The exterior of Goodyear’s “Motor City Garage” concept retail store inside one of the tire manufacturer’s Detroit tire shops.
Courtesy Goodyear
DETROIT — Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. CEO Mark Stewart sits in the vehicle bay of a tire shop where the company is launching a new retail experience for customers.
There’s a freshly painted black facade on the revamped Detroit store, with the words “Motor City” added in white flanking Goodyear’s winged foot logo. It’s been dressed up for a private event in connection to a nearby annual car festival called the Woodward Dream Cruise.
But despite the stylish touches, it’s still a tire shop. The smell of rubber and oil remains in the air and the sound of workers changing tires combines with music from a DJ inside the shop’s waiting room.
The scene is symbolic of Stewart’s ongoing “Goodyear Forward” turnaround plan. He’s trying to make tires — a historically dirty business — more attractive for…
