Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Industrial Materials / Cooper Tire & Rubber

Cooper Tire & Rubber

ctb · NYSE Consumer Cyclical
Claim this profile
Ticker ctb
Exchange NYSE
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Industrial Materials
Employees 10,000+
← All annual reports
FY2004 Annual Report · Cooper Tire & Rubber
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
January 
  Capacity increased at U.S. plants

February
  Outsourcing agreement with Hangzhou for passenger tires

March
  Avon Tyres now sold through The Tire Rack in the U.S.
  New ad campaign launched

April
  Sponsorship of Saturn Motorsports racing program

May
  Partnership with Formula Drift Championship Series

July
  Ultimate Bowl Tour launched
  Race tire production planned to begin in U.S.

November
  Offi cial tire for A1 Grand Prix, the world cup of motorsports

December
  Sale of Cooper-Standard Automotive completed

1

To the Shareholders:

2004 was an eventful year for us and the revolutionary changes we made 
will reposition Cooper for the future. If you take a calendar and mark off 
the important dates for Cooper in 2004, it becomes pretty crowded. 

We begin 2005 for the fi rst time in our history as purely a tire company. 
And,  it  feels  pretty  good  to  have  our  focus  on  one  product.  When  we 
divested Cooper-Standard we believe we harvested this asset in the best 
way for Cooper shareholders. 

Automotive components manufacturing is a tough business that has gotten 
tougher during the past fi ve years. We will miss the global scope of that 
business, but then, our plans for the tire business will take us around the 
globe  too.  We  have  the  fi nancial  and  human  resources,  as  well  as  the 
strategic plans, to make this happen.

As we fi ne-tuned our plans for allocating the proceeds of the sale, as in 
everything  we  do,  our  fi rst  consideration  was  the  creation  of  long-term 
shareholder value. Itʼs important to us to maintain investment grade status, 
so we will be allocating between $100 and $200 million to debt reduction 
during the next several months.

In  the  fourth  quarter,  we  used  $83  million  of  the  proceeds  to  purchase 
stock,  allocated  $60  million  to  pension  funding  and  announced  a  $107 
million investment in Kumho Tire. The rest of the proceeds will be used 
for a combination of share repurchase and keeping our “powder dry” for 
strategic investment in the tire business as opportunities are identifi ed or 
for paying down additional debt.

By deploying the proceeds in this way, we will essentially recapitalize the 
company with lower debt and fewer shares outstanding, and then make the 
investments in the business that will allow us to grow substantially during 
the next several years. 

A step toward that growth was Cooperʼs acquisition of 11 percent of Kumho 
Tire in February. This will provide value to shareholders in two ways: fi rst, through the immediate return as it is an investment in 
a profi table company; second, through the long-term strategic value and opportunities it creates. This strategic relationship has 
the potential to provide us with key synergies that will help us advance both organizations in key areas such as global sales and 
distribution, purchasing, racing support, operational effi ciencies and technology.

We have repeatedly said that we intend to be recognized as the #1 tire company in China, with the leading market share, within 
fi ve years. This could be accomplished with one or two relatively small acquisitions or strategic investments. This would be 
suffi cient to give us a competitive position, immediate market access and a platform to build on as the market in China develops. 
Additionally, our new relationship with Kumho Tire could lead to joint activities in China. As China develops, we will be a 
participant in that growth.

Although we are excited about the potential the Asian markets hold for us, our most critical market and business remains in North 
America. Our success in North America will enable us to pursue our global plans.

We have aggressively pursued the high performance market in North America during the past two years. During 2004, our 
high performance sales were up nearly 28 percent. We estimate that we currently have about six percent of this market but our 
plan is to capture 10 to 15 percent within the next three years. A key to continuing our success in North America is keeping 
abreast of the developments in the channel changes, size proliferations and product trends. During 2004, we introduced 1,225 
new SKUs. This greatly improved our product mix and kept us on track to make sure a signifi cant portion of our sales each 
year is in new products.

2

We know that 60 percent of consumers who have bought Cooper tires, come back to buy them again, according to a recent JD 
Power study of consumer satisfaction. That beats the brand loyalty of all of the major competitors and exceeds the industry 
average of 42 percent.

