Goodyear closing passenger car tire plant in North Carolina

Akron, Ohio – Goodyear has announced plans to close its passenger car and light truck tire manufacturing site in Fayetteville, North Carolina by the end of 2027, in response to the challenging market.

In a 12 May statement, the tire maker said, the tire industry was “changing fast,” and “Goodyear must change with it.”

“As the only remaining US-based tire manufacturer, we are committed to US manufacturing in today’s evolving market,” said Goodyear.

Goodyear launched a modernisation and upgrade programme at the Fayetteville plant in 2019, with the aim to expand the production of high-value tires with rim diameter of 17 inches and bigger.

In its latest statement, Goodyear said it was in discussion with the United Steelworkers union to close the plant by the end of 2027, despite “extensive efforts to make the… facility competitive.”

The action, the tire maker said, was “necessary to strengthen Goodyear’s ability to compete in today’s marketplace and support the long?term health of the business.”

The Fayetteville plant has been operational since 1969 and is rated at 40,000 units per day. It employs around 2,000 people, according to USW.