Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. won't turn 100 years old until 2014. However, the celebration has already begun.
As part of its plan to commemorate both the anniversary and its heritage in the Findlay, Ohio, community, Cooper Tire has made an investment in a new, state-of-the-art sustainable track and field complex at Findlay High School.
The company is partnering with the Findlay City Schools to provide Findlay High School with a multipurpose facility that will benefit thousands of students and athletes each year, while also establishing a monument to Cooper Tire's legacy and commitment to education, leadership development, and community involvement and support. The expected completion date of the track is October 2012.
Cooper made a "significant capital funding commitment" to the undertaking, according to Dean Wittwer, superintendent of schools for Findlay City Schools.
"This is an investment in our youth and potential young leaders of tomorrow, including many children of Cooper employees and our Findlay neighbors, and fits with our long tradition of supporting and advocating education and developmental opportunities for students of all ages," says Roy Armes, Cooper Tire's chairman, CEO and president.
The existing high school cinder track and field area behind Findlay High will be replaced with a new recycled rubber material, providing an environmentally friendly surface that is will be resilient, durable and impermeable to whatever weather comes its way. The nine-lane track will be part of a new complex that will include a multi-use competitive field.
“For nearly 100 years, Cooper has supported the communities in which we live and work,” says Armes. "By focusing our corporate responsibility efforts into four key areas -- education, community engagement, products and environmental sustainability -- we offer opportunities to give back and build toward the future."
Cooper Tire is based in Findlay. For more information on Cooper and its products, visi www.coopertire.com or www.facebook.com/coopertire.
