Uniroyal

Uniroyal, Inc.

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Tire manufacturing, Synthetic rubber goods
Predecessor	United States Rubber Company
Founded	January 1, 1892 (1892-01-01) in Naugatuck, Connecticut, United States
Fate	Acquired by Michelin in 1990
Successor	Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company (merged with B.F. Goodrich), then Michelin subsidiary
Headquarters	United States
Area served	North America, Colombia, Peru (brand rights held by Michelin); other regions by Continental AG
Products	Tires (including Tiger Paw), synthetic rubber goods, military products (ammunition, explosive devices, chemical warfare materials)
Owner	Michelin (North America, Colombia, Peru); Continental AG (other regions)
Number of employees	Approximately 1,000 (as of 2010) (2010)
Parent	Michelin

Uniroyal, initially established as the United States Rubber Company, is a U.S.-based producer specializing in tires and synthetic rubber goods, including military-grade products such as ammunition, explosive devices, and chemical warfare materials. Founded in 1892 in Naugatuck, Connecticut, it was among the first dozen companies listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In 1961, the corporation adopted the Uniroyal, Inc. name to consolidate its various brands and subsidiaries under a single identity.

One of Uniroyal's most recognized tire models is the Tiger Paw, introduced during the 1960s and originally equipped on iconic muscle cars like the Pontiac GTO. The Tiger Paw tire line continues to be marketed today.

The year 1990 marked Uniroyal's acquisition by French tire manufacturer Michelin, ending its status as an independent entity. Today, roughly 1,000 American employees work under Michelin to manufacture Uniroyal tires. Michelin holds the rights to the Uniroyal brand in North America, Colombia, and Peru. Outside these territories, ownership belongs to Continental AG, which acquired Uniroyal Europe (previously known as Englebert) in 1979.

Origins

In 1892, nine rubber companies based in Naugatuck, Connecticut merged to create the United States Rubber Company. Among these was Goodyear's India Rubber Glove Manufacturing Co., formerly Litchfield Rubber Co until 1847, notable for its connection to Charles Goodyear, the inventor of vulcanized rubber.

Between 1892 and 1913, U.S. Rubber manufactured footwear under approximately 30 different brand names, including Wales-Goodyear Shoe Co. These brands were unified under the Keds label in 1916, which led to the release of one of the earliest widely marketed flexible rubber-soled canvas sneakers in 1917.

On May 26, 1896, U.S. Rubber was selected as one of twelve industrial stocks included in Charles Dow's initial Dow Industrial Average. It remained part of this index when it expanded to twenty stocks in 1916 but was removed during its growth to thirty stocks in 1928.

In 1931, U.S. Rubber expanded its share of the automotive tire market by acquiring a controlling interest in Gillette Safety Tire Company, founded in 1916 and headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Gillette held significant contracts with General Motors, and combined with U.S. Rubber’s portfolio—comprising Gillette, Ward, Atlas, U.S. Rubber, and U.S. Royal—created one of the largest original equipment tire suppliers worldwide.

By 1940, U.S. Rubber had fully purchased Gillette and upgraded its Eau Claire facility to increase output. During World War II, the company prioritized manufacturing tires for military trucks and aircraft and produced the canvas-topped, rubber-soled Jungle boot designed for soldiers operating in tropical climates. U.S. Rubber ranked thirty-seventh among American corporations for wartime production contracts.

In 1942, government-imposed restrictions on civilian rubber manufacturing led U.S. Rubber to sell its Eau Claire plant to federal authorities for conversion into an ammunition factory called the Eau Claire Ordnance Plant.

By late 1943, with tire demand rising sharply, U.S. Rubber repurchased this facility for over one million dollars and converted it back to producing synthetic rubber tires. The plant underwent further expansion through 1951, becoming the fifth largest tire manufacturing site in the United States. Additional growth occurred in 1965 with a focus on tires for construction equipment. The Eau Claire plant remained a significant local employer until its closure in 1991.

Also in late 1943, U.S. Rubber engineer Dr. Louis Marick invented a propeller de-icing device consisting of a rubber boot embedded with heating elements that could be attached to aircraft propellers for ice prevention.

Englebert Company

In 1958, Uniroyal formed a partnership with the Belgian tire producer Englebert based in Liège, creating Uniroyal Englebert Deutschland AG. By 1963, the company name was shortened to Uniroyal-Englebert, and in 1967, all divisions adopted the Uniroyal name exclusively. In 1979, this division, which included manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Germany, France, and Scotland, was sold to Continental AG. Continental continues to sell tires under the Uniroyal brand outside of the NAFTA region as well as in Colombia and Peru.

Dominion Rubber

Uniroyal’s Canadian operations were historically conducted through the Dominion Rubber Company. The business began as Brown, Hibbard and Bourne in 1854 and was renamed the Canadian Rubber Company of Montreal Limited in 1866. It specialized in producing waterproof textiles, rubber footwear, and machinery belts. Auto tire production started in 1906, and through a series of mergers, it evolved into the Canadian Consolidated Rubber Company Limited.

After further consolidation, the company was renamed Dominion Rubber Company Limited in 1926. Its product line included footwear brands, coated upholstery fabrics, mechanical components, industrial chemicals, and vehicle tires. In 1966, it adopted the Uniroyal Ltd. brand along with other subsidiaries before being sold to Waterville Ltd. in 1981.

