Who Makes Kelly Tires And Where Are They Manufactured?

With its history dating back to 1894, the Kelly-Springfield Tire Company is one of the oldest American tire manufacturers and also one of the very first to produce solid rubber tires for both carriages and early automobiles. Since its inception, the company has become one of the most prominent manufacturers of custom tires and even the world's top producer of farm tires. 

Since 1935, the Kelly Tires brand has been owned by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company as a subsidiary, and its tires are manufactured across Goodyear's global manufacturing network. Specifically, Kelly passenger vehicle tires are made in the U.S., making it one of the few tire brands produced in America. Furthermore, the Goodyear 2023 Annual Report states that its Americas segment "manufactures and sells several lines of Kelly brand radial tires." In short, Kelly tires are built where Goodyear builds consumer tires in the Americas: the two Goodyear consumer tire plants in the U.S., located in Fayetteville, N.C., and Lawton, Oklahoma.

According to owners, Kelly tires are generally viewed as solid mid-tier tires that can do most of what's asked of them. Though not the best in performance or longevity, they are more than enough for casual daily use and won't break the bank for most customers. The brand is praised for making durable tires with excellent traction on and off-road. Due to lower rolling resistance, Kelly tires also emphasize fuel efficiency. 

On the other hand, the brand's lineup does lack dedicated extreme off-road and winter options. From a warranty perspective, the Kelly Edge Touring all-season tire is backed by an impressive 65,000-mile warranty, while most other models offer warranty coverages ranging between 50,000 and 60,000 miles. Although better than the industry average of 40,000 to 60,000 miles, it pales in comparison to premium all-season tires such as the Michelin Defender T+H, which comes with an 80,000-mile warranty.

As one of 12 tire brands owned by Goodyear, Kelly sits somewhere in the middle, offering a budget-friendly, no-frills tire that provides 80% of the performance of a premium tire at 30% less cost. According to Goodyear, "Kelly is a straightforward solution to tire buying offering strong and reliable performance at a significant value." 

The value proposition of Kelly tires is that drivers get solid warranty coverage, attainable prices, and a tire made in the same production facility as most of the other Goodyear tire brands. According to Tire Review's 2020 Tire Brand Study, Goodyear is the most widespread brand, with 53% of dealers carrying its tires, while other Goodyear family ratings include Cooper at 43%, Kelly at 29%, Hercules at 20%, and Mastercraft at 20%.

However, Kelly does outperform its parent in other areas. For example, Kelly scored 7.8 for profitability, while Goodyear scored 6.6. Even though Goodyear is the premium brand, dealers actually rated all other family brands as more profitable to sell. Moreover, in terms of adjustment policy (how helpful manufacturers are when issues arise), Kelly ranks first with a score of 8.4, surpassing Goodyear's adjustment policy score of 7.4.