And that is how her Majesty “The Tire” was invented!
Who would ever thought that by trying to improve his son’s riding experience, he would at the same time change the world forever?! Hmm… Figures.
Source: www.oldautonews.com
Not even a year passed by and Dunlop’s invention made its racing debut on two wheels. He immediately patented his idea and started to develop his invention into a commercial venture, founding the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. Ltd. Soon after that he opened his first tire plant in Dublin, Ireland. A few years later he opened a new tire factory in mainland Europe which was built in Hanau, Germany. By 1895 Dunlop tires were also being sold in France and Canada, and manufactured in Australia and the USA.
In twenty years, Dunlop had made the solid tire obsolete and grown from pioneer to the first global multinational company. It manufactured worldwide, and sold worldwide.
In 1984 came the consolidation of Dunlop’s European and US tire operations with its Japanese business, as part of the Sumitomo group. In 1999 Sumitomo and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company decided on a global alliance, becoming the world’s biggest tire producer. Dunlop in Europe is now part of that joint venture encompassing six companies and is embedded within Goodyear Dunlop Tires B.V.
Businesses often overlook them, but why are tires so important?
Not everyone is concerned with the history of an item, understandable. But often unknown is why things are developed and made the way they are. With businesses being so concerned with profit margins, training, ever changing regulations, aging vehicles, inspections, and staffing concerns it is easy to over look the single most important piece of equipment: The tires.
