Under crusty old (74) William Francis O'Neil, Akron's General Tire & Rubber Co. is probably the fastest-growing, most diversified company in the rubber industry. Last year General Tire and its 46 subsidiaries and affiliates grossed more than $730 million (net: $26 million), turned out such diverse products as tires, rocket engines, tennis balls, plastics, steel, wrought iron, movies and girdles. The reason for so many far-flung enterprises, explains O'Neil blithely, is that "I wanted enough diversification so that my sons wouldn't have to scrap with each other." Last week Board Chairman O'Neil shuffled General Tire's management, laid out new...
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