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COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY IN 2014:
COMPETING IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE MARKET FOR REPLACEMENT TIRES

CASE SUMMARY
Tahun 2014, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, sebuah perusahaan independen di industri ban, menduduki rangking ke 11 produsen terbesar di dunia dan di Amerika Utara menduduki peringkat ke 4 produsen ban terbesar. Meski begitu, dengan kapasitas 97.000 konsumsi ban per hari, jumlah tersebut masih 20% lebih kecil dibandingkan 4 tahun sebelum ia menutup pabrik di Albany, Georgia.

Company history
Perusahaan didirikan oleh John F. Schaefer dan Claude E. Hart dengan membeli M and M manufacturing. Kemudian mulai mengembangkan bisnis dengan melakukan akuisisi dan membeli perusahaan-perusahaan kecil termasuk kompetitornya yang mulai merugi ketika pasar mulai turun. Cooper juga mendirikan pabrik-pabrik baru di luar Amerika utara. Hingga 2014, Cooper memiliki setidaknya 65 pabrik, penjualan dan fasilitas desain yang berlokasi di 11 negara. Penjualan Cooper terus meningkat sejak 2009 hingga 2012. Akan tetapi pada 2013, penjualan dan laba bersih Cooper turun. Jumlah asset Cooper juga turun, meskipun modal kerja dan rasio lancarnya naik. Jumlah karyawan Cooper juga berkurang dibandingkan tahun sebelumnya.

Company strategy plan
Visi Cooper adalah “together, around the world. One companya,,,one team…one goal: creating superior value, for our custoers, employees,partners and shareholders”. Kunci penting dalam rencana strategi ini adalah membangun struktur biaya yang kompetitif dan meningkatkan profitabilitas, driving top-line profitable growth, dan membangun kapabilitas perusahaan. Untuk mewujudkan top-line, Cooper mengeluarkan produk premium, yang memberikan sumbanfan 30% sales tahun berikutnya. Cooper terus berinvestasi di negara-negara berbiaya rendah, yang memposisikan perusahaan untuk meningkatkan biaya operasional, fleksibiltas yang tinggi secara geografis dan kemampuan untuk melakukan penetrasi pasar di luar negara-negara bagian Amerika. Untuk mengaitkan kaabilitasnya, Cooper merubah budaya kerja di Cooper dengan mindset peningkatan secara terus menerus. Perusahaan melatih black and green black sebagai bagian dari Lean Six sigma Effort, sehingga mendorong perubahan internal perusahaan untuk melakukan peningkatan secara cepat dan berkelanjutan bagi operasional perusahaan.
Tahun 2009, perusahaan fokus pada rencana strategi imperative pertama dengan menutup pabrik di Albany, Georgia dan memindahkan produknya kedua perusahaan barunya. Tahun 2010, Cooper sepenuhnya beroperasi selama 24 jam selama 7 hari di Texarkana, Arkansas dan meningkatkan produksi di 6 dari 7 perusahaan yang ada di area tersebut. Tahun 2011, Cooper melakukan investasi jangka panjang dalam bentuk uang dan sumber-sumber daya lainnya. Hingga 2013, perusahaan terus melakukan investasi modal untuk memelihara momentum pertumbuhan perusahaan.

Cooper Tire & Rubber in 2014
Di tahun 2014, Cooper dan anak perusahaannya menduduki peringkat ke 4 perusahaan ban terbesar di Amerika Utara dan rangking 11 terbesar di seluruh dunia. Cooper fokus pada manufacture and sale of passanger and light and medium-truck replacement tires. Bridgestone memiliki jumlah pabrik dan kapsitas passenger car yang lebih banyak. Serta memiliki kapasitas truck dan lainnya, yang tidak dimiliki oleh Cooper. Sedangkan Carlisle hanya memiliki kapasitas di lain-lain yang justru lebh besar dibandingkan Bridgestone. Continental memiliki pabrik, kapasitas passanger car yang lebih kecil dibandingkan dengan Bridgestone dan Cooper. Tetapi ia memiliki kapasitas truck yang tidak dimiliki oleh cooper, meski tetap lebih kecil dibandingkan dengan Bridgestone.
North American Tire Operation Division
Di Amerika Utara, Cooper memiliki competitor besar yaitu Bridgestone, Goodyear dan Michelin. Sealin itu, juga menghadapi kompetitor produsen low cost di Asia, Mexico, South America dan Eropa tengah. Kapasitas Cooper memang di bawah Bridgestone, tetapi lebih besar jika dibandingkan dengan Goodyear dan Michelin. Faktor yang mempengaruhi penjualan replacement tire adalah harga, kualitas, performa, line coverage, ketersediaan di chanel distribusi dan hubungan dengan dealer. Factor lain yaitu garansi, perjanjian kredit dan program tambahan lainnya. Market share berdasarkan passanger car, Cooper memiliki 5.5% atau rangking kelima dibandingka Goodyear 13%, Michelin 8.5%, Bridgestone 8% dan Firestone 7.5%. sedangkan menurut light-truck, Cooper berada di posisi ke 6 dengan market share 6%, lebih kecil dibandingkan Goodyear 12%, BF Goodrich 9%, Bridgestone 8%, Michelin 7% dan Firestone 6.5%.

