Continental Tire the Americas, LLC, d.b.a. General Tire, is an American manufacturer of tires for motor vehicles, and semi trucks. Founded in 1915 in Akron, Ohio, by William Francis O'Neil, Winfred E. Fouse, Charles J. Jahant, Robert Iredell, and H.B. Pushee as The General Tire & Rubber Company using funding from Michael O'Neil, William Francis O'Neils' father, who owned Akron's O'Neil's Department Store. The company later diversified by 1984 into a conglomerate (GenCorp, Inc.) with holdings in tire manufacturing (General Tire, Inc.), rubber compounds (DiversiTech General), rocketry and aeronautics (Aerojet), and broadcasting (RKO General).

The company's tire division was sold to Germany's Continental AG in 1987, becoming Continental General Tire Corp. before its reincorporation again to its current name. The compounds division was spun off & became OMNOVA Solutions Inc. The rocketry and aeronautics business was kept and expanded, and after a couple company name changes, the parent company eventually became Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc.

History

thumb|right|General Tire logo

Earlytomid20th century

Tire division

William Francis O'Neil owned a Firestone Tire and Rubber Company franchise in Kansas City, Missouri. He started a small manufacturing facility for tire repair products, and called it The Western Rubber & Supply Company initially, then The Western Tire & Rubber Company.

thumb|right|A Little Falls Herald newspaper ad for General Tire c. 1919

As Firestone grew, it sold additional franchises, reducing the territories of its earlier franchisees. Dissatisfied, O'Neil decided to compete with Firestone instead, using the expertise he had gained with Western Tire and Rubber. He went into partnership with four other men, using funding gained from his father, and formed The General Tire & Rubber Company on September 29, 1915 using $200,000 USD in capital borrowed from the store. O'Neil & his associates hired away some Firestone managers.

Initially, they focused on repair materials, as with Western Tire & Rubber Company, but in 1916 they expanded into tire manufacturing, focusing on highend products.

  • General Jumbo, a premium replacement tire for Ford Model Ts.
  • Lowpressure General Balloon Jumbo tire.
  • Dual 90 tires.

Despite the difficult business climate of World War I, in 1917, O'Neil established a dealership network and began an advertising campaign. By 1930, the company had 14 retail stores and about 1.8% of the tire market. During the depression, as competitors failed, The General Tire & Rubber Company bought out Yale Tire and Rubber Company, and India Tire and Rubber Company. By 1933, it had increased market share to 2.7%. This was a relatively large number, considering that the company limited its product line.

Sponsorships

General Tire is a sponsor of the following:

  • Major League Fishing Official Partner of Major League Fishing.
  • ARCA Menards Series Official tire supplier of the ARCA Menards Series.
  • NASCAR Canada Series Official tire supplier the NASCAR Canada Series.
  • Jeep Jamboree USA Official Partner of Jeep Jamboree USA.

References

  • General Tire U.S. Website
  • General Tire International Website
  • General Tire Moldova
  • General Tire Club