Cooper Tire’s Gary Schroeder Talks Goodyear Deal, New Tires And The Road Ahead

Raise your hand if you saw the Goodyear acquisition of Cooper Tire coming? It was just one of the latest surprising industry announcements in a year full of surprises. A lot has changed since we talked with Gary Schroeder, executive director of Cooper’s global truck and bus tire business, for our executive interview in February of last year. (It feels like 10 years ago, actually.) At that point, Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. was poised for growth in the trucking industry, with new products coming down the line. I caught up with Schroeder for his take on the Goodyear announcement, an update on new products and what the new normal means for Cooper today and going forward.