Goodyear caused a stir in the tire industry in late September when it laid off its emulsion SBR salespeople and told customers it may no longer be able to provide them with the material.
But at least one distributor said it will continue to sell Goodyear emulsion SBR, even if not to tire makers.
Akron-based Americas International Inc. will be the exclusive distributor of Goodyear Plioflex emulsion SBR, according to Thomas J. McGee, Americas International vice president of sales.
``Our market is the non-tire rubber market,'' McGee said. ``We couldn't supply the tire guys, but for rubber molders and extruders, we should have enough to supply them.''
Goodyear hasn't yet defined how much emulsion SBR it will give Americas International to distribute, ``but hopefully we will have enough to supply our markets,'' McGee said.
McGee made his comments Oct. 7 at the ACS Rubber Division mini-expo in Columbus, Ohio, where Americas International was an exhibitor.
Americas International is the exclusive distributor of a long list of products from Goodyear Chemical-not only Plioflex but also Solflex and Solflex 1216 solution SBR; Budene polybutadiene rubber; Natsyn polyisoprene rubber; Polystay 100 and 100AZ antiozonant; and Wingtack tackifying resin. Goodyear also has pulled out of these external markets, except for what it supplies to Americas International, according to McGee.