History of Cooper Tyres

Mr I.J. Cooper established the Cooper Corporation in 1919

Cooper traces its roots back to Akron, Ohio when two brothers-in-law purchased the M & M Company in 1914 making tire patches and repair kits. The owners then purchased the Giant Tire & Rubber Company to make "rebuilt" tires and moved the business to Findlay, Ohio, in 1917. (Cooper is still located on this original property at the intersection of Lima and Western Avenues.)

Cooper employees in 1917

Another investor, a Cincinnati based auto parts dealer named I.J. Cooper, established The Cooper Corporation in 1919 on an adjacent property for manufacturing new tires. These two companies merged with The Falls Rubber Company of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, in 1930 and formed The Master Tire & Rubber Company.

Cooper Headquarters 1930 Ohio

During World War II, MasterTire earned a special citation from the armed forces for converting to wartime production of inflatable rafts, pontoon bridges, lifesaving devices, and waterproof bags. Decoy tanks and landing boats made by the company were used in the Normandy Invasion and throughout the European campaign.

Building tyres at Cooper in 1931

In 1946, the company name was changed to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. In 1960 the company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Today, Cooper is the eighth largest tire manufacturer in the world and is among the 350 largest companies in America. From one small manufacturing plant in Findlay, Cooper now operates 10 production facilities around the U.S. and in Mexico. Since Cooper is proud to be an independent American company, Cooper Tires are sold exclusively around the world through dealers and distributors.

2000

Cooper closes the acquisition of Siebe Automotive in January, and adds $400 million in sales and 16 locations. With headquarters in Southfield, Michigan, Siebe specializes in manufacturing fluid handling automotive components, modules and sub-systems. Siebe combines with Cooper's existing hose manufacturing facilities to form the Fluid Systems Division.

At year's end, Cooper has expanded to 60 facilities in 13 countries, with more than 20,000 employees worldwide. It remains one of only two American-owned tire companies.