Goodyear announces plans to discontinue tire production at Valleyfield, Quebec Facility

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced it plans to discontinue tire production at its facility in Valleyfield, Quebec. The company expects to be substantially complete with a transition of the Valleyfield facility to a materials mixing center by the end of the second quarter of 2007.

There are approximately 1,000 hourly and salaried associates at the facility. The mixing center is expected to employ approximately 200 associates. The reduction in both capacity and labor in Valleyfield is related to the company’s ongoing global strategy to reduce excess high cost manufacturing capacity.

“In today’s intensely competitive and increasingly global business environment, we face some very difficult choices,” said Jon Rich, president of Goodyear’s North American Tire business. “The decision to discontinue tire production at Valleyfield is one of those necessary steps to make Goodyear more competitive. This decision does not reflect on the commitment or performance of our Valleyfield associates.”