EnPro, Goodyear reach licensing agreement

Crain News Service report

LONGVIEW, Texas (Dec. 22, 2012) — EnPro Industries' Stemco Division has reached a trademark licensing agreement regarding the sale of Goodyear-branded air springs formerly produced by Veyance Technologies Inc.

The agreement gives Stemco — which purchased the air spring business in July from ContiTech A.G. — the right to continue using the Goodyear trademarks and brand names when marketing and selling the air springs product line.

“Goodyear air springs are regarded as the highest quality, most respected air springs in the commercial trucking industry,” Stemco President Todd Anderson said. “Continuing to use the brand name lets us maintain consistency and familiarity in the air springs market as the new supplier of these trusted products.”

ContiTech was required to divest Veyance's air springs unit when U.S., Mexican and Brazilian antitrust authorities mandated the divestiture in order to close the German firm's acquisition of Veyance, the former Goodyear Engineered Products business.

The Stemco transaction included Veyance's Super Cushion and Spring Ride lines of truck, trailer and truck cab suspension products and its line of cap seat springs. Veyance's production plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, its research and development operation in Fairlawn, Ohio, and all NAFTA-related patents and applications were also part of the agreement.

Stemco, a manufacturer of heavy-duty components and solutions for the commercial vehicle market, operates offices and manufacturing facilities in Texas, Georgia, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, California, Canada and China.