Goodyear to cut production, staff at Texas factory

TYLER, Texas (Oct. 9)—Goodyear's Kelly-Springfield plant in Tyler will lay off about 200 workers by Nov. 14 and trim production by about 11,000 units a day to reduce overcapacity in the market. The production cutback will affect smaller sized Kelly passenger tires, a Goodyear spokeswoman said, but the company intends to convert part of the facility's capacity to larger sized tires, 17 inches or more in diameter, and rehire at least some of those laid off. The Tyler factory, which is operating on partially protected status under the recently ratified master contract with the United Steelworkers of America, has a stated daily capacity of 37,500 units, although output there of late was only about two-thirds of that number, according to union sources. By about March 2004, the plant is expected to add about 5,000 tires per day, the spokeswoman said, although plans for rehiring those laid off or resuming full production will be based on market conditions. The Goodyear spokeswoman said no other Goodyear facilities will pick up the reduced production.