Goodyear disputes professor's views

AKRON (March 3)—Goodyear has disputed the opinion of a University of Akron professor who said in a speech that the Akron-based company likely will need to go through a Chapter 11 reorganization based on its current financial condition. Dennis Byrne, a UA professor emeritus of economics, made the comments during a Feb. 26 speech at the Clemson University Tire Industry Conference in Hilton Head, S.C. "Dr. Byrne is entitled to his opinions," Goodyear said in a statement. "While he may be located in Akron, he has no particular insight based on access to the company and all of its current and planned actions." The company also said Byrne seemed to ignore actions Goodyear is taking to deal with its financial problems.