AKRON, Ohio — Goodyear’s North American commercial tire systems recently said that it has refocused its business model in retreading.

The new business team links all functions, such as manufacturing, product supply and sales and marketing, to enable improved decision-making.

Joe Zekoski has been appointed director of retread systems. Zekoski, director of commercial and farm tire technology since 2001, was general manager for sales and marketing in retreading in 1996-98.

"Zekoski’s appointment formalizes the linkage of all functions that are required to make better decisions that advance the company’s retread business," said Steve McClellan, vice president of Goodyear commercial tire systems in North America. "We have to change the business model to allow retread systems that chance to succeed and profit from dynamics in the marketplace. Business decisions must be based on business facts that make sense in optimizing margins and the needs of our customers."

Zekoski has held several technical positions in Goodyear’s passenger, truck and original-equipment business as well as director of tire technology for North American tire operations in 1998. He also spent a year as a general manager in the company’s Engineered Products business.

He joined Goodyear in 1979 as tire engineer in truck tire programs, and later, was assistant chief engineer at Goodyear’s Technical Center in Luxembourg.

Born in Kingston, Pa., Zekoski earned an engineering mechanics degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in business administration from California State College. In the Air Force, he was project officer in space and missile systems and a staff officer at Strategic Air Command headquarters.

For more information, visit www.goodyear.com/truck/services/nextred.html