S.A. Rubber

Established in 1939 by Mark Lodge and Harold Hill in Edwardstown, South Australia, S. A. Rubber Mills Pty. Ltd. expanded steadily until U.S. Rubber acquired a 25% interest in 1963. By 1980, Uniroyal held a 60% share of Uniroyal Brazil but eventually divested it to Bridgestone. The Australian arm operated as Uniroyal Tyre Company before transitioning to Bridgestone Australia Ltd., which became a publicly traded entity primarily owned by Japan’s Bridgestone.

On March 20, 2007, shareholders of Bridgestone Australia approved the complete acquisition by Bridgestone Corporation of Japan, converting it into a wholly owned subsidiary.

Isochem

In June 1965, Isochem, Inc. was established as a joint venture with Martin Marietta Corporation, chaired by Martin’s vice president Malcolm A. MacIntyre. The company took over operation of the Hanford nuclear site under contract with the AEC, succeeding duties formerly managed by General Electric Co..

Uniroyal

The firm rebranded as Uniroyal, Inc. in 1961 and consolidated all its products and divisions under the Uniroyal name by 1967.

In 1974, Uniroyal was involved in a significant gender discrimination lawsuit titled Chrapliwy v. Uniroyal, which resulted in a ruling favoring the plaintiffs under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Uniroyal Goodrich Tire

In 1985, management together with investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice took Uniroyal private to prevent a hostile takeover attempt by financier Carl Icahn. At that point, Uniroyal ranked as the fifth-largest tire manufacturer in the United States. To manage nearly $1 billion in acquisition debt, Uniroyal divested its chemical subsidiary to Avery Inc.—a producer of agricultural chemicals and industrial additives—for $760 million in 1986.

The tire operations merged with B.F. Goodrich (NYSE: GR), an S&P 500 company known for high-performance replacement tires. This collaboration created the Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company, with B.F. Goodrich holding half ownership.

Based at B.F. Goodrich’s former facility in Akron, Ohio, the new entity shuttered several manufacturing plants during 1987 and sold unused portions of its complex to Covington Capital Corporation in 1988.

During its initial full fiscal year (1987), Uniroyal Goodrich reported revenues close to $2 billion and profits near $35 million. However, difficulties arose quickly; by June 1988 B.F. Goodrich sold its entire share for $225 million to investors led by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice while retaining a warrant for up to a 7% equity stake. The company also assumed $415 million in publicly traded debt through a two-part offering managed by Drexel Burnham Lambert: $250 million in notes at 14⅛% due in 1998 and $165 million subordinated debentures at 14½% maturing in 2000.

For fiscal year 1988, sales increased to $2.2 billion but net income declined below $12 million due to recapitalization expenses and pension-related adjustments. That same year saw French tire leader Michelin Group (Euronext Paris: ML) begin acquiring shares with intentions to purchase Uniroyal Goodrich.

By 1989 revenues climbed to nearly $2.3 billion; however net earnings fell sharply by approximately 90% to just over $1 million amid rising interest costs and charges linked to Michelin’s proposed acquisition bid.

Michelin Group

In May 1990, the Michelin Group finalized its purchase of the Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company from Clayton & Dubilier for approximately US$1.5 billion. Following this acquisition, B.F. Goodrich withdrew from the tire industry, rebranding as Goodrich Corporation and redirecting its focus toward chemicals and aerospace through strategic reinvestments and acquisitions. Michelin managed Uniroyal Goodrich Tire as its production division within the United States and Canada.

The year 1991 witnessed Michelin shutting down the Eau Claire, Wisconsin facility, resulting in the loss of 1,350 jobs. Additionally, the company closed the tire-cord plant in Lindsay, Ontario, as well as two tire manufacturing plants in Kitchener, Ontario, collectively cutting 1,074 positions due to excessive costs and surplus production capacity.

That same year marked the revival of the Uniroyal tiger mascot in national television advertising after a ten-year absence, with campaigns aimed at sports audiences on networks such as ESPN and CNN to enhance brand recognition.

By 1993, Michelin North America employed around 28,000 workers across 18 manufacturing sites in the US and Canada but reduced its staff by approximately 2,500 (9%) in response to declining tire demand. As of 2010, Uniroyal Goodrich Tire maintained operations with roughly 1,000 employees at facilities located in Woodburn, Indiana, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Opelika, Alabama plant had been closed in 2009 due to overcapacity issues within the North American market.

Archival material

The Uniroyal, Inc Records are preserved within the Special Collections and Archives Department at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. This collection encompasses contract negotiation documents, grievance files, minutes from meetings, correspondence, photographs, and audiovisual materials that chronicle collective bargaining efforts by Local 19 of the United Rubber Workers of America. It also covers the influence of synthetic rubber manufacturing on company operations and post-World War II work modernization initiatives. Additionally, the department holds the Uniroyal Collection, which contains news clippings and photographs, along with records titled United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum, and Plastic Workers of America. Local 19: Records, detailing union activities at Uniroyal Goodrich Tire’s Eau Claire facility.

Materials related to the Rubber Machinery Shops of Dominion Tire Co. Ltd in Kitchener, Ontario are archived at the University of Waterloo Library. These archives include photographs, newsletters, equipment inventories, press releases, and news clippings concerning employees and company operations.

The United States Rubber Company records are housed at Baker Library Special Collections at Harvard Business School.

External links

• Official website (Europe)