The company got its name from the inventor of vulcanized rubber Charles Goodyear, although his connection with the company cannot be established. The earliest Goodyear tires were popular because they were easy to maintain and required less effort to detach.
The first Goodyear manufacturing facility in Akron, Ohio had thirteen employees. They manufactured tires of all kinds – from bicycles, to card and SUVs, to trucks and even heavy equipments. Soon, the factory started producing rubber horseshoes and even poker chips.
Goodyear was first known as the largest rubber company worldwide in 1926. In 1927, Goodyear became a public company. Over the next six decades, Goodyear has grown to become a multinational company earning multi-billion dollar income.
Among the most reputable awards received by Goodyear came in 2008 when the company was voted by Reputation Institute and Forbes as one of America’s most respected companies, placing 16th that year in the Forbes’ magazine’s list of the US companies with the best reputations.