40 Today – Yokohama Tire in the US

It is forty years since Yokohama Tire Corporation commenced business in the US. The company’s first headquarters – the first sales operation to be set up outside of Japan – was located in Los Angeles and opened its doors for the first time on November 24, 1969. Four decades later, YTC services a nationwide network of more than 4,500 points of sale through its four distribution centres.

Talking about YTC’s operations, company president and CEO Takao Oishi said: “Consistent with the Grand Design 100 plan by our parent company, The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. in Japan, our philosophy in the US is to embrace corporate social responsibility with a focus on a triple bottom line. This triple bottom line consists of the economy, society and environment. Specific to environmental stewardship, we are affecting positive changes in our manufacturing processes, materials and product performance. Our overall corporate goal is to deliver the best products at competitive prices and on time while minimising impact to our planet.

“Performance is in the DNA of Yokohama’s heritage,” Oishi continued. “In the US and abroad, Yokohama is recognised for its ultra high-performance tyres, especially the iconic Advan brand, which YTC began selling in the US in 2005. YTC launched its newest member of the Advan family, the Neova AD08, in May 2009.

“Our Advan line and other performance tyres have been one of the keys to our success in the US,” the president and CEO concluded. “We are celebrating 40 successful years here and we have never compromised on performance and never will. Our customers demand it.”