TYRES produced locally by Goodyear South Africa, including Off-The-Road (OTR) bias tyres, have been certified by the country’s official buy local advocacy campaign, Proudly South African.
The certification means Goodyear’s tyres that are pressed out of the company’s manufacturing plant in Kariega, which include consumer and OTR bias tyres, are deemed as meeting local content thresholds and, more importantly, quality standards.
It serves to note that Goodyear is currently the only tyre manufacturer that produces OTR bias tyres in South Africa. OTR tyres are fitted on heavy-duty vehicles, such as mining vehicles, which are vital to the daily operations in the mines of South Africa and elsewhere on the continent.
“At Goodyear, we understand that local production is an important driver of our country’s economy and job creation for our people. Having Goodyear tyres, which are manufactured in the Kariega plant, certified Proudly South African is a huge milestone in our 75-year-old presence in the country and is another demonstration of our commitment to the economic development of South Africa” says managing director, Goodyear South Africa, Richard Fourie.
Goodyear takes great pride in its role as a key contributor to the South African automotive industry and economy for 75 years and counting. The first Goodyear tyre produced in South Africa rolled off the press in 1948. Today, Goodyear has grown to over 1000-persons strong in South Africa and produces over 2 million tyres annually in the country.
“As an organization created to promote local industries and products, we are pleased to see that one more multinational is committed to the sustainable development of South Africa’s manufacturing industry. Goodyear has more than 1 000 employees locally, emphasising the importance of the buy local to create jobs mandate, and further highlighting the critical role localisation plays in our country ” says chief executive officer, Proudly South African., Eustace Mashimbye. “We welcome Goodyear to the Buy Local movement and look forward to a fruitful association as we continue with our localisation efforts as the country’s buy local campaign, adds Mashimbye.
About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company:
Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 74,000 people and manufactures its products in 57 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.
About Proudly SA
Proudly South African is the country’s official Buy Local campaign, which aims to stimulate much-needed job creation and retention in our country through lobbying for and promotion of local goods, services, and industries. Proudly SA lobbies the public and private sectors to increase levels of local procurement through their supply chain structures and encourages consumers to do so by changing their purchasing habits.
The organisation is a membership-based organisation and only companies that have been audited and approved are entitled to carry the logo, which symbolises the adherence of that product or service to required local-content thresholds and quality standards.
