Who Owns General Tire?

William F. O'Neil founded the General Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, on September 29, 1915, during the city's emergence as America's rubber capital. O'Neil targeted the replacement tire market rather than competing for original equipment contracts, a strategy that let General Tire build dealer loyalty while Goodyear, Firestone, and Goodrich fought for automaker business.

The company expanded into broadcasting and diversified businesses mid-century, purchasing the Yankee Network of radio stations in 1943 and later the RKO film studio assets, making General Tire a mid-twentieth-century conglomerate known as GenCorp by the 1980s. The tire business remained the core operation, with the Grabber line for trucks and SUVs becoming its most durable product identity.

Continental AG acquired General Tire in 1987 as part of the German company's push into North America. The deal transferred US manufacturing including the Mount Vernon, Illinois plant to Continental, and General Tire repositioned under the Continental portfolio: Continental tires took the premium OE and replacement segments while General Tire held the mid-price truck, SUV, and passenger categories.

Under Continental, the brand kept its American identity and dealer network. The Grabber family expanded into the A/T, X/T, and R/T variants that cover all-terrain, crossover-terrain, and rugged-terrain segments, and the Altimax line serves passenger cars. General Tire also maintained a presence in off-road racing, including long-running desert racing sponsorships that feed its truck tire credibility.

As of 2026, General Tire ranks among the best-known affordable tire brands in the US market, appearing in independent roundups of recommended mid-range tires alongside Falken, Kumho, and Cooper.