Goodyear relights famous sign in Akron
A nostalgic glow has returned to Akron’s skyline.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has restored its famous sign, dark since 2015, over the former corporate headquarters on East Market Street. The company unveiled the refurbished landmark Thursday evening after an eight-week construction project.
“The iconic Goodyear sign is synonymous with the city of Akron,” Mayor Dan Horrigan said in a prepared statement. “To see it lit up again in celebration of the company’s long-standing commitment to this city is a special moment for all who call Akron home. I look forward to many more years of Goodyear’s partnership and impact in Akron.”
The Akron company, celebrating its 125th anniversary, funded the sign’s renovation through a donation from the Goodyear Foundation to The Well CDC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing the Middlebury neighborhood.
The sign lit up over Goodyear Hall about 6:30 p.m. Thursday as the culmination of The Well CDC’s Imagine the Future celebration, a ticketed event with all proceeds benefiting community efforts.
“This project shines a light on Goodyear’s continued commitment to invest in Akron and in the communities where we live and work,” said Laura Duda, senior vice president and chief communications officer for Goodyear, in a news release. “We are thankful to work together with great community partners like The Well CDC to support the neighborhood that Goodyear has called home for the past 125 years.”
The sign, featuring 1,184 bulbs, will shine every day.
There have been several versions of the rooftop sign since the early 1930s. The first one, constructed by Day-Lo Sign Co., later known as Bellows Electric Sign Co., was rectangular and featured Goodyear’s winged-foot symbol.
A diamond-shaped sign, measuring 40 by 72 feet, debuted in 1940. More than 22 tons of steel were used to build the supporting structure. The glow was visible for miles.
An updated 1963 sign flashed “GO … GO … GOODYEAR” in 6-foot letters. The center featured 851 bulbs, 75 watts each, while the border had 326 bulbs, 50 watts each. Once a month, a crew climbed atop the roof to replace burned-out bulbs.
The company opted to shut off the sign in 1978 during the U.S. energy crisis. It remained dark until 1991 when Goodyear regained its footing after thwarting a hostile takeover attempt by Sir James Goldsmith in the 1980s.
From 2001 to 2007, the sign featured the advertising slogan “On the Wings of Goodyear.” Goodyear pulled the plug in 2015 after completing its move into a $160 million corporate headquarters along Innovation Way.
The company worked with The Well CDC to restore the sign after nearly a decade.
“The Well CDC invests in people through the built environment,” Zac Kohl, executive director of the nonprofit group, noted in a prepared statement. “What better way to imagine the future of our community than by partnering with Goodyear to invest in our place and relight this iconic Akron landmark. We hope this sign can be a symbol in the Middlebury neighborhood, and all over Akron, that we have a place worth investing in and fighting for.”
Goodyear will celebrate its 125th anniversary Aug. 29. Akron brothers F.A. Seiberling and C.W. Seiberling founded the company in 1898 as a manufacturer of bicycle and carriage tires.
Today, Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies with about 74,000 employees and 57 production facilities in 23 countries.
And one really big sign over East Market Street.
Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Goodyear relights famous sign in Akron
