Goodyear promo cut tire prices in Mexico

By Stephen Downer, Special to Tire Business

MEXICO CITY — Goodyear cut prices on its tires for light vehicle by at least 35 percent in a two-month promotion across Mexico this summer, while Bridgestone Corp. continued to enjoy the benefits of an electrical substation it opened at its Cuernavaca plant in January.

In every purchase of at least two Goodyear- or Dunlop-brand tires, Akron-based Goodyear offered discounts of at least 35 percent from June 15 through Aug. 15, when the promotion expired.

In addition, buyers received free fitting and balancing of their tires and free access for six months to the company's SOS Goodyear highway assistance program.

For every purchase of four tires, Goodyear threw in two tire services — including one tire rotation service — within the space of a year.

An employee at the Continental de Llantas S.A. de CV dealership in Avenida Plutarco Elías Calles in southern Mexico City told Tire Business by telephone Aug. 11 that the Goodyear promotion had been a great success, although she still had tires in stock.

Meanwhile in Cuernavaca, 35 miles south of the Mexican capital, Bridgestone edged towards its goal of producing 25,000 tires a day in the city with the help of a substation that it inaugurated in January at a cost of $4 million (U.S. dollars).

The substation was “indispensable for our Cuernavaca plant,” Daniel Benvenuti, president and managing director of Bridgestone Latin America North, said in a news release.

“Every day we produce 21,000 tires (at the plant) and our target is to produce 25,000 tires a day in the medium term. The competitive nature of the global automotive industry requires companies to be in the vanguard and with this substation we are guaranteeing Bridgestone's leadership.”

According to Mr. Benvenuti, in the past five years, or slightly less, Bridgestone has invested $220 million in the Cuernavaca factory, one of two it operates in the country. The other facility is in León, 300 miles to the northwest, where Bridgestone manufacturers retread materials.

 Stephen Downer is a Mexico-based freelance writer who covers that country and Latin America for Tire Business and its Latin America e-newsletter.