MSR&PC treads new ground with ‘Driving Soy’ campaign By Drew Lyon

from Soybean Business May - June 2021

Minnesota soybeans – driven by farmer-led checkoff dollars – are hitting the road this summer, rolling out a win-win campaign that gives traction to the broad benefits and uses of soybean oil.

Throughout the summer months, the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and its nearly four-dozen organized counties are utilizing Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s line of soy-oil tires to highlight value-added products while also giving back to law enforcement agencies in their communities.

“Our board is very excited to launch this promotion,” said Council Director Gene Stoel, who chairs the organization’s communications task force. “It’s a way for us say thanks and honor the first responders in our community for all they do and the sacrifices they make to keep us safe. Additionally, these tires show not just farmers, but anyone who drives a vehicle, that using homegrown, sustainable products doesn’t mean compromising on quality or performance.”

The “Driving Soy” campaign puts the pedal to the metal on May 17 with a public relations promotion push throughout the state. The donation period to

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Goodyear’s soy-based tires are available

at goodyear.com, Discount Tires, Sam’s

Club and other leading tire retailers.

Rebates are often available with a purchase

of a full set.

local sheriff’s departments runs June 1-July 13. Each of the state’s 44 organized soybean counties (Minnesota is the only state to support a county-level program) will have the chance to donate a full set of Goodyear’s Eagle Enforcer All Weather tires – designed specifically for first responder vehicles traversing rugged climates like Minnesota’s – to their county sheriff’s department.

“In Minnesota and states where there’s a lot of snowfall, the benefit of the Eagle Enforcer is (police cars) can run those year-long,” said Joe Scalfaro, Goodyear’s government sales manager. “They don’t have to switch it off when the temperature drops, which is going to save them (money) in the long run.”

Using soybean oil in the tread compound creates a low glass transition temperature, helping to improve tire flexibility compared to petroleum oil. Soy oil also mixes easier with rubber, creating a more sustainable product.

“By taking advantage of the soybean oil properties, we’re able to have a lot more flexibility in our manufacturing,” said Bob Woloszynek, a chemist and Goodyear’s chief engineer of global raw materials and technology. “This allows us to improve multiple attributes simultaneously.”

In additional to the county promotion, the Council will give away two sets of Goodyear’s popular Assurance WeatherReady tires, also made with 100% soybean oil, at this year’s Farmfest (Aug. 3-5) and Big Iron (Sept 13-15). A third set of the WeatherReady tires, which are tailormade for everyday vehicles, will be available through an online promotion that will allow farmers to nominate their favorite nonprofits.

With COVID-19 gathering restrictions forecasted to ease by summertime, the timing is right for the Council to make a big splash for its county program after a year marked by cancelled events. Promoting soybean oil via checkoff investments in renewable technology is the perfect vehicle to steer the Council’s mission to improve farmer profitability, said MSR&PC Chair Cole Trebesch.

“There’s a high level of enthusiasm with our county boards for this campaign,” Trebesch said. “We all know summertime is fleeting in Minnesota, and after the hardships of the past year, our county boards are chomping at the bit to promote their commodities and checkoff investments.”

Finding their groove

Goodyear’s relationship with the United Soybean Board (USB) dates back to 2011, when the company began looking at alternative, sustainable oils for its tires. Previously, the tire manufacturer used soybean oil in its racing tires.

“We’re always looking for new materials and technology that can improve the tire performance,” Woloszynek said. “Considering its abundance in the U.S., soybean oil was the perfect place to start.”

Both organizations saw the partnership as a long-term collaboration. Goodyear first learned from a customer about USB and its checkoff investments into valueadded uses for soybeans.

“I didn’t know there were so many uses for soy,” Woloszynek said. “What I also didn’t realize was the significant amount of soybeans that are grown in the U.S. and the number of farmers. It’s amazing.”

It took three years of research and development before commercialization was reached in 2014, and three more years before the debut of Assurance WeatherReady’s soybean-oil tread compound. To date, Goodyear has released four lines of tires with soybean oil compounds: Assurance WeatherReady (2017), Eagle Enforcer All Weather (2018), Eagle Exhilarate (2019) and Assurance Comfort Drive (2020).

“The fact we were able to leverage soybean oil to get that sustainability aspect while improving the

In recognition of its use of soybean

oil, Goodyear was awarded the 2018 Tire

Technology International Environmental

Achievement of the Year. The company

sells about 40 million tires each year in the

United States and Canada.

performance of our products makes it a win-win,” Woloszynek said. “It’s an easy sell, and it’s something that we actually need and is providing the premium performance in our products.”

Without the investment from America’s 515,000 soybean farmers, the project likely wouldn’t have come to fruition, Woloszynek said, citing the myriad budgetary and material challenges products face through the commercialization state. The soybean checkoff afforded technicians the necessary resources to develop and improve the tire products.

“The checkoff dollars were a huge help. I firmly believe those checkoff dollars are a big reason Goodyer is where we are today,” he said. “Having that support from the United Soybean Board to supplement our work really kept it going, and we’re excited to continue working with them.”

USB says the partnership proves that U.S. farmers set the pace when it comes to applying cutting-edge technologies and best management practices to generate economic and environmental sustainability.

“We are pleased to partner with Goodyear for their award-winning innovation with U.S. soy in tires and are ready to meet their current and future needs for the sustainable procurement of soybeans,” USB Director Ed Lammers said. “U.S. soybean farmers offer a safe and reliable source of sustainably grown soybeans that provide versatility in the areas of food, feed and fuel and also deliver high-performance products for industrial use partners, such as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.”

Goodyear isn’t resting on its laurels. The Akron, Ohio-based company has increased its use of soybeans by 73% since 2018 and has pledged to fully replace all of its petroleum-driven oils with soybean oil by 2040. The Enforcer tires will appeal to more than just law enforcement but also state fleets and municipalities, increasing demand.

“We have a bold, long-range goal … and that ensures we’re going to continue using products that contain soybean oil,” Woloszynek said. “There’s a lot of potential here.”

Said Stoel: “After 2020, we’re all looking forward to this summer, and reconnecting with folks in our communities. This campaign is going to help our first responders and also show how the soybean checkoff continues to work for Minnesota farmers. It’s a winning message that we’re proud to support.”

From the seed bed to the tire thread, the soybean checkoff is helping the rubber meet the row. See you on the open road, Minnesota.

OH, HENRY!

In 1941, auto legend Henry Ford, in search of an alternative to steel, unveiled “The Soybean Car,” a 2,000-pound car (1,000 pounds lighter than a traditional steel car) made partially with soybean fiber. The car was eventually destroyed, and the plastic car movement was abandoned during World War II, when auto production was temporarily suspended.

HAVE A SEAT

Since 2011, under the direction of Henry Ford’s grandson, Bill Ford, every Ford vehicle built in North America has used soy foam in all seat cushions, head and backrests. The checkoff investment has saved hundreds of million pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

ROLL ON

During Hill Visits with state legislators, the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association touted the benefits of soybean oil in tire compounds and road sealants.

DID YOU KNOW?

About 8% of a typical tire is comprised of oil.

SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE

In 2015, Goodyear created 29 prototypes of the Assurance Weather Ready tire in two development sizes and tested it against non-soy based options. The soy tires prevailed. “It separated itself as the favorite pretty early on,” Woloszynek said.