We are working very hard to improve our brand awareness and capitalize on this industry-leading consumer loyalty. A major 
objective during 2004 was to broaden our reach to consumers with a relevant message: Donʼt Give Up a Thing. The result was 
one of the most exciting marketing programs in our companyʼs history. We leaped from 558 million impressions to nearly 1.5 
billion impressions - three times as many people hearing and learning about the Cooper brand. That means more people will ask 
for and try Cooper. Those impressions came from many different media. You can look forward to our making sure that Cooper 
becomes known in a way befi tting our top brand position. We have built the Cooper name globally and are committed to a strategy
that exploits the elevated Cooper name. 

Part of the strategy is to have a leadership position within the tire industry as a whole. We are introducing innovative products such 
as the new 20-inch Discoverer ATR with white-outline sidewall lettering. And, to ensure we are getting paid fairly for the value 
of our products and the services we provide, weʼve realized three price increases in 2004 and implemented another price increase 
at the beginning of March 2005. Plus, very importantly, I have agreed to serve an unprecedented third term as the chairman of the 
Rubber Manufacturers Association. Cooper Tire is serving as a leader in a world that needs leadership.

Looking toward 2005, Cooperʼs opportunities are unprecedented. We have an excellent fi nancial position, a committed management 
team and a focus on strong relationships with our customers. We all know we have a great deal of work to do to execute our plans 
and strategies, but we are excited about our future to move revolutions ahead. Our focus continues to be on the customer and on 
you, our shareholder. Our purpose is to increase the value of your investment. We do that by making sure we are driving the changes 
inside our company that will keep us solid in the tire world. Thank you for your continued support and investment in Cooper Tire 
& Rubber Company.

Thomas A. Dattilo
Chairman, President and CEO

Financial Highlights - Continuing Operations
(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share amounts)

Net sales  
Operating profi t  
Income before income taxes  
Net income  
Basic earnings per share  
Diluted earnings per share  
Dividends per share  
Debt to capitalization ratio  

2002 
$1,742,218   
113,716   
83,635   
55,032   
.75 
.74 
.42 
48.8% 

2003 
$1,850,853 
65,019 
37,205 
27,344 
.37 
.37 
.42 
45.6% 

2004
$2,081,609
63,224
35,006
27,446
.37
.37
.42
39.8%

3

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company generated a substantial level of activity during 2004. 
The accomplishments and revolutionary changes of 2004 will be leveraged to grow our 
business and improve profi tability to signifi cantly increase the value of our shareholders’ 
investments well into the future. 

One of the major initiatives during 2004 – and a cornerstone to achieving our strategic 
objectives – is enhancing our product mix. Last year we introduced about 1,225 new 
SKUs  with  the  emphasis  on  premium  products  such  as  high  performance,  ultra-high 
performance, racing and light truck products. That total also includes new products in 
winter tires, broadline, and motorcycle lines. A rich product mix enables Cooper and our 
customers to capitalize on the rapidly growing performance segment. This segment is 
the most profi table and fastest growing in the tire industry.   

Cooper today holds about six percent of the high performance market, but our plan is 
to capture 10 to 15 percent during the next three years.  Cooper’s high performance tire 
sales during 2004 were up nearly 28 percent.  Our success in this arena is already creating 
new business opportunities for us with important, high profi le, successful marketers.

One such opportunity is Cooper’s exclusive distribution agreement with The Tire Rack 
for our Avon brand in the United States. Using the Internet and mail order, The Tire 
Rack promotes and sells various high performance tires that we produce exclusively 
for  them.  Recognized  as  a  clear  industry  leader  in  high  performance  tires, The Tire 

In the September 2004 issue of Tire 
Review, Cooper Tire was named among 
the top 20 infl uencers of the tire 
market. This annual list identifi es the 
people, products, issues and factors 
that the Tire Review staff thinks will 
greatly impact the tire industry during 
the coming year. Here’s what they had 
to say about Cooper:

“The small-town tire maker has always conjured up thoughts of dealer-friendly; good, 
but not remarkable, products; solid and reliable; honest and fair. Well, it’s still all of 
those things, and now a lot more. After drastically upgrading its high performance 
line, it’s upgraded its brand image with motorsports and by reaching out to a younger 
audience. It found a home for its Avon brand and rationalized some of its other lines. 
Once solid fi nancials are now exceptionally strong. Unit sales jumped so much that 
Cooper had to go offshore for broadline and medium truck product, and it is building 
a joint venture plant with Kenda in China to help increase capacity. And in a bold 
stroke, Cooper dumped fully 50 percent of its total revenue when it sold its profi table 
Cooper-Standard Automotive unit earlier this month for $1.17 billion - with plans to 
reinvest the proceeds back into its core business.”

