Kumho Tire USA has announced that Samuel Choi has succeeded Harry Choi as CEO. According to the company, Harry Choi is stepping down “to pursue new career opportunities” after six years leading Kumho’s US headquarters. Kumho reports that the transition comes as a part of a global shift in key executive management roles geared to positively reinforce the company for the present and future.
Doublestar Tyres, the new majority shareholder of Kumho, recently announced that its tyres are on-sale alongside premium brands at Carrefour supermarkets in Spain.
According to Doublestar, which compared Carrefour founded in 1959 to Walmart in the USA, the supermarket chain is Europe’s favourite. Having pioneered the so-called hypermarket approach in Europe Carrefour has developed into the largest retailer in Europe and the second largest international retail chain group in the world, with business scope covering more than 40 countries and regions. Carrefour owns 17 large chain stores in Spain, which covers the Iberian area and radiates to the whole pan-European region. With an annual population of 400 million, Carrefour is a perfect channel for product sales and a perfect platform for brand exposure.
The partnership between Kumho Tire and Tottenham Hotspur FC that began in 2016 has been extended for a further three years from the start of the 2018/19 season. A new agreement covering this was signed yesterday afternoon at the football club’s training centre in the presence of executive director Donna-Maria Cullen and first-team players Heung-min Son, Victor Wanyama, Fernando Llorente and Kieran Trippier.
Kumho has enhanced its 4×4 tyre range with the Crugen HP91 and KL33 SUV offerings, covering the majority of on-road sizes between them, while the cross-functional Road Venture patterned MT51 and established KL71 also cover everything from such top end SUVs as the Range Rover and BMW X5 to the ever-popular Land Rover Defender.
Under a technology transfer agreement signed with Pakistan-based battery manufacturer Century Engineering Industries, South Korean tyre maker Kumho Tire will provide technological and manufacturing know-how as Century establishes its own tyre production plant. The agreement signed in Seoul today covers the ten-year period to September 2028; Century Engineering will initially pay Kumho Tire US$5 million and 2.5 per cent of turnover for the assistance provided, with the contract scheduled for review after five years.
During last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Jead Todt disclosed that a second tyre maker has expressed interest in becoming exclusive Formula 1 tyre supplier for the 2020 to 2023 seasons. He didn’t reveal the company’s name – he claimed not to have the information at hand – however we confirmed it wasn’t Michelin.
With immediate effect, Kyungtai Ju has been appointed the new president of Kumho Tire Europe GmbH. He replaces Changrin Suk, who will return to Kumho’s Korean headquarters with responsibility for global sales.
Apollo Tyres’ presence in the truck tyre sector has been bolstered by the appointment of Steve Miller as TBR sales manager, bringing with him over 20 years’ experience, having worked for Kumho on reintroducing the TBR range in the UK, Bridgestone as a national fleet manager (commercial) and Michelin as a sales manager.
Building upon a successful working relationship that began two decades ago, Kumho Tire has appointed R H Claydon to handle its truck tyre distribution requirements for the whole of the UK mainland.
A new beginning, and also an end: 6 July, the date on which Doublestar Tire’s acquisition of a 45 per cent share in Kumho Tire was officially completed, was also the day a full stop was placed behind more than four years of technological cooperation between Yokohama Rubber and Kumho Tire. In a statement issued today, Yokohama Rubber informs that it terminated these tie-ups according to their terms and condition following the change in Kumho Tire’s controlling shareholder.
China’s largest tyre manufacturer, Zhongce Rubber, has entered the global top ten, research published today by Tyrepress shows. Best known in Europe for its Westlake brand, the company has pushed up in the rankings past Giti Tire – manufacturer of GT Radial – which did not supply 2017 figures before the deadline, Toyo Tires, and Cooper Tire & Rubber, which fell three places. Competition in the lower quarter of the top ten places is fierce, with turnovers for tyres between 2.4 billion euros (Cooper in 13th) and 3.2 billion euros (Maxxis in ninth).
Dirk Rockendorf is once again wearing Continental colours after serving as Kumho Tire’s marketing director for Europe for almost three years. As our German-language sister publication Neue Reifenzeitung reports, Rockendorf confirms that he’s held the position of head of marketing communications at Continental Aftermarket GmbH, a company within Continental’s Interior division, since 1 August 2018. In this role, he is responsible B2B and B2C communications for the aftermarket parts business.
Kumho’s latest range of high performance tyres has been assembled to tackle all relevant applications from the middle to the higher end of the market.
New research by London based independent research company Astutus Research suggests that a domestic Chinese company could be about to join the top 10 global manufacturers of passenger car and light truck (PCLT) tyres. Linglong Tyre, currently ranked 12th globally in the segment by unit sales, is forecast to take tenth place by 2019, replacing South Korea’s Kumho Tyre. The move would make the manufacturer the first from China to enter the PCLT top 10.
The Volkswagen Atlas is not just the newest member of the VW family, it is also the largest. The seven-seater SUV is primarily aimed at the North American market; however, this heavyweight is also expected to attract buyers in markets such as China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Kumho Tire reports that its Kumho Crugen Premium KL33 has been selected as an original equipment tyre for the Atlas, with models rolling off the Volkswagen production line in Chattanooga, Tennessee fitted with the tyre in size 245/60 R18 105T.
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