TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) — Goodyear announced Monday it is buying Cooper Tire in a deal valued at $2.8 billion, meaning that one of the area's largest employers will soon change hands.
Cooper Tire is the fifth-largest tire manufacturer in the United States, and Goodyear said the deal strengthens its position as the leader in the U.S tire industry.
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Cooper Tire is the fourth largest employer in Lee County, according to the Community Development Foundation.
The tire maker employs 1,720 people and its manufacturing plant has had a long time presence in Tupelo.
In announcing the deal, Goodyear indicated it would keep the Cooper Tire brand.