It's not unusual for the debate to rage for hours: This (fill in the blank) story is the top story of the year because (sound argument No. 1).
Then another staffer will say: No, I think this (fill in the blank with another story) is better because (more sound reasoning).
This year was different altogether. It was one story that clearly tops Tire Business' list of the Top 10 headlines of 2021: Goodyear to buy Cooper.
That surprise story, announced before the markets opened Feb. 22, had its twists and turns as the acquisition wound its way through the mandatory regulatory approvals. Still, it closed June 7, months ahead of initial expectations.
The $2.5 billion deal united two Ohio-based companies, the world's No. 3 and No. 13 tire makers, according to 2020 tire sales.
It was the biggest merger involving at least one U.S.-based manufacturer since Group Michelin acquired Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. in 1989 in a $3.2 billion deal (in today's dollars). A year before, Bridgestone Corp. acquired Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. for $5.8 billion (in today's dollars).
The Goodyear-Cooper integration certainly will be a story to follow in 2022.
The supply-chain woes that are affecting almost every industry, particularly the tire industry, as well as the spate of mergers and acquisitions, are two other huge stories from 2021.
Here's how we at Tire Business rank the Top 10 Headlines of 2021: