BFGoodrich: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

The business was founded in Akron, Ohio, in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Benjamin Franklin Goodrich, and the name was changed to the B. F. Goodrich Company in 1880. The company started with pneumatic bicycle tires and in 1896 became the first American manufacturer to produce pneumatic automobile tires. Over the twentieth century it diversified well beyond rubber into chemicals and aerospace, and it eventually divested the tire business to concentrate on those other lines. The remaining industrial company later took the name Goodrich Corporation, which is a separate corporate history from the tire brand and should not be confused with it.

The tire side of the business changed hands at the end of the 1980s, when Michelin acquired the Uniroyal Goodrich tire operations along with the BFGoodrich brand. Since then BFGoodrich has been marketed as a brand of Michelin North America, Inc., which is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. The brand is best known for all-terrain, mud-terrain, and performance tires, and it carries a long motorsport association through desert racing and endurance events.

Manufacturing has long anchored the brand's employment footprint in the United States. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama, plant has produced BFGoodrich tires for decades and the brand publicly marked 75 years of manufacturing there. In June 2026, Michelin announced that tire production and rubber mixing at Tuscaloosa would gradually ramp down over roughly two years, with the plant slated to close by the end of 2028, a reorganization reported to affect approximately 1,200 employees. An earlier BFGoodrich plant in Opelika, Alabama, which employed roughly 1,000 wage and salaried workers, closed in 2009. Candidates researching the brand should factor this changing manufacturing footprint into their plans.

Company culture and employee programs:

Roles associated with BFGoodrich are largely industrial: tire builders and machine operators, rubber mixing technicians, maintenance and reliability technicians, quality and process engineers, warehouse and logistics staff, and plant support functions such as safety, human resources, and finance. Manufacturing environments of this kind typically involve rotating shifts, structured safety training, and skills certification for equipment operation. Pay, benefits, and shift differentials are set at the Michelin North America level and vary by site, role, and whether a position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, so candidates should confirm details with the recruiter for the specific plant.

Yes. Employers in the tire and automotive manufacturing industry, including the operations behind BFGoodrich, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates provided they follow applicable federal, state, and local law. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which sets rules on disclosure, written consent, and the adverse action process. Manufacturing employers also operate under workplace safety regulations that commonly shape what they screen for in safety-sensitive positions.

Manufacturing employers of this scale are generally reported to conduct background checks as part of hiring, and roles tied to the BFGoodrich brand are typically described the same way. Screening is common in plant environments because employees operate heavy machinery, handle industrial chemicals, and work in facilities with controlled access. The specific components of a BFGoodrich background check may vary by role, plant location, and applicable state law.

The sequence varies by site and job family, but a plant hiring process of this type generally begins with an online application through the parent company's careers system. Candidates who meet the posted requirements complete a phone screen and, for production roles, often a skills or aptitude assessment. On-site or virtual interviews with a supervisor and human resources follow, and some technical roles add a hands-on evaluation. Candidates who receive a conditional offer are typically asked to consent to a background check and, in many industrial settings, to complete a drug screen and a physical or functional capacity evaluation before a start date is set.

Turnaround depends on which searches are ordered, how responsive courts and previous employers are, and how many jurisdictions a candidate's history touches. Many manufacturing screenings return within a few business days, while reports requiring multi-county criminal searches, education verification, or manual record retrieval can take longer. Candidates who want more detail on typical timing can review background check turnaround times.

The employer chooses which components to include. For an industrial manufacturing role connected to BFGoodrich, a background check may include some or all of the following:

Lookback windows depend on the search type and the state where the candidate lives or worked. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies are generally limited from reporting most adverse information older than seven years, with exceptions for certain record categories and for positions above a defined salary threshold. Alabama, South Carolina, and Indiana, states where tire manufacturing operations have been located, each set their own rules around how criminal history may be considered, so results can differ by site.

No detailed public policy on applicants with felony records has been published for the brand, and manufacturing employers typically make these decisions case by case. Relevant considerations usually include the nature and seriousness of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and whether it bears on the safety or security responsibilities of the position. Many states and municipalities have adopted "ban-the-box" laws limiting when criminal history may be raised during an application. Applicants are generally advised to answer honestly and be prepared to provide context.

Candidates are typically asked to sign a standalone disclosure and give written authorization before any report is ordered. Be prepared to provide accurate personal information, including full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history. Technical and skilled trades applicants may also be asked for documentation of certifications, apprenticeship completion, or a commercial driver's license where applicable. Accurate information helps searches run in the correct jurisdictions and helps avoid delays.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the US federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information. Under the FCRA, an employer must obtain written consent before running a background check, provide a copy of the report and a summary of rights before taking adverse action, and allow the candidate an opportunity to dispute inaccurate information before a final decision. For a detailed overview of the FCRA and the related Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance, visit Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Pre-employment drug screening is common in tire and rubber manufacturing because production roles involve heavy equipment, high-temperature processes, and industrial chemicals. Where a test is required, it is typically ordered after a conditional offer and completed at a designated collection site. Policies differ by plant and state, including how each jurisdiction treats lawful cannabis use, and unionized sites may have testing terms set out in a collective bargaining agreement. Candidates should ask the recruiter what applies at the specific location.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what BFGoodrich may see and help you identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your job application. In one secure report you can review:

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The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.