Fifty-five-year-old Gary Williams, from Broughton Hackett, near Worcester, is preparing to travel 400km (248 miles) across Kenya in the Transaid cycle ride, which begins in Nairobi on Saturday, November 10. With the help of local companies, including Hankook Tyres, he is hoping to raise thousands of pounds to help improve people’s quality of life.
Hankook is switching its attention to cycling this winter with the launch of plans to support transport charity Transaid in a 400 km charity cycle ride across Kenya. The tyremaker has pledged its support by becoming key sponsor for Gary Williams, a 55 year old former tyre fitter who is now on the board of Transaid and works for Direct Tyre Management.
Gary said he was looking forward to the fundraising effort. “This is a huge challenge for me but such a worthwhile cause,’’ he said, adding that he is already in training for the cycle ride. “At the moment I’m cycling 20 miles at a time and just thinking about the amazing views across Rift Valley and Lake Victoria.’’
Hankook’s UK commercial sales manager Barrie Horrocks said he was delighted that the company was part of this fundraising event that will help people in Africa benefit from safe, affordable and efficient transport. “As a global company Hankook is involved in transportation around the world and to be participating in such a prestigious and worthwhile event is ideal for us,’’ said Barrie. “We fully support this initiative.”
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duk Soo has reportedly put pressure on Hankook to adhere to Hungarian labour laws. Hankook has been subjected to a string of complaints of its treatment of Hungarian workers recently. “Hankook will comply with Hungarian labour law…we have to guarantee labour rights in Korea,” MTI news agency quoted him as saying following a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Ferenc Gyurcsany in Budapest.
Local unions had earlier said that Hankook, which employs 800 people at the plant, has ignored conventions put in place by the International Labour Organization and the European Union. Gyurcsany defended the firm, however saying that when two different cultures meet, time is needed for acclimatisation.
Rally driver Dave Appleby is set to wow the crowds at the Castle Combe Rallyday on Saturday with an outing for the amazing Aston Martin Rally GT. And Hankook tyres are taking to the Internet to promote their tyres’ grip. Appleby and the car feature on a preview video posted on the You Tube website http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aMin5vbRO3Y. cja
Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery were crowned the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Champions after finishing first championship registered crew and second overall on The Malton Killarney Forestry Stages Rally. Dodd and Bargery finished just 15 seconds behind event winner and 2007 Hankook Irish National Forestry Rally champions Stephen Moore and Greg Shinnors in their Hyundai Accent WRC to claim the title for a third time and wrap-up the honours with one round still remaining. “I’m elated to win the championship for a third time. It’s great to win it on the penultimate round but it would have been nice to take it down to the final round, the Bulldog Rally, as that’s a bit special to me.”
Eight MSA National Gravel Rally Championship crews made the start of the Killarney-based rally, which was included in the series calendar for the first time. Despite the title already been claimed, there are still plenty of class honours to fight for on the final round of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship, the Oswestry-based Bulldog Rally which takes place on Saturday 20 October.
Hankook plans to boost annual passenger car tyre capacity at its Jianxian facility in China by two million units. When this expansion is completed early next year the plant will have an annual capacity of 18 million tyres. The Korean manufacturer’s current total capacity from its two factories in China is 28 million units.
(Akron/Tire Review) Hankook Tire America Corp. plans to unveil its newest medium truck tyre and extensions to existing lines at this week’s Great American Trucking Show in Dallas.
New is the Hankook TL01, a trailer position six-rib radial. Hankook claimed the new tyre delivers low rolling resistance for fuel economy and long life, has multi-angled siping for wet traction, and a groove on the outer rib for irregular wear resistance. The tyre also has stone ejectors to protect against stone drilling.
The TL01 is available in sizes 11R22.5, 11R24.5, 295/75R22.5 and 285/75R24.5.
Hankook is also adding sizes to existing truck tyre lines, including: AM02 – 445/65R22.5, AM06 – 315/80R22.5 (10,000 lb. load capacity), and AH12 – 275/70R22.5
Hankook Tire has shipped its first batch of tyres produced at the company’s maiden European manufacturing operation. Current capacity is reportedly 1 million units, but mass production operations at the factory could be up and running in as little as six weeks. The first batch is reportedly en route to the UK and France, two of the manufacturer’s key regional markets.
