Groundbreaking marks start of Yokohama Philippines expansion

A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of expansion work on Yokohama’s tyre factory in the Philippines took place on May 23. The Clark Freeport Zone plant, located some 40 miles northwest of Manila, is being enlarged to around 460,000 square metres – about three times its current area – through a 50 billion yen (£376.6 million)) investment that by 2017 will boost annual capacity from seven to seventeen million tyres.

“This is the start of our dream to become a corporation that will bring new waves of change to the tyre industry as we move along our blueprint for success, the Grand Design 100,” Yokohama Rubber president Tadanobu Nagumo shared, referring to the company’s medium-term management plan. “This expansion programme is a vital part of the Yokohama Rubber Group to increase production capacity to meet the demands of customers worldwide and to get ready for stiffer competition.” Nagumo also stated that Yokohama Rubber’s decision to invest in the Philippines, through the development at the former Clark Air Base site in 1996, was “one of the best decisions” the company has made so far, and Yokohama Tire Philippines “is currently, and will continue to be, a strong force in the Yokohama Rubber group.”