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Goodyear Is Named Most Admired In Rubber/Plastics Industry

23 February 1998

Goodyear Is Named Most Admired In Rubber/Plastics Industry

    AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 23 -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., North
America's No. 1 tiremaker, has earned top honors in the Rubber and Plastic
Products category of Fortune magazine's list of "America's Most Admired
Companies."
    The magazine published its 16th annual corporate reputation survey in its
March 2 issue.  Goodyear, according to Fortune editors, is only the second
company to ever take top honors in this category.  Rubbermaid had placed first
every year since 1985.
    "Being named by Fortune as the most admired company in our industry shows
that we are well on our way to achieving our goal of being ranked by all
measures as the best tire and rubber company in the world," said Goodyear
Chairman and CEO Samir G. Gibara.
    "Our ongoing investments in our people, our products and our technology
will help ensure our future success," he added.
    Since 1995, Goodyear's position in the Fortune rankings has steadily
increased.  Last year it finished as the country's 25th most admired company.
This year, the magazine's editors changed their procedures and only specified
a top 10.
    The list was compiled through a survey of 12,600 senior executives,
outside directors and financial analysts.  They evaluated 476 top companies on
eight key attributes of reputation:  innovativeness, quality of management,
employee talent, quality of products/services, long-term investment value,
financial soundness, social responsibility and use of corporate assets.

SOURCE  Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company