International Tire Operation Division
Divisi internasional ada 2 di Inggris, yang memproduksi dan memasarkan passanger car, light truck, motorcycle, racing tires and tire retread material untuk seluruh dunia. 1 di Serbia yang memproduksi light vehicle tires untuk pasar Eropa. Dan 2 di China yang memproduksi light vehicle tires untuk keperluan ekpor. Juga, memproduksi dan memasarkan medium truck tires seperti passanger car dan light truck tires untuk seluruh dunia.

Quality Control
QC dikelola oleh staf khusus. Tetapi untuk tanggungjawabnya diserahkan kepada pekerja individu yang dilatih untuk mengecek dan memastikan kualitas. Setiap ban diberi nama merek produk dan stiker nama QC yang melakukan pengecekan. Hal ini meningkatkan kebanggan dalam kecakapan pekerja dan memberikan ikatan dengan konsumen yang membeli ban tersebut.

Marketing Positioning 1 faktor sukses Cooper adalah, ia membatasi dirinya untuk pasar penggantian ban. Meskipun Cooper masih sangat kecil di pasar dunia, tetapi ia satu-satunya perusahaan dari Amerika yang menolak untuk berkompetisi dengan low-profit margin OEM sales untuk mobil.

Distribution and Marketing Pelanggan Cooper adalah pembeli ban dengan private label dan pembeli dari house-brand tires. Perusahaan tidak membuka outlet yang dimiliki perusahaan, sehingga dengan private label, perusahaan mampu menghindarkan persaingan antar retailer market, dan mampu menghasilkan loyalitas dari retailer. Independent dealers dan distributors juga memberikan keuntungan bagi perusahaan. Marketing Cooper difokuskan pada independent dealer dengan memberikan superior service, delivery dan penawaran value-priced product. House brand tire lebih cepat berkembang dibandingkan private label. Dealer menyukai Cooper karena, Cooper tidak memiliki company retailer store yang dapat menjadi pesaing bagi dealer tersebut, sehingga mampu memberikan gross profit yang lebih besar yaitu 33%, jika dibandingkan dealer dari brand lain 28%.

ANALISIS KEUANGAN
Growth dan Market share
Market share Cooper tahun 2012 dan 2013 sama besarnya, yaitu 5.5% untuk passanger car dan 6% untuk light-truck tires. Sehingga bisa disimpulkan bahwa pasar perusahaan berhenti di tempat/stugnan. Hal yang sama juga dialami kompetitor Cooper yaitu Goodyear. Market share Goodyear masih tetap sama di tahun 2012 dan 2013. Yaitu sebesar 13% untuk passanger car tires dan 12% untuk light truck tires. Baik Cooper maupun Goodyear tahun 2013 mengalami penurunan penjualan. Akan tetapi Cooper juga mengalami penurunan laba bersih, sedangkan Goodyear mengalami peningkatan laba bersih, meski penjualannya menurun. Sedangkan Bridgestone mengalami kenaikan penjualan dan laba bersih dengan pertumbuhan sebesar 3,8%.

COOPER TIRE AND RUBBER COMPANY | ANALISIS KEUANGAN | | Dalam juta, kecuali rasio | RASIO | Tahun | RASIO HUTANG | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | Profitability ratios | | | | | | Gross profit margin | 15% | 16% | 9% | 12% | 15% | Operating profit margin | 7% | 9% | 4% | 6% | 6% | Net profit margin | 9% | 14% | 7% | 8% | 7% | Total ROA | | | | | | Net ROA | 4% | 8% | 10% | 5% | 4% | ROE | 10% | 24% | 36% | 22% | 18% | ROIC | 4% | 8% | 10% | 5% | 4% | Liquidity Ratios | | | | | | Current ratio | 258% | 221% | 194% | 193% | 178% | Working capital | 890.2 | 794.6 | 613 | 646 | 495.5 | Debt/Aset rasio | 61% | 68% | 72% | 77% | 0.7790 | Long term debt/capital | 22% | 27% | 32% | 38% | 0.4163 | Debt to equity | 145% | 208% | 260% | 341% | 3.5255 | Long term debt/equity | 28% | 37% | 47% | 61% | 0.7132 | Times interest earned | 8.6272 | 13.4542 | 4.5110 | 5.1475 | 3.3114 | Dividend payout rasio | 24% | 12% | 10% | 22% | 27% | Internal cash flow | 245.80 | 348.90 | 376.40 | 240.00 | 206.90 | Free cash flow | 65.40 | 161.60 | 221.00 | 120.30 | 127.60 |

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