cooper+Tire+%26+Rubber+Company+to+Acquire+The+Standard+Products+Company.-a055265949
  7. 1 2 "Cooper Tire seeks 30% global sales". Reuters. December 17, 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  8. ↑ "Cooper Tire & Rubber, Findlay, OH, received government approval to acquire 51% of Shandong Chengshan Tire". Rubber World. January 2006. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  9. ↑ "Michelin North America to acquire Oliver Rubber Company" (Press release). Michelin. July 31, 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  10. ↑ "Michelin North America completes acquisition of Oliver Rubber Company" (Press release). Michelin. October 8, 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  11. ↑ Bijoy Anandoth Koyitty and Aradhana Aravindan (June 12, 2013). "India's Apollo Tyres to buy Cooper Tire for $2.5 billion". Reuters. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Cooper Tire Ends Merger Pact With Apollo Tyres". The Wall Street Journal. December 30, 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  13. ↑ "Tires". Cooper Tires. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  14. ↑ "Cooper Tires - Our Brands". Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  15. ↑ Cooper Tire agrees British Formula 3 extension - Cooper Tire official website
  16. ↑ Formula Two relaunches on Avon Tyres - Avon Tyres press release
  17. ↑ Cooper Avon enters race for 2011 tyres - Autosport, 17 April 2010
  18. ↑ "IMSA, Cooper Tire align for partnership in Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship" (pdf) (Press release). International Motor Sports Association. November 16, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Cooper becomes exclusive tyre supplier to all-new FIA World Rallycross Championship". Cooper Tires. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  20. ↑ "Cooper Tire & Rubber Company - Annual Reports". Retrieved 28 June 2017.
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