The list of Goodyear tires containing soybean oil in the compound continues to grow, and so do the beneficiaries of those tires across Indiana. The Indiana Soybean Alliance, the state soybean checkoff, recently donated a set of soy-based tires to Benton County EMS.
“We always need tires in a business where we are moving people and responding to emergencies, and we’re always looking to replace and making sure that they’re at their best operating status,” says Jason Fisher, Director of Benton County EMS.
For more than a decade the state and national checkoffs have worked with Goodyear to find this new use for what comes out of soybean fields. Allen Buchanan is a Benton County farmer and Secretary on the ISA Board.
“There’s been a collaboration with Indiana Soybean Alliance and Goodyear, and the checkoff is just always looking for ways to substitute soybean oil for petroleum products,” he explained. “Goodyear research has found that it makes the tires a little more pliable and works better in snow and ice. A lot of great feedback and the Soybean Alliance is doing this all across the state for fire departments, food pantries and all kinds of public services, and they’re getting great feedback on the performance.”
Fisher agrees. His early reviews on the quality of the tire grip are positive, and he is hopeful for good winter results too.
“With the weather the way it’s been, I can say that it’s much better. The tires seem to handle well and have definitely improved the operating status from the tires that we did have. A lot of research points to the all-weather being improved for all weather use and so I’m hoping that that’s the case for us.”
He told HAT it is very fitting having a soy-based tire on a Benton County emergency vehicle.
“We’re very ag based, as everybody knows in Benton County, and so having that capability of knowing that some of the products that we see every day that the farm community works hard to keep going are in our tires now. I think that’s a positive for us, a positive for the ag community and those that raise and make the product.”
Goodyear’s use of soybean oil is increasing each year, and the variety of soy-based tires is expanding too. Buchanan hopes for continued expansion.
“Well potentially we hope it can develop into a lot more,” he told HAT. “I’m not really sure what percentage they use this soybean oil in ag tires, but that’s obviously a really huge market as well, and I hope that it’s something that they can continue to build on. You know every little bit helps, and we are just always trying to move that pile and use up demand in some way every day.”
And for Fisher at EMS, he appreciates the donation, but he also looks forward to buying these tires that his own community raises.
Read more here about the many applications for which Goodyear has produced soy-based tires.
