Cooper outlines objectives for rest of 2001

May 2, 2001

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. listed several goals for the rest of the year at its annual shareholders meeting yesterday.

According to Cooper Chairman, President and CEO Tom Dattilo, they include:

* improving shareholder value;

* top line growth;

* improving operating efficiency;

* forwarding cost containment measures;

* improving asset utilization.

Cooper is in a period of "rationalization and transition," Dattilo says.

"We are focusing on manufacturing entire systems and modules rather than commodity products. Our announced restructuring and rationalization plans are on schedule and will improve our operating efficiencies."

At the meeting, shareholders re-elected Dattilo, Byron O. Pond and Arthur H. Aronson to Cooper's board of directors; their terms expire in 2004.