4

Rack has become a solid customer. We believe that their strong 
acceptance and endorsement of our products truly solidifi es our 
position among the top providers of high performance tires.

Our improved product offering also has enabled us to increase our 
penetration in the retail distribution channel and we continue to win 
new business for 2005, with retailers such as Discount Tire and Kauffman 
Tire as well as respected program marketers such as TBC and Treadways.

We also experienced strong growth in our more traditional high-end products 
for light truck and SUV applications. Sales of our SUV and light truck products 
increased 21 percent during 2004, adding to our market share and improving 
our product mix.

Our emphasis on new product development is already paying off as we expect a 
minimum of 15 percent of our revenue in 2005 coming from new products. Utilizing 
cross-functional  product  launch  teams  provides  us  more  precision  in  our  market 
delivery. This  approach  helps  ensure  our  new  products  meet  the  performance 
requirements of the market and are manufactured at peak operating effi ciency.

Cooper  and  American  Kenda  Rubber  Industrial,  Co.,  announced  an  agreement  
late  last  year  naming  Cooper  as  a  marketer  of  Kenda  radial  passenger  and  light 
truck products in the United States and Canada. The new products, which include 
the  lines  Kenetica  and  Klever,  are  designed  to  complement  the  current  Cooper 
product offerings. This strategy provides us with additional fl exibility in the range 
of products we offer to meet the needs of today’s tire consumers.

While expanding markets is an important strategy for Cooper, during 2004 
we chose to exit the inner tube market. During the past 10 years, industry 
shipments  have  continuously  declined  while  imports  increased  to  more 
than  70  percent  of  shipments  into  the  U.S.  market.  Cooper  exited  this 

Cooper made a revolutionary step in the all-terrain market when 
we introduced the 20-inch Discoverer ATR, fully styled with raised 
white-outline sidewall lettering. This offering is rare in the market 
which reinforces the new Discoverer ATR’s reputation as a 
benchmark for all-terrain tires.

With outstanding traction and all-around versatility, the 
ATR drives circles around competitor tires designed for 
light trucks and sport utility vehicles. This tire offers 
uncompromising on- and off-road performance and 
rugged capability combined with a host of refi ned 
features that only Cooper has offered.

5

THE ULTIMATE
BOWL TOUR

Cooper boosted our conference sponsorships in 2004 
with a national promotion for the Ultimate Bowl Tour, 
an enter-to-win contest that hundreds of thousands of 
college football fans embraced. The lucky winner from 
Baton Rouge, his son and two friends went on the trip 
of a lifetime to fi ve college football bowl games. 

“Just about everybody I know, most of my family, friends and 
buddies I play golf with, were familiar with the Ultimate Bowl 
Tour. They saw it advertised during the college football season, 
heard about it on the radio or saw an ad in a magazine some 
place. That’s why they couldn’t believe it when they found out 
that I actually won. 

It  was  incredible.  Five  games  in  seven  days,  more  than 
7,500  miles  from  coast  to  coast  on  a  private  jet,  limo  rides, 
hotels, nights out on Bourbon St., Beale St., the Riverwalk and 
South Beach, and much, much more.

People  kept  telling  me  this  was  going  to  be  an  incredible 
trip – and it was. I can’t think of one thing that I would change 
about  the  Ultimate  Bowl Tour. Was  it  tiring? Well,  yeah,  from 
the standpoint of packing up and moving every day it was. But, 
again, fl ying a private jet made it seem easier. If I’m tired at all, 
it’s because I was out too late or up too early. This was really a 
great time!”

