Goodyear's new director

JAKARTA (JP): PT Goodyear Indonesia shareholders approved yesterday the appointment of Gary Lee Gustafson as a finance director, replacing B. Anantharaman.

The publicly listed tire company's public relations manager, Agung Laksamana, said the Nebraska (U.S.) native Gustafson was formerly the company's financial advisor.

The company booked a Rp 10.73 billion (US$4.39 million) net profit last year, up 87 percent from Rp 5.72 billion in 1995, Agung said after the annual shareholder's meeting.

Its net sales rose 7.7 percent to Rp 256.2 billion from Rp 237.8 billion in 1995. Agung said the company's exports rose 25.6 percent to Rp 44.4 billion last year, as a result of its exports to Japan for the first time.

Goodyear Indonesia, a US Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co subsidiary, now exports to over 50 countries. Agung said it could make about 9,000 tires a day. (das)