The company had become a monument to its own success. Its culture and operations reflected the vision of its founder, Harvey Firestone, Sr., who insisted on treating customers and employees as part of the “Firestone family.” The Firestone country club was open to all employees, regardless of rank, and Harvey himself maintained close friendships with the top executives of the big carmakers. (In fact, his granddaughter married Henry Ford’s grandson.) Firestone created fiercely loyal managers, steeping them in the company’s family values and in its Akron-centered worldview.