Expansion to the north was due to the growing demand for bicycle and carriage ties as well as the proliferation of the automobile. Goodyear could foresee a promising future in tire sales in Canada and sent C.H. Carlisle to establish a small sales office and explore the possibility of future expansion.

Carlisle began by renting a small building 10m x 25m (35 feet x80 feet), for the sale of Goodyear tires in Toronto. With growing sales and a 35 per cent tariff on imported tires, the advantages of domestic tire production became obvious. The decision was quickly made to expand operations and build tires in Canada.

That same year, Paul W. Litchfield sent three men to lay the foundations of what was to become The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company of Canada Limited.

The organization was soon assembled. L.C. Van Bever, Who introduced Goodyear’s Do’Little rim in the U.S., became sales manager. A Canadian, F.D. Saylor, who was to distinguish himself in business, was assistant manager in charge of mechanical goods.

J.A. Gilhooly was in charge of tires and tubes, with Carlisle taking on the post of secretary treasurer. Goodyear’s dynamic drive forward in the Canadian market place had begun.

The first Goodyear plant outside of the United States was located in Bowmanville, Ontario. Near the Grand Trunk and Canadian Pacific rail systems, the plant was in a perfect location because it provided exporting and importing facilities nearby. There were also enough skilled people close at hand to help in the production of Goodyear’s top-quality products.

Beside the Goodyear building was the Durham Rubber Company, which was purchased by Goodyear in October of 1910.

The Bowmanville plant employed 150 people, almost the entire working population of the township. Most staff were either farmers or previous employees of the Durham Rubber Company. The average starting salary was 12 cents an hour for production workers. Supervisors received 22 cents per hour, and tire builders were paid 27 cents. By the standards of the day, Goodyear salaries were considered to be quite high.