Spirit of Innovation Name Pleases Goodyear Chairman
Innovation a Critical Part of the Company's Evolution
AKRON, Ohio, June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodyear Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Keegan said he could not have been more pleased with the name that Uniontown, Ohio, resident Matthew Harrelson suggested for the company's newest airship . . . Spirit of Innovation.
"Innovation has been a critical part of our evolution as a company, from innovation of our new product offerings to innovation in everything we do," Keegan told an audience of several thousand people today at the company's airship base southeast of Akron. "The fact that the American public agreed with their votes is further proof that innovation is becoming synonymous with Goodyear."
In suggesting the name Spirit of Innovation, Harrelson, a chemistry teacher at Hudson High School, wins the use of the Goodyear blimp for a day as the grand prize of the company's "Name the Blimp" contest.
"I personally will be very interested in what you plan to do with the blimp for a day, Matthew," Keegan quipped to Harrelson, who was present at the christening ceremonies along with his wife Kristi and daughters Kaitlin and Kendra.
The airship was officially christened Spirit of Innovation by Keegan's wife Lynn, and Lesa France Kennedy, the president of International Speedway Corporation and a member of the NASCAR Board of Directors.
"I have great admiration for Lesa and what she has accomplished in her professional career," Keegan said. "She was recently singled out as The Most Influential Woman in Sports Business. Her innovative approach to growing ISC into a leader in sports entertainment was the driving force in bringing NASCAR racing to several new high profile markets including Chicago and Kansas City. And her vision of innovation in Daytona turned NASCAR's flagship track into the most fan-friendly speedway in the world. She was the perfect choice to help us christen the airship."
The "Name the Blimp" contest kicked off on April 10th when the Company unveiled the new airship without a name, but bearing the world's largest blank nametag. After receiving more than 21,000 unique name submissions, a panel of judges narrowed the list to ten finalists. America and a panel of Goodyear representatives then voted on the finalists.
Keegan said the airship's new name, "would serve as a constant reminder" to all of the Goodyear associates of the importance of innovation to the future success of the company.
Goodyear and Innovation
Since Charles Goodyear first discovered the process for vulcanizing rubber in 1843 and opened the door for the broad use of rubber in consumer products, the name Goodyear has been synonymous with innovation. From the early days when Goodyear introduced the first tubeless automotive tire and the first American-made synthetic rubber tire, the company has been leading the industry in technological advancements and design innovations. In recent years, Goodyear has accelerated its release of innovative new products that feature relevant technologies and deliver real-life benefits to consumers. Included is the pioneering TripleTred Technology® for confident handling in any weather conditions. Goodyear's most recent cutting-edge introductions have incorporated the use of the latest high-tech materials, including the use of DuPont(TM) KEVLAR® in its Wrangler® and Fortera® tires featuring SilentArmor Technology(TM) and DuPont(TM) KEVLAR® and carbon fiber in its new Eagle with ResponsEdge Technology(TM)
The Goodyear Airship Program
Goodyear's blimp program began in 1925, when the Company built its first helium-filled public relations airship, the Pilgrim. In 1928, then-Chairman P.W. Litchfield began the tradition of naming its North American-based blimps after winners of the America's Cup yacht race. The tradition continued over most of the program's 80-year history, with just a few exceptions. A list of winners from past America's Cup races whose names Goodyear selected for its airship fleet includes: Stars & Stripes, Columbia, Ranger, Rainbow, Enterprise, Resolute, Reliance, Defender, Vigilant, Volunteer, Mayflower, Puritan, and America. Within the past 40 years, Goodyear has selected other non-Cup winner names to grace the sides of its blimps. Those names included Europa, Spirit of Akron, Spirit of Goodyear and Eagle.
About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Goodyear is the world's largest tire company. The company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 90 facilities in 28 countries around the world. Goodyear employs about 80,000 people worldwide. For more information on Goodyear's tires, go to http://www.goodyeartires.com/.
Source: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
CONTACT: Ed Markey of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company,
+1-330-796-8801; or Rich Lukis or Geoffrey Phelps, both of Coyne PR for The
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, +1-973-316-1665
Web site: http://www.goodyeartires.com/
