Almost two years ago Kumho Tire announced it would delay construction of its new factory in the US state of Georgia, with a start to work pushed back until late 2013. Now local news sources say construction of the new plant may commence sooner than anticipated. According to Middle Georgia NBC network affiliate WMGT-TV, Bibb County officials who are working together with Kumho on the project anticipate a summer 2012 start to work on the new plant.
Austrian football team SK Rapid Wien has welcomed Kumho Tyres as its newest sponsor. Upon signing an agreement on July 15 the Vienna based club, which participates in the Austrian Bundesliga, stated that in Kumho it had found a prestigious sponsor. The three-year deal between Kumho and SK Rapid Wien gets underway immediately.
Kumho Tire’s Namkyung tyre factory in Nanjing, China is one of some 172 plants said to have fallen foul of the local government’s fight against pollution. Chinese media sources report that the city of Nanjing has ordered the said factories to relocate or cease production on environmental grounds. The tyre maker is now said to be discussing plans for relocation outside of Nanjing with the Chinese government.
The owner of the Dubai Taxi Corporation, RTA (Road and Transportation Authority), has agreed to trial with Infinity Tyres. “It is the first time that the RTA has accepted testing Chinese made tyres. And we are very proud to say that these are Infinity Tyres,” stated Harjeev Kandhari, executive director of the Al Dobowi Group, which owns the Infinity brand.
Kumho has announced that it will use an “interactive display” including its “Invisible Car” at this year's Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne with a green influence after making its debut at last year's International Motor Show in Sydney. The exhibit will both allow visitors “to see the tyres as a starting point in building the car from the ground up” and convey “the message that a lower carbon footprint is something we should all be striving for,” according to the manufacturer. Kumho will emphasise its Ecowing low rolling resistance tyre, the Kumho Aroma tyre which is the world’s first scented tyre and the coloured Smoke Tyre at the event.
On June 16 Kumho Tires announced it has entered into a strategic customer services partnership with Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, and will soon launch a full-fledged joint marketing programme. In unveiling the details of this arrangement, the Korean tyre maker commented that these days many businesses “are creating synergies through partnerships with other sectors.”
A three-day strike at a Kumho tyre factory in China has reportedly ended. Workers allegedly downed tools at Kumho Tire’s Changchun City plant in northeast China in protest against low wages. More than 400 workers agreed upon a return to work last Saturday, a Kumho official told the Shanghai Daily.
Pellon Tyres in Halifax recently hosted Huddersfield Town footballer Scott Arfield, when he visited the branch for two new Kumho tyres to be fitted to his Volkswagen. The meeting came about after Pellon’s Eric Roberts, himself a life-long Huddersfield Town fan, was contacted by a friend to ask if he could help a friend fit a “couple of tyres” on his car.
Recently Kumho announced the recall of more than 300,000 tyres in China; now it is Hankook Tire’s turn, albeit on a far smaller scale. The Korean manufacturer has recalled 246 Chinese manufactured tyres after national safety authority, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, discovered a fault on June 10. It was found that due to a design or manufacturing fault steel cord protruded through the seams of a number of inspected tyres – a defect that increases the risk of rupturing.
Kumho Tire Europe GmbH has launched a new Facebook page for its fans in German-speaking markets, www.facebook.com/KumhoTireEurope. The company says the page includes sections dedicated to its tyres, motorsport and football, plus event-specific sections such as the IAA 2011 show or the upcoming Kumho Winter Experience 2012. In addition, as exclusive partner to the Bundesliga team HSV, Kumho Tyres will offer sweepstake prizes that include VIP tickets for the 2011/2012 season. Another current offer is VIP tickets to this year’s 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.
The prevalence of motorsport and rally involvement amongst tyre manufacturers is testament to its effectiveness as a brand promotion tool. Yet most events, in Europe at least, take place in the summer months, and maintaining a profile through motorsport in the colder part of the year requires a measure of creative thinking. Kumho, through its German operation, did just that and kept its name on the lips of European petrolheads during the winter of 2010/11 through its sponsorship of the ‘Drift & Drive’ rally school in Finland.
Kumho Tyres recently acquired a front-row seat – for its advertising hoardings – at a high profile football match between Serie A teams Parma and Inter. The 220-metre electronic boards circumnavigated the pitch periodically displaying panels showing images advertising Kumho Tyres.
Following several years in the red Kumho Tires has turned its fortunes around and reported a net profit for the 2010 financial year. The South Korean tyre maker recorded a net income of KRW 8,901 million (£5.01 million) during the year, a marked contrast from the loss of KRW 776,168 million a year earlier. Sales for 2010 amounted to KRW 2,701,990 million (£1.52 billion), a 42.6 per cent year-on-year increase. Operating income during the year was KRW 244,947 million (£137.9 million), as opposed to an operating loss of KRW 213,580 million in 2009.
Vehicle manufacturers in China are set to recall up to 75,000 cars fitted with Kumho tyres as original equipment. According to various sources, Beijing Hyundai will recall around 63,500 cars built between June 4, 2008 and January 13, 2011, while some 7,200 Kia Rio and Cerato vehicles and almost 4,700 cars manufactured by Great Wall Motor will be recalled.
Disagreement between members of the Kumho Tyre Workers’ Union (KMWU) and the South Korean tyre maker has led to disruptions in production at factories located in Gwangju and Gyeonggi provinces. Union members set the ball rolling with a one-day strike on March 25. Upon their return, the 3,400 employees at the two plants were apparently asked to sign individual agreements pledging not to strike. A lockout was then announced.
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