The tyres produced are the Optimo K415 and K715, which were developed mainly for the European replacement business. Hankook Tire Executive Vice-President and COO for Europe, Seung-Do Jin, Hankook Tire CTO & CPO Hwi-Joong Kim together with the Hungarian plant Managing Director Eung-Young Lee wished a safe journey to the drivers of the first two trucks leaving the loading platform of the new Hankook-warehouse, located next to the production facilities.
Net income of 66.7 billion won (£35.7 million) has seen second-quarter profit for South Korea’s largest tyremaker increase by 52 per cent. Hankook Tire reported in a regulatory filing that the quarter’s sales also went up, by 8.2 per cent to 559.2 billion won (£300 million). The increased focus on the more lucrative high performance tyre market has been credited as a factor in the company’s positive results. Hankook’s overseas operations have also played a role.
Hankook expects to boost net income by 36 per cent this year to 226.9 billion won (£121.6 million), largely thanks to exports and higher OE sales to luxury vehicle manufacturers.
(Akron/Tire Review) Hankook Tire America Corp. has launched the Ventus R-S2 Z212, a new performance line it said was based on its Ventus RSS Z211 race tire.
Hankook said the new Ventus R-S2 Z212 offers improved road contact, dry traction and “exceptional” water dispersion.
The new line comes with V-, W- and Y-rated sizes ranging from 30 to 60 aspect ratios.
The Z212 also features a 3 per cent wider tread than previous models for traction and handling, wide shoulder blocks for steering control, wide center rib for steering response, and two-ply construction.
Within a month of opening the Hankook factory in the Hungarian town of Dunaújváros has become the subject of labour law breach allegations. These complaints from union representatives, including accusations that plant management has not adhered to conventions established by the International Labour Organisation and the EU, have resulted in employment inspectors visiting the facility.
Amongst the union’s list of grievances are accusations of illegal dismissal of workers, late payments, no extra pay for overtime, company discouragement of union activity and unsanitary working conditions. Following investigation by Hungary’s Employment and Work Safety Authority a report on the matter is due to be released and the end of July.
Hungarian government plans to provide Hankook with 92.6 million euros worth of subsidies in order to eventually increase the number of employees at Dunaújváros to 1,500 have been approved by the European Commission. However, senior union representative Tamás Székely has said he intends to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány and insist the government withhold these subsidies until the union is satisfied all labour issues have been resolved.
Hankook Tire will showcase its first European-made tyres, low rolling resistance tyres at this year’s 62nd IAA Car Show. In addition to the products offered to car manufacturers, Hankook Tire offers innovative products which are also affordable on an average income. One example here is a new UHP-product, which will – at the fair in Frankfurt – be shown to the public for the first time to be launched in Europe within spring 2008.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to obtain information about the eco-friendly Hankook Optimo K715 from the recently started European production. It has already been tested by the independent German consumer-protection organisation Stiftung Warentest (issue 03/2007), with the overall ranking “good”. According to Stiftung Warentest, the Optimo K715 contains also the lowest amount of harmful ingredients of all 29 tested tyre makes.
Hankook Tyres has contributed to the 2007 success of former British Rally Champion David Higgins, who has been blitzing the opposition in China. The Welsh-based driver and co-driver Leuan Thomas won the first two rounds of this year’s Chinese Rally Championship – and praised the performance of their vehicle’s Hankook tyres.
“This was my first international win on tarmac and the tyres played a huge role in this success,” said Higgins. “It was one of the most demanding rallies for tyres with long corners into more long corners so finding the right compound was extremely important.” Higgins and Thomas were fastest on all but two of the high-speed tests with their TQ Education Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, and their puts the WY team firmly at the top of the points table.
(Akron/Tire Review) Effective July 1, the Chinese government will reduce, and in some cases eliminate, VAT (value-added tax) refund rates given to companies exporting certain goods out of China. More than 2,800 product classifications – including rubber, steel and carbon – will be affected by the reductions, the third change in refund rates since 2005.
China is making these changes to address overwhelming export growth and attempt to manage its trade surplus. Traditionally, export VAT refunds have kept export prices low for tyremakers and tyre- and wheel-component suppliers exporting out of China. According to an Ernst & Young report released June 20, “any change to a VAT refund rate will impact the prices charged on export goods as well as the profitability of exporters.”
(Akron/Tire Review) Hankook Tire America Corp. announced a price increase of up to 7 per cent on its full line of passenger, high performance and light truck tyres. Increases will vary by product line and size and take effect July 16.
Hankook said the increases reflect rising raw materials costs, particularly petroleum products, as well as higher transportation and general operating expenses. The tyremaker also mentioned that changes in China VAT regulations are factors in the increase.
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