Hankook Tire Nominated Member of ETRMA

Hankook Tire reports that it has been officially nominated concordantly as a corporate member by the Board of Directors of the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), representing the interests of the European tyre and rubber goods industry. The company will become an official direct member of ETRMA as of 1 January 2009. Currently, ETRMA has 11 tyre corporate – direct members; Hankook Tire will be the 12th.

“We are very pleased and honoured to being appointed as a direct member of this important association. This reflects our status as a genuine European company”, says Jin-Wook Choi, executive vice-president of Hankook Tire and COO for the European market. “I am sure that this, together with our original equipment business serving leading European car manufacturers, will support the perception of Hankook Tire in Europe as a premium brand. Our tyres are not only engineered in and for Europe, they are made in and for Europe.”

Hankook Tire’s European production facility is located in Rácalmás, some 80km south of Budapest in Hungary. It began operations in June 2007 and supplies the European market with summer, winter and all-season tyres for passenger cars, SUV and light trucks. Approximately 1,200 employees are currently producing an average of 15,000 tyres per day. The planned second phase of plant expansion is anticipated to double the output to more than 10 million tyres per year by 2010.

The company’s European Technical Centre (ETC) is located in Langenhagen, Germany. There, 40 engineers develop Hankook tyres to European standards meeting European demands. Research and development is geared to quality requirements of the German automobile industry, which holds the reputation of being the most demanding worldwide. Among the companies equipped by Hankook is Volkswagen AG, the largest European car manufacturer. Hankook delivers tyres directly to the company’s head plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, to equip numerous models, including the all new VW Golf VI, the Tiguan and the Polo.

The ETRMA has been devoted to advocating the interests of the tyre and rubber manufacturing industries with the European Union Institutions and other international organisations since 1959. Today the tyre and general rubber goods industry represents 4,200 companies, which employ 360 000 people in EU27. All together they generate a turnover exceeding 49 billion euros. The product range of members is extensive from tyres, construction and automotive rubber goods to pharmaceutical and baby care. Actual Tyre Corporate members are Bridgestone Europe, Continental, Cooper Tires, Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe, Marangoni, Michelin, Mitas, Nokian Tyres, Pirelli Tyre, Trelleborg Wheel Systems and Vredestein.