Giving a new lease of life to reclaimed Goodyear sign

A familiar landmark in Wolverhampton has found a new permanent home at the Black Country Living Museum thanks to St. Modwen Homes.

To celebrate the heritage of the city’s former Goodyear site, the homebuilder has donated and transported the original Goodyear sign to the award-winning museum in Dudley.

The iconic US tyre giant, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, bought the Wolverhampton site in 1927 and it became Goodyear’s only manufacturing plant in the UK. The factory quickly became a focal part of the community and in its heyday employed around 7,000 workers.

To preserve the role the factory had once played in this community, St. Modwen Homes organised for the sign, which weighed over a tonne, to be safely delivered and positioned at the Black Country Living Museum.

Dave Smith, Managing Director at St. Modwen Homes, said:

“While Goodyear is a global business, the company has a deep-rooted history within the city of Wolverhampton and that’s why we wanted to preserve its heritage by donating the Goodyear sign to the Black Country Living Museum. The sign was the last remaining part of the former factory so we are extremely pleased that it will now be displayed for the general public to enjoy and learn about its history.”