Goodyear CEO Talks Eagle, Wrangler and Cooper
Mark Stewart, president and CEO of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., recently gave dealers an overview of what the new Eagle F1 All Season and the Wrangler Outbound AT mean to the company.
He also addressed Goodyear's Cooper brand.
Stewart spoke with dealers during a recent ride-and-drive event in Charlotte, N.C., where the Eagle F1 All Season and the Wrangler Outbound AT were unveiled.
As it relates specifically to the Eagle F1 All Season, “it's about bringing that race mentality - that enthusiast - back to life and bringing the Eagle brand back to where its prominence was for decades and decades," he told dealers.
"And it is back. When we look at the Eagle F1, it’s not a reinvention. It’s a renewal. It is absolutely our commitment to bring a top-notch product ... filling in the premium part of the portfolio, refreshing other pieces and starting to bring down in a much faster way some of the older SKUs that are clouding some of our performance views.”
Stewart said Goodyear in the midst of bringing out 1,800 new or refreshed SKUs worldwide by the end of next year. “We’re going to finish filling up the premium blank spaces here in the U.S.," he told dealers.
The company “has brought in additional resources in supply chain and we’re revamping our supply chain systems so that we make sure it’s on the ticket and we’re going to run the tires."
Stewart also reiterated Goodyear's commitment to selling the Cooper brand. “We are not going to let it go by the wayside and we’re going to make sure we’re investing in that product. We’re making changes to bring ourselves back. Our goal is to be number one in tires and number one is not just pushing the volume. We want to push the premium mix for you all to make sure you’ve got ... a full screen of SKUs to do that."
Stewart finished his comments by acknowledging the importance of the role dealers play in the sales of tires.
“You guys help set the market," he said. "What you’re saying at the counter, what you’re saying in the stores, what you’ve got showcased in the space - that’s what’s going to make the difference.”