-bowl contest winner

  The response from consumers – whether they were 
tire buyers, college football fans, people who like to 
enter contests, or all three – was overwhelming. We’re 
looking forward to Ultimate Bowl Tour 2005 and the 
enthusiasm it will again generate.

6

 
 
 
 
market  in  order  to  dedicate  our 
resources to those product categories 
that help grow the business globally 
and provide shareholder value.

We  continually  monitor  the  market-
place  and  evaluate  our  product  and 
price  positioning  to  ensure  that  we 
are  getting  paid  fairly  for  the  value 
our  products  and  services  provide. 
During  2004  we  realized  three  price 
increases. And, the pricing environment 
remains  strong  in  the  industry.  In  fact, 
we implemented another  price  increase 
at the beginning of March 2005.

The  North  American  replacement  tire  market 
grew about 3.3 percent in passenger and light 
truck  tires  and  4.5  percent  in  medium  truck  tires 
during  2004. The  hot  sellers  continue  to  be  the  H, V 
and Z rated performance tires as well as p-metric light 
truck  tires.  The  Rubber  Manufacturers  Association 
(RMA)  predicts  this  trend  to  continue  far  into  the 
future as Detroit focuses on style and performance to 
attract consumers.  

Looking  toward  the  future  most  marketers,  including 
Cooper,  have  their  eye  on  Generation Y  or  those  born 
between 1977 and 1994. This is almost as large a group 
as the baby boomers and accounts for 28 percent of the 
population. While many of these future consumers are 
not yet thinking about buying tires, brand loyalties are 
being formed now and we must begin to position our 
brands to attract this huge buying group.  

According to a recent JD Power study of customer satis-
faction, 60 percent of consumers who have purchased 
Cooper tires, come back to buy them again. That beats 
the brand loyalty of all of the major US tire competitors 
and exceeds the industry average of 42 percent.

Knowing  that  people  who  have  tried  Cooper  tires  are 
satisfi ed  enough  to  purchase  them  again,  during  2004 
Cooper  increased  our  reach  toward  consumers.  To 
heighten brand awareness, we launched a multi-million 
dollar  advertising  campaign  aimed  at  reinforcing 

CEO Tom Dattilo was named Industry Executive of the Year 
for 2004 by Rubber & Plastics News, a leading industry 
publication. In addition to his positions at Cooper as chairman, 
president and CEO, he is in his third term as the chairman of the 
Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) and currently serves as 
the vice chairman of the Manufacturers Alliance (MAPI). 

According to Rubber & Plastics News, during his tenure Tom 
has led the company’s growth of nearly 25 percent, has accelerated 
the Cooper brand into the mainstream of fl ag brands in North 
America and aligned the company with high-performance products.

Rubber & Plastics News noted that Tom has provided the 
company “international experience and a better understanding 
of outside forces that infl uence companies in today’s economy.”

  “Cooper’s people and customers are what drive the company’s 
success. My role is to lead an already outstanding organization 
to even greater success – greater than what they may 
realize they can achieve,” describes Tom. “I am thrilled 
and honored to be named to this prestigious 
honor and gladly share this recognition with 
the entire Cooper organization.” 

Cooper’s  image  of  strong  performance  and  value. The 
theme  Don’t Give Up a Thing  focuses  on  the  emotional 
considerations of buying tires. The ads helped claim the 
brand’s stake in becoming one of the most recognizable 
brands in the market.

Brand  loyalty  also  is  found  among  the  enthusiastic 
fans  of  collegiate  sports.  Studies  show  sports  fans 
often  are  loyal  to  brands  that  are  associated  with 
their favorite teams or collegiate conferences. Cooper 
serves  as  the  offi cial  tire  of  the  Big  East,  Big  Ten, 
Big  12,  Mountain  West,  Pac-10,  the  Southeastern 
conferences, and is a media partner with the ACC. In 
2004, Cooper was the presenting sponsor of Thursday 
Night  Football  on  ESPN,  featuring  weekly  marquis 
match-ups. We  served  as  the  presenting  sponsor  of 
the 2005 Bowl Challenge Cup which was awarded to 
the Mountain West for the conference with the best 
winning  percentage  during  the  bowl  season.  And, 
during both the football and basketball seasons, the 
Cooper  Tire  Defensive  Player  of  the  Game  winners 
were named during ESPN regional broadcasts. 

