Goodyear CEO: Planning, partnerships, purpose keys to future success

AURORA, Colo. — History can serve as a pathway to the future, Goodyear CEO and President Rich Kramer told dealers during his annual keynote address at the Goodyear Customer Conference.

More than 1,400 dealers and their guests — as well as another 800 Goodyear associates and exhibitors — are attending the four-day event, which concludes Feb. 5 at the Gaylord Rockies Convention Center. The theme of this year's conference is Built to Lead.

Mr. Kramer identified three key "Ps" for the company and its customers to succeed in what he calls a "new mobility ecosystem": Plan, partnership and purpose.

Those three elements, he said, will help ease the transition from current automobiles to what the company calls the new FACE of the industry: Fleets; Autonomous vehicles; Connectivity; and Electric vehicles.

"Having a plan answers two questions," Mr. Kramer said. "What problem are we solving? And how do we go about solving it?"

Kramer discussed Goodyear's beginnings — the company was founded by Frank Seiberling in 1898, named after Charles Goodyear, the man who developed vulcanized rubber — and the beginnings of the automobile — people threw rocks at it, preferring the horse and buggy, he said — as a history lesson for us to carry into today as the transportation industry evolves.

Mr. Kramer reminded dealers that Goodyear constantly is planning for the future, citing, among other work, its development of the intelligent tire, where every tire has an individual signature and fingerprint. The technology, he said, is closer than we might imagine.

The intelligent tire, he said, has been in development for five years, and it will help fleets operate autonomous vehicles more safely and efficiently.

Mr. Kramer lauded the dealers for being outstanding partners, a critical element to the company's success. He said that the dealers' trust in the Goodyear brand, confidence in its products and strong interpersonal relationships originally drove many to align with the company.

Akron-based Goodyear, Mr. Kramer said, will "continue to supply the right products, look for new tools and anticipate changes in competition" to remain a valuable partner in the future.

According to Mr. Kramer, Goodyear's purpose is "the common cause that unites us, beyond simply selling a product or service."

He further defined Goodyear's purpose as enabling "mobility to make life's connections easier every day."

Mr. Kramer shared a few instances of feedback he has received from customers who have lauded great customer service from Goodyear-aligned dealers.

One woman wrote to Mr. Kramer, complimenting a Maryland store that stayed open late to check the air pressure and TPMS function of her teenage daughter's vehicle. Goodyear, she told Mr. Kramer, provided "an enormous relief to a parent who is two hours away."

Mr. Kramer told dealers, "As long as our purpose guides us, it doesn't matter where the future of mobility goes. We will be there together, build to lead."