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August 5, 2006
Spirit of Innovation Name Pleases Goodyear Chairman
• Innovation a Critical Part of the Company Evolution.
Goodyear Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Keegan said he could not have been more pleased with the name that Uniontown, Ohio, resident Matthew Harrelson suggested for the company’s newest airship … “Spirit of Innovation.”
“Innovation has been a critical part of our evolution as a company, from the innovation of our new product offerings to innovation in everything we do,” Keegan told an audience of several thousand people at the company’s airship base southeast of Akron. “The fact that the American public agreed with their votes is further proof that innovation is becoming synonymous with Goodyear.”
In suggesting the name Spirit of Innovation, Harrelson, a chemistry teacher at Hudson High School, wins the use of the Goodyear blimp for a day as the grand prize of the company’s “Name the Blimp” contest.
The “Name the Blimp” contest kicked off on April 10th when the Company unveiled the new airship without a name but bearing the world’s largest blank nametag. After receiving more than 21,000 unique name submissions, a panel of judges narrowed the list to ten finalists. America and a panel of Goodyear representatives then voted on the finalists.
Keegan said the airship’s new name “would serve as a constant reminder” to all of the Goodyear associates of the importance of innovation to the company’s future success.
Goodyear blimp program began in 1925 when the Company built its first helium-filled public relations airship, the Pilgrim.
• Goodyear and Innovation
Since Charles Goodyear first discovered the process for vulcanizing rubber in 1843 and opened the door for the broad use of rubber in consumer products, the name Goodyear has been synonymous with innovation. From the early days when Goodyear introduced the first tubeless automotive tire and the first American-made synthetic rubber tire, the company has been leading the industry in technological advancements and design innovations. In recent years, Goodyear has accelerated its innovative new products that feature relevant technologies and deliver real-life benefits to consumers.
• The Goodyear Airship Program
In 1928, then-Chairman P.W. Litchfield began the tradition of naming its North American-based blimps after winners of America’s Cup yacht race. The tradition continued over most of the program’s 80-year history, with just a few exceptions. A list of winners from past America’s Cup races whose names Goodyear selected for its airship fleet includes Stars & Stripes, Columbia, Ranger, Rainbow, Enterprise, Resolute, Reliance, Defender, Vigilant, Volunteer, Mayflower, Puritan, and America. Within the past 40 years, Goodyear has selected other non-Cup winner names to grace the sides of its blimps. Those names included Europa, Spirit of Akron, Spirit of Goodyear, and Eagle.
Source: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:23 PM | Link to this Post