7

 
 
The world of motorsports also garners a loyal following and 
serves as the ultimate proving ground for tire performance. 
During  2004,  Cooper  embarked  on  racing  sponsorships 
that  refl ect  our  commitment  to  excellence  in  ultra-high 
performance tires.  In the spring, we celebrated the inau-
gural race of the Cooper Tire Championship Series, which is 
home to the Formula Ford 2000 Zetec racing program. We 
also partnered with Team Lexus, which participated in the 
U.S. Drift series during 2004, to run on our Zeon 2XS tires 
and served as a sponsor of the newly sanctioned Formula 
Drift Series. 

The  new  World  Cup  of  Motorsports  will  offer  us  global 
brand exposure as we serve as the offi cial tire supplier to 
the A1 Grand Prix, a new FIA approved motorsports series 
that  will  commence  in  September  2005.  Our  three-year 
sponsorship calls for all the drivers in this series to run on 
Cooper-A1 Grand Prix branded racing radials. The A1 Grand 
Prix  is  an  innovative,  global  series  and  is  a  perfect  fi t  for 
Cooper Tire which is an exciting, growing global brand.

As  we  continue  our  global  expansion  and  escalate  our 
presence,  it  is  vital  the  Cooper  brand  is  elevated  and  is 
presented  consistently  across  the  globe.  Our  global  tire 
brand  strategy  positions  our  brands  for  maximum 
profi tability throughout North America, Europe and Asia. 

Cooper  has  signifi cant  growth  opportunities  throughout 
Europe.  In  Western  Europe,  the  ultra-high  performance 
market has grown more than 220 percent in the past four 
years primarily due to the proliferation of high performance 
vehicles.  To  meet  that  demand,  we  are  capitalizing  on  the 

8

Avon  brand  –  which  has  a  long-standing  reputation 
for  high  performance  –  and  are  ramping  up  the 
presence  of  the  Cooper  branded  high  performance 
products.  Combined,  these  brands  provide  us  the 
opportunity  to  serve  as  a  niche  player  focusing  on 
the  ultra-high  performance,  racing,  winter  and  4x4 
tire products.  Additionally, the tire markets in Eastern 
Europe  are  projected  to  grow  at  double  digit  rates, 
providing opportunities for all products.   

The  potential  in  Asia  is  proving  to  be  even  more 
signifi cant. We  are  implementing  a  strategy  in  China 
that  not  only  helps  Cooper  meet  expected  capacity 
demands  for  North  America  but  also  aligns  us  with 
strategic partners that we believe will provide access 
to the local market and position us to take advantage 
of  anticipated  growth  within  the  region  -  and  it  will 
grow dramatically during the next 5 to 10 years. 

In February we acquired 11 percent interest in Kumho 
Tire which is the 11th largest tire manufacturer in the 
world  and  is  also  one  of  the  most  profi table,  with  a 
significant  market  share  in  Korea  and  a  growing 
presence in China. 

Our  investment  in  Kumho  is  another  step  in  our 
strategy.  There  are  other  opportunities  to  make 
relatively  small  but  very  meaningful  acquisitions  in 
Asia and we continue to study those opportunities. We 
have made good progress so far and, with the proper 
relationships,  we  can  become  a  top  brand  in  China. 
In  fact,  we  believe  that  the  market  will  be  growing 
quickly  enough  during  the  next  fi ve  years  that  we 
could exceed $1 billion in sales. 

To meet the demand for Cooper products across the 
globe,  our  manufacturing  facilities  must  operate  at 
peak  effi ciency.  During  2004  we  expanded  all  of  our 
plants and added new and more effi cient equipment 
necessary  to  meet  the  production  requirements  for 
the  premium  products  our  customers  are  expecting 

from  us. These  projects  are  now  largely  complete  in 
our  plants  in  Findlay,  Ohio;  Tupelo,  Mississippi;  and 
Melksham,  England;  and  will  continue  throughout 
2005  in  Albany,  Georgia;  and  Texarkana,  Arkansas. 
These  expansions  will  provide  us  with  an  additional 
two to three million tires. 

