Goodyear and Amerityre to Develop Urethane Tires

    AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 30 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
has signed an exclusive agreement with Amerityre Corporation to jointly
develop urethane tires with the ultimate objective of replacing rubber auto
tires.

    "The urethane tire has been the Holy Grail of the tire industry for
decades, so we are approaching this project with a good deal of prudence,"
said Joe Gingo, Goodyear's senior vice president for technology and global
products planning.  "If it can be done, we want to be first to do it!

    "Amerityre has developed what early tests show may be a viable compound
for production of these tires," Gingo said.  "Manufacturing a urethane tire
could potentially offer significant product advantages and tremendously
efficient and cost-effective manufacturing processes requiring less capital
investment than for traditional rubber tires.  That's why Goodyear is
interested in continuing to pursue this technology."

    "We chose to work with Goodyear over other tire companies because of the
company's proven record of developing innovative products and processes," said
Richard Steinke, CEO of Amerityre, based in Boulder City, Nev.
    Tiremakers did extensive work on urethane auto tires from the 1950s to
1970s. Goodyear even made red colored urethane tires with lights inside.  None
measured up to conventional rubber tires for wet or dry traction or for cut
resistance, and the product was never commercialized.

    Amerityre, while continuing to develop its material for auto tires, sells
flat-free urethane foam bicycle tires called airriders.  It has also developed
flat-free tires for garden tractors and wheelbarrows.