Dunlop Rubber
| Formerly | List
|
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive, sports equipment |
| Founded | 18 November 1889 |
| Founders | |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Fate | Acquired by BTR plc in 1985, becoming a brand, then operated by different companies worldwide after BTR folded, mainly by Sumitomo Rubber Industries |
| Successor | BTR plc |
| Headquarters | , England |
Key people | Eric Geddes (Director, 1922–24) |
| Products | |
| Brands | Dunlopillo Aquafort |
Number of employees | 102,000 (1970) |
| Divisions | Dunlop Tyres Dunlop Sport |
| Subsidiaries | Slazenger (1959–85) George Angus Ltd. (1968–85) |
Dunlop Ltd, formerly Dunlop Rubber, was a British multinational company, involved in the manufacture of various natural rubber goods. The business was founded in 1889 by Harvey du Cros, and he involved John Boyd Dunlop, who had re-invented and developed the first practical pneumatic tyre for his child's tricycle.
The company was one of the first multinationals and, under du Cros and, after him, under Eric Geddes, it grew to be one of the largest British industrial companies, although J. B. Dunlop had dropped any ties to it well before his name was used for any part of the business. The business and factory was founded in Upper Stephen Street, Dublin. A plaque marks the site, which is now part of the head office of the Irish multinational departments store brand, Dunnes Stores.
Despite having recognised by the mid-1960s the potential drop in demand as the more durable radial tyres swept the market, Dunlop Rubber failed to adapt to evolving market conditions in the 1970s. After taking on excessive debt, Dunlop was acquired in 1985 by the industrial conglomerate BTR. Since then, ownership of the various Dunlop trademarks has become fragmented.