There  were  challenges  within  our  North  American 
manufacturing  operations  during  2004  as  we  con-
verted our machinery and processes to accommodate 
our advancement in high performance and premium 
products.  Adjusting  to  the  increased  complexity  of 
these products at the same time we were expanding, 
challenged  our  ability  to  meet  customer  demand.  
However,  our  effi ciencies  are  improving  as  we  move 
up  the  learning  curve  on  the  performance  lines.  We 
continue  to  add  new  equipment  and  push  our  Lean 
initiatives  to  reduce  waste,  manage  the  complexities 
and improve our output.  

At  the  same  time,  our  Melksham,  England,  operations 
continue to make signifi cant advancements in produc-
tion  effi ciencies.  The  facility  continues  to  apply  Lean 
tools  and reduce  waste as  we continue to  execute our 
strategy to produce primarily premium products at that 
facility while outsourcing broadline products in Asia. 

To  supplement  Cooper  production,  we  have 
established outsourcing arrangements in China with 
Kenda Rubber Industrial Co., and Hangzhou Zhongce 
Rubber Company which combined will increase our 
overall capacity by two million units in 2005. And, we 
anticipate beginning construction on a joint venture 
plant in China in the very near future with an eventual 
capacity of 10 to 12 million units.

During  2005,  we  will  begin  production  of  high 
performance  and  racing  tires  in  our  Athens, 
Georgia, 
facility,  which 
duced  tread  rubber  materials.  The 
conversion  of  this  facility 

formerly  pro-

9

A new world record for elapsed time on a street radial tire was set by driver Rick Head riding on Mickey Thompson ET 
Street Radials in October 2004. The new record of  7.663 at 186.56 mph beat the previous claim on that record of 7.98 
at 178 mph, which is a big margin in drag racing.

The ET Street Radial, which is a street legal radial drag tire, was developed and is being produced in the Findlay, Ohio, 
plant. The product targets American Muscle Car drag racing classes that require a DOT approved radial tire.

also provides us with the potential to add production  
of  high  performance  motorcycle  tires  which  we  
currently only produce in Melksham, England. 

•  The success of the new Dick Cepek FC II line, new 
specialty light truck (SLT) sizes and new customers 
fueled the success of radial light truck products.

Late  in  2004,  we  completed  our  new  4x4  test  track  at  our 
San Antonio testing facility which should help us facilitate 
new product testing and development. In other words, we  
continue making revolutionary changes to drive our results.

As we continue to enhance our product mix, improve our 
efficiencies,  and  seize  growth  opportunities  around  the 
globe, we are confident that our goal of 10 percent operat-
ing margins is achievable again in the foreseeable future.

The  performance  of  Mickey  Thompson  operations 
excelled during 2004 with increased sales of 34 per-
cent, on a year over year comparison.

The “drivers” of that success can be attributed to four 
major factors:

•  New  products  represent  25  percent  of  our  total 
sales and serve as the foundation for the success 
of an organization such as Mickey Thompson.

•  Mickey Thompson motorsports sales were greatly  
enhanced  with  the  introduction  of  the  new   
ET Street Radial and the continued success of our  
radial drag slick products.

10

•  Wheels,  which  provide  Mickey  Thompson  an   
accessory that complements our tires, experienced  
great sales growth.

During  2004,  Mickey  Thompson  Motorsports  identified  
all  sponsorship  activities  and  trackside  service  and 
equipment under the Cooper Motorsports banner. These 
motorsport  activities  include  drag  racing,  road  racing,  
off-road racing and land speed racing.

In April, the Saturn ION Sport Compact Drag car, running 
on  Mickey  Thompson  ET  Drag  slicks,  became  the  first 
front-wheel drive sport compact car to break the seven-
second barrier in the quarter mile.

And, as a part of our agreement with Saturn Motorsports, 
we  are  selling  mounted  and  balanced  tire  and  wheel 
packages that are, in turn, sold to Saturn dealers nation-
wide for consumer use. The tire and wheel packages are 
intended to replace original equipment tires and wheels 
on new Saturn IONs and are one of many sport compact 
tuner  accessories  available  to  the  Saturn  retailers. These 
packages feature Cooper Zeon 2XS and ZPT tires and two 
newly developed Cooper Zeon wheels.

