Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd has officially acquired the Dunlop brand from Goodyear. This includes Europe, North America and Oceania for consumer, commercial and other specialty tyres, together with certain associated intellectual property and inventory. The sale is effective May 7, 2025.
“We are honoured to begin the process of rebuilding a globally recognised brand with Tier 1 dealer and consumer awareness,” said Darren Thomas, President and CEO of Sumitomo Rubber North America. “SRNA’s goal is to deepen our strategy in Falken while simultaneously building Dunlop as a high margin retail brand with exceptional products. The market should expect to see SRNA’s expertise in full effect as we commit ourselves to this endeavor on behalf of SRI for the North American market.”
Goodyear to Use Proceeds from Dunlop Sale to Sumitomo for Debt Reduction
Gross cash proceeds at closing totaled $735 million. This includes $526 million for the Dunlop brand, $105 million for a transition support fee and $104 million for inventory. Goodyear says it intends to use the transaction proceeds to reduce leverage in connection with the Goodyear Forward transformation plan.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as the lead financial advisor. Barclays Capital Inc. acted as financial advisor. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP acted as legal advisor to Goodyear.
Strengthening the Dunlop Brand Globally
Sumitomo said it aims to grow Dunlop’s brand value by combining efforts from its tyre and sports businesses. It plans to invest in motorsports and global tennis marketing activities to enhance Dunlop’s global reputation.
