B.F. Goodrich

The Goodrich Corporation (formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company) NYSE: GR, based in Charlotte is an American aerospace manufacturing company. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. The company name was changed to the "B.F. more...

Goodrich Company" in 1880, to BFGoodrich in the 1980's, and to the "Goodrich Corporation" in 2001.

The company has a history of innovation and was responsible for introducing the zipper. As B.F. Goodrich, the company became one of the largest tire and rubber manufacturers in the world, helped in part by the 1986 merger with Uniroyal (formerly the United States Rubber Company). This product line was sold to Michelin in 1988, and the company acquired Rohr (1997), Coltec Industries, and TRW Aeronautical Systems (formerly Lucas Aerospace) in 2002. The sale of the specialty chemicals division and subsequent change to the current name completed the transformation. In 2005, company sales were $5.4 billion dollars.

The Troy, Ohio plant was purchased in 1946 from WACO. Since then, Goodrich has manufactured wheels and brakes for a variety of aircraft. Among these are commercial, military, regional, and business programs. This successful operation lies at the core of Goodrich's business. Competitors include the aerostructures divisions of companies such as Alcoa (Howmet/Huck) and SNECMA.

Platforms

• Civil:
  • Boeing 737
  • Boeing 747-400
  • Boeing 757-200
  • Boeing 767
  • Boeing 777
  • Boeing 787
  • Airbus A320 series
  • Airbus A330/A340
  • Airbus A380
  • Cessna Citation
  • Bombardier Global Express
  • Lear Jet
  • Handley Page Jetstream
• Military:
  • F-14 Tomcat
  • F-16 Fighting Falcon nosewheel
  • S-3 Viking
  • P-3 Orion
  • C-141 Starlifter
  • C-5 Galaxy
  • B-52 Stratofortress
  • F-111 Aardvark
  • F-117 Nighthawk
  • A-6 Intruder
  • CH-46 Sea Knight (wheels or rotor brakes)
  • CH-47 Chinook (wheels or rotor brakes)
  • CH-53 Sea Stallion (wheels or rotor brakes)
  • V-22 Osprey (wheels or rotor brakes)
  • Space Shuttles (wheels and brakes)

Even though B F Goodrich is still a popular brand name of tires, the Goodrich Corporation exited the tire business in 1988. The tire business and use of the name was sold to Michelin.

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