Yokohama Thai Subsidiary Officially Opens

(Akron/Tire Review) Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co, a subsidiary of The Yokohama Rubber Co, held its grand opening ceremony on 15 July.

The Thai facility, which began production in April, manufactures and sells truck and bus tyres. The grand opening commemorated the first tyres being shipped from the plant.

Approximately 200 people, including representatives from Japanese and overseas tyre sales companies and Japanese automakers and Tadanobu Nagumo, Yokohama president, attended the ceremony.

“The new facility’s mission will be to fulfil our commitment to provide the best products at competitive prices and on time,” stated Mr Nagumo. “We will accordingly cultivate Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) so that it becomes our largest comprehensive tyre production base outside Japan.”

The subsidiary was established in January 2004 and has an annual production capacity of 350,000 tyres. The tyres will be exported to replacement markets in Europe, North America and Oceania, according to Mr Nagumo.

The tyre manufacturer plans to expand production further – to 700,000 tyres a year – in a second phase of the plant’s development.