A look at the rubber industry in the 1980s

1980

• A recession arrives, causing havoc throughout the industry and leading to layoffs of white- and blue-collar workers.

• Unions do their best to protect their workers, but the URW itself lays off 33 staff members.

• Raw material costs rise rapidly. Natural rubber pricing rises 35 percent even as supply outpaces declining demand.

• NHTSA orders Uniroyal to recall 2 million PR5 and PR6 tires, the second largest tire recall at that point.

1981

• A group of investors plan to revive a Mansfield Tire plant in Tupelo, Miss., but it never comes to fruition.

• BFG exits original equipment business.

• American Biltrite sells its Boston Industrial Products Division to Dana Corp.

• Goodrich discloses plans to divest some businesses and reroute capital to PVC and other sectors, marking the start of BFG's exit from the rubber business.

1982

• Worst recession since the Great Depression hits the industry, forcing layoffs, plant closures and corporate repositioning.

• URW returns to bargaining table and comes away with agreements that include no pay raises and preservation of cost-of-living allowance benefits. For the first time in seven years, there are no strikes at a major tire maker.

• Bridgestone buys Firestone's LaVergne, Tenn., tire plant, establishing its first U.S. footprint.

• General Tire begins making Continental Tires in the U.S.

• General Tire closes last major factory in Akron and shutters seven retread facilities.

• Firestone closes eight plants as Nevin continues to prepare the company for sale.

• Dayco Corp. spends much of the year sorting out a scandal involving millions of false orders.

• Columbian Chemicals leaves the synthetic rubber business, selling its butyl rubber plant to Polysar.

1983

• Tire makers are growing, unveiling plans for 11 expansion projects.

• Jasper Rubber Products and J.L. Schroth announce expansion plans.

• Shell adds a Kraton thermoplastic elastomer plant in Ohio.

• Polysar opens a butyl facility in Ontario.

• NHTSA suspends treadwear ratings of UTQG.

• PMA threatens to take Environmental Protection Agency to court over MOCA.

• Goodyear acquires gas transmission company Celeron Corp. for $782 million.

1984

• Goodyear expands four plants in the U.S., while importing from its Brazilian subsidiary.

• Dunlop, Cooper, Armstrong and Bridgestone launch expansion projects.

• Non-tire companies launching expansions include Moxness, Patch Rubber Co., Dayco, Hydril Corp., Plumley and Carlisle.

• Mohawk Rubber is acquired twice, ending up with Danaher Corp.

• Firestone decides to focus on tires and sells off a number of businesses.

• Parker Hannifin Corp. buys two Uniroyal hose factories.

• CR industries acquires Colt Industries' Garlock Oil Seal Division.

• General Tire becomes GenCorp Inc.

1985

• Uniroyal Inc. faces hostile takeover bid by corporate raider Carl Icahn. He eventually is pacified with a $5.9 million payoff for his shares. Uniroyal ultimately will restructure, sell its operations and dissolve.

• BFG officials say the company is in the hose and belt industry to stay, but the company only lasts a couple of months in the sector. It restructures, closes its belting operations, and exits the non-tire rubber industry.

• Uniroyal's last tire plant in Detroit is demolished, while Goodyear and General Tire plants in Akron are torn down.

• FTC investigates whether tire companies in the U.S. conspired when making a dumping complaint against South Korean companies. Ultimately, a court rules in the American tire makers' favor.

• Columbian chemicals closes its Conroe, Texas, carbon black plant.

• BTR P.L.C. buys Dunlop P.L.C.

• Georgia Duck & Cordage Mill begins doubling its conveyor belt production capacity.

• Armstrong becomes Armtek.

• Flurorcarbon Co. Inc. makes fourth acquisition in 15 months, buying Industrial Electronic Rubber.

• Trelleborg A.B. purchases Goodall Rubber Co.

• Uniroyal Chemical is put up for sale to help recently privatized company pay back debt.

• Semperit Reifen GmbH sells most of its tire business to Continental.

• Bluffton Rubber Co. buys Dana Corp. plant and renames itself BRC Rubber Corp.

• The International Trade Commission offers quotas to President Regan to save the U.S. footwear industry. He refuses, sacrificing most of the industry to a free trade policy.

1986

• Sir James Goldsmith launches effort to take over Goodyear. The company claimed victory when it purchased Goldsmith's shares, but incurred massive debt in the process, leading to the sale of many of its assets.

• Uniroyal merges its tire business with Goodrich's, selling off its remaining operations and dissolving.

• Dayco Corp. sells core hose and belting business to Armstrong Rubber.

• The Challenger space shuttle explodes just after takeoff, a result of faulty rubber O-rings.

1987

• GenCorp faces corporate raid and ends up selling General Tire to Continental A.G.

• Goodrich exits tire business but continues to make aircraft tires, and sells its 50-percent stake in Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. to an investment firm.

• Armtek Corp. begins negotiations to sell tire business to Pirelli.

• Firestone continues divestments and threatens to close plants. It moves its corporate headquarters to Chicago, leaving only tire operations in Akron.

• SBR prices increase seven times during 1987.

• Ernie Zielasko, the founder, first editor and publisher of Rubber & Plastics News, retires.

1988

• More than 100 rubber products manufacturers move forward with $4 billion worth of expansion projects.

• Bridgestone, Pirelli and Michelin launch a bidding war for Firestone, with Bridgestone ultimately taking ownership of the tire maker.

• Pirelli acquires Armstrong. Armtek, Armstrong's previous owner, fell after a three-month takeover bid to Mark IV Industries Inc., which quickly unloaded the Copolymer Rubber & Chemical Corp. subsidiary that came with the purchase of DSM N.V.

• The ContiTech brand is introduced.

• Bridgestone announces $1.5 billion improvement of Firestone facilities.

1989

• Michelin buys Uniroyal-Goodrich for $1.5 billion.

• Yokohama Rubber Co. buys Mohawk Rubber.

• Avon Rubber acquires Cadillac Rubber & Plastics Inc.

• Bridgestone plans to open U.S. truck/bus tire plant.

• South Haven Rubber and Yale Rubber become YSH Holdings.

• Fluorocarbon changes its name to Furon.

• Adidas shuts down last production site in the U.S.

• Irving B. Moore Corp. is liquidated.

• OSHA issues warning about nitrosamine exposure in the workplace, but later withdraws it and softens its stance after ensuing firestorm.

• Cooper Tire buys closed Firestone plant in Albany, Ga.