AKRON, Ohio, March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's (NYSE: GT) manufacturing plant in Americana, Brazil, has won The Shingo Prize, one of the world's most prestigious honors for manufacturers and called "the Nobel prize of manufacturing" by Businessweek magazine.

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Americana is the second Goodyear facility to be recognized by The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence in as many years.  The company's Lawton, Oklahoma tire plant received a Shingo Silver Medallion in 2010.

"Earning The Shingo Prize is quite an honor and confirmation of Americana's pursuit of excellence through continuous improvement culture.  Our associates in Americana don't just talk about operational excellence, they live it, breathe it and put it into action every day," said Richard J. Kramer, Goodyear's chairman and chief executive officer.

"The Shingo Prize is the greatest proof that investing in people is the only way to achieve a culture of full commitment to continuous improvement through innovation," said Jaime C. Szulc, president of Goodyear's Latin America Region.  "The honor that we have received in accepting this prize is evidence of Goodyear's pursuit of excellence, and of our ability to differentiate our self in the marketplace."

The Shingo Prize was established in 1988 to educate, assess and recognize world-class organizations for creating a culture of continuous improvement through employee-empowerment and effective leadership.  It is administered by the John M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and named for Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo, who distinguished himself as one of the world's leading experts in improving manufacturing processes.

Goodyear representatives will attend the 2011 Shingo Prize Global Summit on Operational Excellence and awards ceremony today in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they will be recognized for their achievement.  Kramer is a keynote speaker at the event.

The Americana plant, built in 1971, produces passenger, light truck, commercial truck, farm and off-the-road tires and has approximately 2,000 associates.

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies.  It employs approximately 72,000 people and manufactures its products in 56 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, go to www.goodyear.com.

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company