Company: Timberland, Stratham, NH
Entry Submitted By: Cone Communications
Company Description: Timberland, a brand of VF Corporation, is a global leader in the design, engineering and marketing of premium- quality footwear, apparel and accessories for consumers who value the outdoors and their time in it. Timberland’s dedication to making quality products is matched by its commitment to “doing well and doing good.”
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Innovation of the Year - Consumer Products Industries

Nomination Title: Timberland Tires: Innovation in Action

Tell the story about this nominated innovation since January 1, 2014 (up to 650 words). Describe how the innovation was discovered, developed, refined and/or deployed. Provide an assessment of how the innovation has impacted or will impact your organization, your industry, markets or society.

The tire and footwear industries are two of the largest users of virgin rubber in the world. Beyond that, most tires on the road today have a limited life span, and ecologically-sound disposal at the end of their useful life presents a major challenge.

Imagine if leaders from these two industries came together to solve this issue by creating a more sustainable lifecycle for rubber? That’s exactly what Timberland and Omni United did.

Three years ago, global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland and tire designer and manufacturer Omni United formed a unique, cross-industry collaboration to address their shared concern related to the substantial use of virgin rubber in their respective products. Their engineers and materials experts set to work to identify a more sustainable lifecycle for rubber. In November 2014, they unveiled the fruits of their labor at the SEMA automotive trade show in Las Vegas.

Timberland Tires are the first-ever tires purposely designed and made to be recycled at the end of their useful road life into the outsoles of boots and shoes. This means that fewer tires end up in landfills or used as tire-derived fuel, and less virgin rubber gets used in footwear. For some time now, Timberland has been seeking a consistent source of recycled rubber that meets the brand’s stringent quality and environmental standards. Similarly, Omni United is always seeking innovative ways to extend the life of its tires beyond their road life. This collaboration is incredibly powerful in that it’s creating both business and environmental value in the form of a more sustainable lifecycle for rubber.

Timberland Tires represent a new model in tire innovation: a sustainable, tire-to-shoe lifecycle. Positioned at the premium end of the market, Timberland Tires are designed and created for superior performance and safety on the road. The tires will be made in the U.S. (using both domestic and imported materials) and feature a rubber formulation that is appropriate for the recycling of the tires at the end of their useful life. The first Timberland Tires will become available at select tire retailers in April 2015. The partnership reflects the shared values of sustainability, value and style – the centerpiece of both companies’ efforts.

A special collection of Timberland® boots with outsoles inspired by the treads on Timberland Tires, using alternate sources of recycled rubber, is slated to launch in fall 2016. Footwear featuring outsoles made using actual Timberland Tires will be introduced within a couple of years, once consumers have used and returned their Timberland Tires for recycling.

Timberland designs and manufactures its products with vigorous consideration for the environment. In 2014, 70% of all Timberland footwear shipped incorporated recycled, organic or renewable materials, and 98% of all the brand’s footwear leather was sourced from a silver-or gold-rated tannery, earning high marks on key environmental metrics as rated by the Leather Working Group. Timberland has also diverted more than 128 million plastic bottles from landfills through the use of recycled PET in its products. Timberland Tires is the next unique, materials innovation for the company.

This partnership marks a new day for the tire and footwear industries. An outdoor lifestyle brand and an automotive industry leader may seem unlikely partners – yet the two companies’ shared values have given birth to truly innovative tires that express a lifestyle, deliver performance and safety, and prove that sustainability can be so much more than a theory.

It’s this kind of collaboration that’s fueling change and innovation in the marketplace. Timberland Tires is the first tire brand to embrace a holistic approach, rather than a traditional approach based on product attributes alone. Given the strength of the Timberland brand, and the target consumer’s appreciation for sustainability, this partnership is a huge opportunity to change the way people choose their tires. With Timberland Tires, drivers can be confident that their tires will perform, while also making a statement that expresses their lifestyle and values.

In bullet-list form, briefly summarize up to ten (10) chief characteristics or benefits of the nominated innovation.

• The tire and footwear industries are two of the largest users of virgin rubber; ecologically-sound disposal at the end of a tire’s life presents a major challenge.
• Timberland has been seeking a consistent source of recycled rubber that meets its quality and environmental standards; Omni United is always seeking ways to extend a tire’s life beyond the road.
• Timberland and Omni United announced a line of tires designed for a second-life in the outsoles of Timberland boots and shoes.
• The two companies discovered a revolutionary rubber formulation and process for the recycling of tires into shoes.
• They will be made in the U.S. using domestic and imported materials; will become available in April 2015.
• This represents a new model in tire innovation: a sustainable, tire-to-shoe lifecycle.
• Will lead to fewer tires in landfills and less virgin rubber in footwear – an effort never before seen in the industry.