WASHINGTON-Dean Tire & Rubber Co. has become the first private brand tire company to have its products qualified for government procurement. The company sent radial passenger and light truck tires to the General Services Administra-tion early this year for Qualified Products List testing, according to John W. Fitzgerald, Dean vice president of marketing. The agency notified Dean in June that both its passenger and LT tires had passed the tests.
Beginning Jan. 1, procurement officials at federal agencies will no longer have to issue contract bids, but may buy tires directly from any company on the QPL list, and dealers of any qualified tires will be able to solicit procurement officials directly.
Goodyear sues tread maker over patent
AKRON-Goodyear has filed a lawsuit against Hercules Tire & Rubber Co., accusing the tread rubber maker of copying a patented truck tire tread design.
The suit, filed in May in the U.S. District Court in Akron, contends that Hercules' Power Trac retread product is the same design as Goodyear's G362 tread which is used on tires for medium commercial trucks.
Hercules President Craig Anderson said he is aware of the suit, and his firm's patent attorney is studying the claim.
Goodyear is suing for damages and whatever profits Hercules made from the Power Trac tread, with all amounts tripled.
Yokohama opens Ga. distribution center
FULLERTON, Calif.-Yokohama Tire Corp. has opened its 252,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Suwanee, Ga., near Atlanta. The facility replaces the company's warehouse in Savannah, Ga., and houses its regional sales office, previously located in Atlanta.
ITL nets record sales, to invest $1.5 million
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario-Indus-trial Tires Ltd. plans to invest $1.5 million in its plants this year, after garnering record sales for the six-month period, ended April 30.
The solid tire maker saw a 26-percent sales increase to $20 million for the half year, compared to the year-ago period.
ITL's latest capital expenditure follows a five-year period where capital improvements totaled $5 million and capacity grew 37 percent to 425,000 tires a year.
Capital dollars this year will add presses, tooling and capacity at plants in Mississauga, Mexico and Sri Lanka.
Possible buyer found for Mohawk Tread
AKRON-Yokohama Tire Corp. is in negotiations with a potential buyer of its Mohawk Tread Rubber business, according to a company spokeswoman.
But a confidentiality agreement between the two firms prevents Yokohama, a subsidiary of Japan-based Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd., from revealing the possible buyer's name, the spokeswoman said.
Yokohama put the Gunters-ville, Ala., facility, which produces mold cure and precure products, on the block in March, saying at the time it wanted to focus more on new tire production.
Sudbury through '98
CLEVELAND-Sudbury Inc., parent company of Iowa Mold Tooling, has extended the contract of its chairman, CEO and president, Jacques R. Sardas, for another two years, through January 1998.
Mr. Sardas, 64, a former Goodyear executive vice president, took over Sudbury's helm in January 1992, three days after the company filed for Chapter 11 protection. Mr. Sardas is credited with turning the company around by cutting costs and changing its focus.
The company nearly doubled its earnings to $13.5 million for the fiscal year ended May 31 compared with the prior year, as sales jumped 22 percent to $305.4 million.
MAST completes relocation to S.C.
GREENVILLE, S.C.-Michelin Americas Small Tires completed its move from Akron to Michelin North America's headquarters in Greenville, July 24.
Of the 190 jobs in Akron, 145 positions moved to Greenville but only 56 employees chose to relocate. The remaining posts will be filled internally.