In January 1991, Eau Claire, Wisconsin's Uniroyal tire plant employees received devastating news: after 75 years of manufacturing tires, the plant was scheduled to close. As the city struggled to overcome the loss of its largest employer, the former employees struggled to find their footing in a quickly changing world. What would happen next was anyone’s guess. But if the city hoped to survive, it was up to its citizens to figure out how.
When Rubber Hits the Road is more than a story about tires. It’s the story of a Midwestern city’s attempt to reinvent itself in the wake of America’s manufacturing decline. It’s a blueprint, too, for how a community can bounce back—when people commit themselves to embracing change.
Following the film, join filmmakers B.J. Hollars and Steve Dayton for a conversation and Q&A about the making of the documentary.