The United States Postal Service maintains 208,000 
ground vehicles, of which 142,000 are considered long-life 
vehicles (LLV), resulting in additional retread opportunities 
for Oliver. The majority of the LLV vehicles are equipped 
with 14- and 15-inch tires.  Mold cure is being utilized for 
these vehicles to allow for improved ride characteristics 
compared to other retread products. 

The focus for Cooper’s 
retreading operations 
–  Oliver  Rubber  –  is  in 
tandem with the strategies 
of  the  North  American  tire 
division.  Oliver’s core initiatives 
are  to  expand  our  customer  base,  
improve  product  mix  and  capitalize  on 
growth opportunities.

Obtaining  an  exclusive  10-year  contract  to  retread  the 
United  States  Postal  Service  fleet  of  vehicles  was  an 
important  achievement  during  2004.  With  a  focus  on 
becoming  more  environmentally  conscious,  the  Postal 
Service  selected  Oliver  to  help  it  increase  the  use  of  
retreads  from  its  current  20  percent  to  70  percent  of 
their more than 200,000 vehicles within two years. Many 
of our retread customers are experiencing an increase in  
business  now  that  they  are  servicing  their  local  Postal 
Service vehicles. And of course, as our customers succeed, 
Oliver reaps the benefits of the new program as well.

In addition to the Postal Service contract, Oliver is bring-
ing  new  business  to  our  customers  by  facilitating  new 
contracts  from  trucking  fleets  of  various  sizes.  Oliver  is 
putting  new  emphasis  on  convincing  larger  fleets  to  
approve the use of Oliver products on their vehicles.

nationally  continues 

increase  moderately, 

Although  the  number 
of  retreads  being  sold 
to  
the 
number of retreaders is declin-
ing  due  to  consolidations  within 
the industry. Working to counteract that 
trend,  Oliver  has  embarked  on  a  revolutionary  
program  to  encourage  commercial  tire  dealers  who  
market  retread  tires  to  enter  into  the  business  and,  of 
course, become licensed Oliver retreaders. 

As  2005  commences,  Oliver  is  improving  its  product 
mix  by  introducing  new  compounds  to  enhance  our  
already  well-established  reputation  for  performance  in 
the marketplace.  The new rubber formulas will be used 
in retreads designed for on and off-highway applications, 
the waste hauling industry, and a premium performance 
compound for the traditional over-the-road applications. 

Growth opportunities are abundant as Cooper’s global 
strategy  develops  and  Oliver  looks  toward  prospects 
beyond  traditional  markets.    Additionally,  synergies 
between Cooper’s commercial tire business and Oliver 
are  progressing.    Oliver  also  has  the  capacity  to  seek 
new business through consumers of rubber products 
outside the tire industry.

11
11

$2,200

$2,000

$1,800

$1,600

$1,400

$1,200

$1,000

$800

$600

$400

$200

$0

COOPER TIRE SALES GROWTH

(million)

1985 

1987 

1989 

1991 

1993 

1995 

1997 

1999 

2001 

2003 2004

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) = 9.0%

Stockholders requiring a change of name, address or ownership 
of stock as well as information about stockholder records, lost 
or stolen certifi cates, dividend checks, dividend direct deposit 
and dividend reinvestment should contact our transfer agent by 
mail, by telephone or through its website. 

Filing Certifi cations

The Company has fi led the certifi cation required by Section 
302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 as an exhibit to its Form 
10-K for the fi scal year ending December 31, 2004 fi led with 
the Securities and Exchange Commission.  On June 2, 2004, the 
Company fi led with the New York Stock Exchange its Annual 
CEO Certifi cation. 

Direct Investment Plan

Computershare Investor Services serves as Administrator for a 
direct investment plan for the purchase, sale and/or dividend 
reinvestment of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company common 
stock. For information, call Computershare Investor Services 
at (888) 294-8217.

