Goodyear closed its 125-year-old plant in Germany

On September 29, the last tire was produced at the Goodyear plant in the German city of Fulda, and the next day the enterprise was officially closed, thus ending its 125-year history. During this time, the tire plant had a significant impact on the development of Fulda, and the last tire is planned to be placed in a museum as part of the city's industrial history.

The Fulda plant (then still outside the city) was founded by engineer Gustav Becker and entrepreneur Moritz Hasenklever in 1900 and initially produced shoe heels, gaskets, rubber mats, and tires for baby carriages and horse-drawn carriages, and in 1906, the production of tires for motorcycles and cars began. This happened just 20 years after the first Benz Patent-Motorwagen car appeared on the roads, and later the company began producing tires for cargo transportation as well.

During World War II, the plant was almost completely destroyed by bombing, but production resumed as early as 1946, and in the post-war period, the enterprise finally became one of the leaders of the region's industry.

In 1962, the company became part of the American Fulda brand, which is still present on the market, and in 2023, it was announced that the plant would be closed due to economic difficulties and reduced production capacity. The company's decision affected over 1,000 people, some of whom had worked at the plant throughout their careers.