When it comes to tires manufactured for cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles, just a handful of major brands tend to dominate the market. For more than 110 years, Cooper has been a regular fixture among those major brands. The company began in earnest in 1914 when Akron, Ohio-based in-laws and business partners John F. Schaefer and Claude E. Hart decided to expand the scope of their tire repair business with the purchase of The Giant Tire & Rubber Company.
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They moved the business to Findlay, Ohio, in 1917. Two years later, one of their investors — Cincinnati businessman Ira J. Cooper – set up The Cooper Corporation on an adjacent lot, looking to pivot into manufacturing new tires. The companies would merge some years later, with Cooper establishing his famous creed in 1926, ensuring “good merchandise, fair play, and a square deal” for all who purchased his company’s wares. Two decades later, the outfit officially rebranded as The Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. In the decades since, the brand has become one of the biggest names in the tire game, with the company currently operating several tire manufacturing facilities in the United States.
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Yes, Cooper Tires is still manufacturing tires within the borders of the United States, but given the sheer size of its operations these days, it should hardly be surprising that its production has expanded beyond American borders. These days, Cooper reportedly also boasts production facilities in England and China.
