AKRON—Goodyear is investigating a potential partnership with other automotive suppliers to provide "integrated systems" to its original equipment customers.
While it is too early to speculate on which companies would provide a good fit or to develop a timeline, Goodyear is open to talking with other firms that supply the auto industry, a spokesman said. Specifically, the tire maker would be interested in companies that supply parts for suspension systems, he said.
Goodyear wants to continue working with its OE customers on complete suspension systems, the spokesman said. The company uses computerized technology to look at different types of suspension systems and conform its tires to fit them, he said.
"It would be an offshoot of what we've been doing in-house," he said. "We already have our tire and engineered products guys working with suspensions and design."
While many auto makers have tried to pare down their supplier lists in recent years, the desire for preassembled parts doesn't stem from that strategy, the spokesman said.
"The OEs don't necessarily want to buy from only one supplier," he said. `I don't think they're looking to cut back on suppliers as much as getting a well-designed, integrated system instead of individual parts. And there would likely be a shorter cycle time."