Goodyear signs European shoe licensing agreement

AKRON (Dec. 27)—Goodyear Engineered Products has expanded into European markets with a licensing agreement with Padova, Italy-based Billy S.R.L. Under the deal, Billy will market Goodyear-brand snow boots and safety footwear for sale in several safety shoe catalogs across Europe. The arrangement marks the first Goodyear Engineered Products regional agreement to license the company´s trademarks for use on footwear, rather than merely shoe soles, said Bob Paciulan, general sales manager of Goodyear´s shoe product business. The deal is mutually beneficial, granting increased sales to Billy while bolstering brand awareness of Goodyear´s core products, tires and engineered rubber goods, Paciulan said.