Goodyear may close Stow mold-making facility

AKRON (June 13)—Goodyear is likely to close its Stow, Ohio, mold-making facility, citing a dwindling market, overcapacity and rising operating costs, the company announced June 12. The Akron tire maker will abide by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, and give 60 days notice to union officials, salaried employees and community leaders, a company spokesman said. But there still is no timeline for a potential closing, he added. Representatives of Goodyear and United Steelworkers of America Local 2—which represents 117 hourly workers at the Stow facility—have had discussions the past six weeks regarding cost-saving alternatives to a closing, but no agreement was reached. A closure also would affect 35 salaried employees in Stow. Goodyear also has mold-making operations in Statesville, N.C.; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Luxembourg. The Stow site was built in 1969 and spans just less than 130,000 square feet.