Kumho reports that the addition of the Crugen HP91 swells its “already comprehensive” range. While there are numerous Kumho 4×4 tyres to choose from, the majority of requirements will be covered by the new on-road offering and the cross-functional road venture patterns MT KL71 and AT KL78. Between them they cover everything from top end SUVs such as the Range Rover and BMW X5 to the Land Rover Defender.
Having previously been a relatively influential part of the UK truck and bus tyre business, Kumho has spent the last year or so rejuvenating its distribution, products and personnel in this area with a view to relaunching this part of its portfolio in line with the growth of the wider company. That’s why Tyres & Accessories visited the company’s large Lutterworth, Leicestershire distribution centre in February in order to learn more.
In addition to its newly-signed deal with Champions League and German Bundesliga team FC Schalke 04, Kumho Tyre has come on board as tyre partner for two further German clubs. Hamburger SV and Hertha BSC will be sponsored by the tyre maker until the end of the 2016/17 season.
Kumho Tire Europe reports the relocation of its motorsport division from Birmingham to Germany. It gave word of the shift to Offenbach am Main, where the tyre maker’s European headquarters are situated, upon announcing the appointment of Manfred Theisen as head of Kumho’s European motorsport division. Theisen began in his new role in January 2015; prior to his appointment he held similar positions of responsibility within Dunlop and Yokohama’s motorsport departments.
Kumho Tyre has picked up another football sponsorship agreement to complement its activities with the Spanish La Liga. This new sponsorship deal is with Champions League and German Bundesliga team FC Schalke 04. The contract runs until the end of the 2016/2017 season and contains the option of further collaboration. As sponsorship partner, Kumho will be represented on LED signage at FC Schalke 04’s home ground, Veltins Arena, and receive other advertising opportunities both in the stadium and in team-related publications. The team’s bus will also be equipped with Kumho tyres.
NEX, the newly formed Spanish tyre wholesaler, has reported details of its exclusive brand portfolio. The company, which appointed Luis Miguel Muñoz as managing director in October 2014, was formed when Euromaster and Rodi Motor Services merged their distribution operations. According, to the company NEX started its independent distribution and delivery operations in Spain last December.
On 23 December, Kumho Tire emerged from the debt workout programme it was placed under at the start of 2010. More than 75 per cent of the company’s creditors, in terms of debt held, decided that Kumho Tire had reached the threshold for ‘graduating’ from the programme. The tyre maker’s debt ratio, which hit a high of 858 per cent in 2010, declined to 290 per cent during the first half of 2014. Its credit rating also improved from BBB- to BBB.
Seven all-new tyre lines are set to enter the Kumho Tire USA portfolio in 2015, and the company says from now on it will refresh its North American range every year.
The Marshal tyre brand’s digital presence in the Middle East region has been expanded through the launch of a new website. The multilingual English-Arabic-Persian site aims to inform consumers prior to making a purchase decision, and in addition to covering the entire Marshal product range it provides a dealer locator to help potential buyers find the nearest centre. The site is optimised for desktop, tablet and mobile viewing.
Kumho Tire reports it is supplying its Ecsta HM in size 225/55R16 to BMW for fitment on certain 3 Series models produced in the company’s Munich and Regensburg factories in Germany.
Kumho recently became the first Korean tyre manufacturer to receive Renault’s Quality award. Sechang Park, chief operating officer and senior vice-president, accepted the award on the tyre maker’s behalf at an event held at Renault Group’s world headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, during October.
Kumho staged a UK launch for its updated product range at Rockingham Motor Speedway. Dubbed the ‘Kumho Experience’, the manufacturer’s UK marketing director John Thrupp introduced the day long event, which allowed Kumho’s national network of dealers and media guests to sample the performance characteristics of such tyres as the Solus HS51 premium tyre, which became available in the last quarter of 2013.
Driver training school R3 (Road Risk Reduction) has selected Kumho Tyre UK as a new commercial partner. The arrangement will see Kumho Tyre UK and the Rockingham Motor Speedway-based outfit work together towards giving British drivers a solid foundation in both attitude and skill. Kumho will equip all R3 cars with its Ecowing ES01 KH27, and on top of this will send all Kumho Tyre UK staff on a bespoke training course with R3 to ensure safe and economical driving.
French manufacturer Michelin has won our global online tyre brand value rankings for the seventh consecutive year. However, while Michelin deserves credit for the unparalleled achievement. This year’s research also shows significant growth from Korean manufacturers/mid-range brands. Tyres & Accessories once again partnered with NetNames, a partnership that this year celebrates its 10th set of annual results and 10 years of assessing tyre brands’ online prominence and sentiment.
The Kumho tyre brand will be visible at La Liga BBVA football matches throughout the 2014/2015 season following the signing of an agreement between the Korean tyre manufacturer and the Spanish football league. The exposure will consist of a mix of free-standing logos positioned behind the goals and digital billboards around the periphery of the pitch. The initiative will support the work of both Kumho Tyre’s Spanish dealer network and those throughout Europe, by exposing the brand to the attendant crowds and an enormous television audience.
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