AKRON, Ohio, August 12, 2013 – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will be recognized by the Latin Trade Group with its first Trade Americas Award, at the 19th edition of the BRAVO Business Awards, to be held on October 25 in Miami.

Goodyear will be honored with the BRAVO Trade Americas Award for its valuable contributions fostering the development of small and medium size enterprises development in the Latin America region.

“It is an honor for us at Goodyear to be recognized for our working relationship and the collaboration developed with our distributors throughout the region,” said Jaime Szulc, president of Goodyear’s Latin America region. “Our joint effort over the course of many fruitful decades has led us to grow and succeed together in the Latin American market. It will be a pleasure to share this award with our distributors.”

Goodyear has one of the most efficient tire distribution networks in Latin America, deriving from the strategic partnerships and teamwork developed with its distributors. Goodyear’s success in the region, he said, is due largely to the emphasis placed on listening to the end user by the company and its distributors.

A leading tire company in Latin America, Goodyear opened its first sales office is the region in 1915 and its first manufacturing plant in 1938.  With its regional headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Goodyear employs about 5,400 people and manufactures its products in seven facilities in five countries in the region.  The company’s Latin America business posted sales of more than $2 billion in 2012. 

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies.  It employs about 69,000 people and manufactures its products in 52 facilities in 22 countries around the world.  Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.  For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.