Shareholder Information

Executive Offi ces

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
701 Lima Avenue
Findlay, OH  45840
(419) 423-1321

For Information
Tire products  
Common Stock & Dividends 
Investor Relations 
Web site      

(800) 854-6288
(419) 424-4323 
(419) 427-4768
coopertireandrubber.com

Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of stockholders will be held at 10:00 a.m., 
Tuesday, May 3, 2005, at Urbanski’s, 1500 Manor Hill Road, 
Findlay, Ohio. All stockholders are cordially invited to attend. 
Proxy material is sent to stockholders together with this report.

Transfer Agent & Registrar

Computershare Investor Services LLC
2 North LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL   60602

(888) 294-8217 (toll free)
24 hours automated or Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 
(central time)

www.computershare.com

web.queries@computershare.com

12

 
Board of Directors
Arthur H. Aronson 1, 2
Former Executive Vice President, 
Allegheny Teledyne Incorporated

Dennis J. Gormley 2
Former Chairman and  
Chief Executive Officer,  
Federal-Mogul Corporation

Byron O. Pond 3
Chairman, President and  
Chief Executive Officer,  
Amcast Industrial Corporation

Laurie J. Breininger 2
Former President, Americas Bath 
and Kitchen, American Standard 
Companies Inc.

John J. Holland 1, 2
Former Chairman and  
Chief Executive Officer,  
Butler Manufacturing Company

John H. Shuey 1, 2
Former Chairman, President  
and Chief Executive Officer,  
Amcast Industrial Corporation

Thomas A. Dattilo 
Chairman, President and Chief 
Executive Officer,  
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

John F. Meier 1, 3
Chairman and  
Chief Executive Officer,  
Libbey Inc.

Richard L. Wambold 3
Chairman, President and  
Chief Executive Officer,  
Pactiv Corporation

1   Member of the Nominating 
and Governance Committee

2    Member of the Audit  

Committee

3    Member of the  

Compensation Committee

Executive Officers 

Thomas A. Dattilo
Chairman, President and Chief 
Executive Officer

D. Richard Stephens
Vice President

James E. Kline
Vice President,  
General Counsel and Secretary

Philip G. Weaver
Vice President and  
Chief Financial Officer

Harold C. Miller
Vice President

Eileen B. White
Corporate Controller

Facilities

North America

  United States
  Albany, Georgia, tires
  Albany, Georgia, distribution center
  Asheboro, North Carolina, tread rubber
  Asheboro, North Carolina, sales office
  Asheboro, North Carolina, distribution center
  Athens, Georgia, tread rubber
  Cedar Rapids, Iowa, distribution center
  Clarksdale, Mississippi, bladders/mixing
  Corona, California, sales office
  Corona, California, distribution center
  Dayton, New Jersey, distribution center
  Findlay, Ohio, tires
  Findlay, Ohio (2), technical centers
  Findlay, Ohio, headquarters
  Findlay, Ohio, distribution center
  Moraine, Ohio, distribution center
  Pearsall, Texas, technical center
  Rancho Cucamonga, California, distribution center
  Salisbury, North Carolina, tread rubber
  Stow, Ohio, sales office
  Stow, Ohio, distribution center 
  Sumner, Washington, distribution center
  Texarkana, Arkansas, tires
  Texarkana, Arkansas, distribution center
  Tupelo, Mississippi, tires
  Tupelo, Mississippi, distribution center

Other Corporate Officers

Patricia J. Brown
Vice President

James H. Geers
Vice President

Donald P. Ingols
Vice President

Charles F. Nagy
Assistant Treasurer

Linda L. Rennels
Vice President

Stephen O. Schroeder
Vice President and Treasurer

Jack J. McCracken
Assistant Secretary

Stephen W. Switzer
Vice President

Gregory E. Meyers
Assistant General Counsel

Europe

  France
  Compiegne, France, sales office
  Compiegne, France, distribution center

Italy

  Milan, Italy, distribution center

  Germany
  Wilnsdorf, Germany, sales office
  Wilnsdorf, Germany, distribution center

  Switzerland
  Dietikon, Switzerland, sales office 
  Dietikon, Switzerland, distribution center

  United Kingdom
  Melksham, U.K., European headquarters
  Melksham, U.K., tires
  Melksham, U.K., technical center

Asia

  China
  Shanghai, China, sales office

  Singapore
  Singapore, purchasing office

 
COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY

www.coopertire.com