Two years ago, Kumho Tire announced a world first when it began attaching radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on its products. The tyre maker now reports another world first – since 16 June, it has begun using an Internet of Things (IoT) based production and distribution integrated management system to apply the RFID system to its ‘half-finished’ products.
With Kumho the sole tyre supplier to the F1 feeder series Auto GP, the manufacturer invited retailers to Silverstone to witness the UK round of the international championship on Sunday 24 May.
Today we at Tyres & Accessories published our annual ranking of global tyre manufacturers on our tyrepress.com website. As always, this yearly survey takes the turnover of the industry’s leading players into account and also provides information on operating profit/EBIT(DA) and annual net income.
Kumho’s latest high-performance offering, the ECSTA HS51, was awarded a ‘Recommended’ rating in the recent test by the highly regarded German consumer magazine, ACE Lenkrad. And, according to company representatives, it was the racetrack as much as the test track that led to this result.
The Maxplo, a super-low aspect ratio concept tyre developed by Kumho Tire to demonstrate how tyres of the future may look and operate, has been awarded a Platinum A’ Design Award in the Futuristic category. Along with the other winners of no less than 89 different categories, Kumho received its A’ Design Award last month at a gala dinner in Italy. The Platinum award received by Kumho is the highest of four A’ Design award levels – the others being Iron, Silver and Gold.
As reported on 18 May, Kumho Tire has begun negotiations regarding its delivery of original equipment tyres to Yokohama Rubber. Kumho says that such a deal, if agreed upon, would help it increase the utilisation rate of its factories in China.
The new Dodge Viper ACR (American Club Racer) street-legal race car is available in USA from September, and will be fitted with specially designed Kumho Ecsta V720 tyres in sizes 295/25ZR19 (front) and 355/30ZR19 (rear). Dodge claims the tyres provide the largest combined contact patch of any production car, having been designed and developed specially for the Viper ACR. The tyres, which feature unique tread patterns and compounds, have achieved lap times up to 1.5 seconds faster than benchmark race tyres used for back-to-back testing. They allow sustained cornering loads of up to 1.5g, Dodge adds.
Kumho Tire and Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. are to enhance their recent partnership. Following the news that the two parties would cooperate in December 2013, Business Korea reports that Kumho and Yokohama are upgrading their agreement.
Nürgburgring-based VLN Championship front runner Twin Busch will be fitted with Kumho tyres when the privateer starts the 24 hour race this weekend. The squad’s history in the race includes a tenth place finish overall behind nine works outfits last year. Kumho wants to help the team to eclipse that result on 16-17 May.
Kumho Tire is aiming to increase its sales in China by 30 per cent in 2015. According to online reports originally published by the Yonhap News, Kumho plans to re-take market share lost in the world’s largest auto market.
Two Kumho co-CEOs resigned just a few days after being appointed, according to the Korea Herald.
Lee Han-seon and Park Se-chang, son of Kumho Asiana Group chairman Park Sam-koo, resigned from the position of CEO after the company’s major creditors demanded the pair’s resignations. The banks cited procedural problems with appointments as reason for the resignation, the Korea Herald reported.
Shandong Linglong Tire has appointed John Hagan as chief operating officer of its Americas division. Previously, Hagan was national vice president for Kumho Tires USA, which he joined in 2013. Hagan brings with him 20 years of tyre industry experience. In addition to working for Kumho, he has held positions with Toyo Tires USA and Pirelli North America.
Following the rollout of similar facilities in South Korea, the US, Australia and the UK, Kumho Tire opened its first ‘Kumho Flagship Store’ in Italy on 20 March. As in the other markets, the Italian flagship centre scheme aims to reward and help dealers who focus on the Kumho brand. The first facility, at the Pneus2000 centre in Offanengo, Cremona province, was selected from within the tyre maker’s Kumho Platinum Club network in Italy and will be followed in the near future by other centres in main cities throughout the country.
Kumho Tire will finance the construction of its new one million square-foot manufacturing plant in Macon, Georgia, USA through bond issuance. Local news sources report that the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority agreed to issue bonds of up to $600 million for the plant in December. Kumho will sell up to $300 million of the total […]
Kumho executives show Tyres & Accessories around Lutterworth NDC Just over a year after Kumho moved into its Lutterworth, Leicestershire national distribution centre (NDC), Tyres & Accessories caught up with brand manager Dan Woodward and marketing director John Thrupp in order to learn more about both the NDC and the company’s ongoing progress in the […]
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