Goodyear adds niche

Article Excerpt

GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO. $33.39 (Nasdaq symbol GT; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (330-796-2122; www.goodyear.com; Shares outstanding: 251.8 million; Market cap: $8.4 billion; Dividend yield: 1.7%) will buy Germany’s Ventech Systems GmbH, a leader in automated tire inspection technology. As vehicles, including buses, trucks and cars, drive over Ventech’s PneuScan device, the system measures their tire pressure, tread depth and vehicle weight. With the Ventech acquisition, Goodyear moves further into the fleet management business. Aside from fuel costs, the care and maintenance of truck tires is one of the largest contributors to operational costs for commercial fleets. With this latest purchase, the company will more efficiently help fleet operators identify tire-related safety issues. Goodyear Tire & Rubber is a buy. buy…