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Kumho Supplies OE Tyres to Kögel

Leading European trailer-maker, Kögel, has selected Kumho Tyres as its original equipment supplier. Kögel has chosen Kumho’s Longmark KLT01, a new generation, long haul tyre. The KLT01 features a low rolling resistance design. According to the company, its high quality carcass and low road noise level are other qualities that combine to make KLT01 “one of the best-designed trailer tyres on the market.”

The following sizes of KLT01 will be delivered immediately:

445/45 R 19.5
435/50 R 19.5
385/65 R 22.5
385/55 R 22.5

21st October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Gibson takes British championship

Lawrence Gibson has become the Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Champion for 2008. The Ulsterman won the title, his first British championship, in the final round of the seven-event series at Mondello Park in the Irish Republic on October 12 .

Entering the final round of the championship, three drivers remained in the title battle. Defending champion Ollie O’Donovan was eliminated from the event when his Peugeot suffered engine problems in the practice session, leaving Gibson to duel with Steve Hill for the title. Hill had the better run in the qualifying heats and started the Supercar A final from pole position. Here, however, it was Pat Doran, starting from the middle of the front row, who got the drop on Hill and Gibson and won the race to take pole position for the Superfinal. Hill and Gibson joined Doran on the front row of the grid for the Superfinal.

14th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho to Focus on Regional Truck Sector

Kumho’s current focus in the truck tyre segment is on the development of new products for the regional market. With this in mind, the company says that it is following closely the evolution of distribution trends. Today’s market sees the haulier faced with an increasingly complex network of routes, comprising many different road types and surfaces. As a result, the wear rates on tyres in these operations are inevitably higher than in long-haul, mainly motorway, usage. Recognising that durability and wear performance are two key factors influencing operators in their choice of tyres, Kumho is introducing new steer, drive and trailer patterns which provide a very competitive package in cost-per-mile terms.

The Longmark KRS 03 steer and KRD 02 drive axle tyres specifically address the problem of increased wear rates. Each has a wide, deep tread pattern which aims to give tyres longer life and increased driving stability in all highway applications. A newly-developed casing design reduces stress points and heat build-up, also to improve durability. The S-shaped sipes of the KRS 03 are designed to produce enhanced wet grip, stability and handling, while the KRD 02’s sturdy tread blocks result in more effective traction and braking in all weather conditions.

22nd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Plant Gets Additional Grant

The Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority recently learned about some unexpected grant money for the Kumho Tire manufacturing plant, which broke ground earlier this year in the Sofkee Industrial Park in south Bibb County. The Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce called the Middle Georgia Regional Development Center last week, saying if an application could be submitted within about 24 hours, an additional $217,161 could be available for the project. The application was filed and the award package is expected by the end of September. This grant will add to the $500,000 grant already received by Bibb County from the Employment Incentive Program of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs that goes toward the Kumho project.

9th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

J.B. Kim new Kumho Tire USA President

Kumho Tire has appointed Mr. J.B. Kim to the position of President Kumho Tire U.S.A. He will be based in the company’s US headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, California, where he will oversee Kumho’s US operations.

Kim joined Kumho Tire in 1986 in the company’s OE division. He worked in a variety of sales capacities for Kumho in the company’s OE and replacement market divisions in the Middle East and Europe. Most recently, Kim was responsible for doubling sales in his capacity with Kumho Tires Latin America.

1st September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bianchi Victorious at Zolder F3 Masters

Jules Bianchi stormed to the top of the podium at Zolder yesterday in the RTL GP Masters of Formula 3, heading an ART Grand Prix trio and overcoming pole-positioned team-mate Nico Hlkenberg, who was defending the title he won last year. Following torrential rain 36 competitors from 18 countries took to the track on Kumho’s ECSTA wet tyres for 28 challenging laps. This was the 18th running of the event, which invites the top-ranked participants in the F3 Euro Series and the British F3 Championship.

11th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho USA Tyre Prices to Increase up to 10%

Kumho Tire USA has announced price increases of up to 10 per cent, with additional in line adjustments, on tyres sold in this market. Prices of passenger, light truck and truck and bus tyre prices, which most recently increased in May, will increase as of September 1, 2008.

6th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Unloads its Kumho Share

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. says it has completely liquidated its holdings in Kumho Tire. The purchaser, Cayman Islands based company Beacon, is said to have purchased the 10.71 per cent share in the South Korean tyremaker for 108.7 billion won (£54.6 million).

Kumho said in a filing to the Korea Exchange that Beacon had purchased the 7.5 million shares, each valued at 14,501 won, held by Cooper Tire & Rubber. In addition to the 108.7 billion won, Cooper will receive interest backdated to May 31.

6th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Reports Strong Customer Satisfaction Survey Results

Kumho Tires reports that its Solus KR21 tyre, aimed at the North American market, has come out on top in category in the 2008 half-yearly consumer satisfaction survey carried out by the country’s largest on-line tyre distributor. The Tire Rack survey, which can be found at tirerack.com/survey/index.jsp, included a total of 27 tyres in the standard touring all-season tyre category, and the Kumho product was declared joint winner along with the Yokohama Avid TRZ.

The Kumho KR21 received high scores in all 12 survey categories, including intention to re-purchase, ride comfort, steering responsiveness, wet traction, ice traction, deep snow traction, light snow and deep snow traction. Particularly high scores were received in the areas of ride comfort, tread wear, and traction on roads. Tire Rack also posted its own test results of the Kumho tyre on its website, commenting that this standard touring all-season tyre meets the needs of drivers of coupes, sedans, and minivans by providing excellent ride comfort and a low noise level. The online distributor assessed the tyre to be durable, resistant to abrasion, low-noise, and high-performance, providing excellent steering and cornering performance to drivers.

5th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Address the Question: Who in the UK Needs Winter Tyres?

Kumho Tyres has been an established supplier of winter tyres for the Scandinavian and Central European markets and therefore has a wide range of treads to cope with all the varieties of adverse weather conditions that characterise the season in these parts of the world. For these markets, the weather is the overbearing reason for the comparative strength of the cold weather tyre market; they are the traditional stronghold for companies marketing products capable of dealing with the icy climate.

However, the UK – with its expanding, though still essentially low-key winter market – represents something of a challenge, even to an experienced marketer of the product such as Kumho. The company addresses this issue by immediately posing the question: Who needs cold weather tyres in the UK?

1st August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Says It Has Share Buyer

Kumho Asiana Group claims it has found an investor to buy out Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.’s share in Kumho Tire Co. The unnamed buyer would take over Cooper’s 11% stake in the South Korean tiremaker, shares valued at around $110 million.

“We have found an investor to take over the Kumho Tire stake and we are at the final stage of closing the deal,” said a Kumho Asiana official in news reports. “We should be able to announce the details soon, on around August 1. The investor is foreign.” (Tire Review/Akron)

30th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper to Sell 10.71% Kumho Share

Kumho Tires is looking for investors to acquire a £54.9 million share in itself currently owned by Cooper Tire & Rubber, reports a company spokesperson. The US based firm intends to sell the 10.71 per cent share it acquired in 2005 for 109.8 billion South Korean won.

Cooper has a right to sell the shares at 14,650 won per share, the spokesperson said, however Kumho shares are currently down 3.1 per cent, at 8,500 won. It is thought that Kumho will face difficulties finding investors.

29th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook and Kumho Resume Tyre Supply to GM Daewoo

South Korean vehicle manufacturer GM Daewoo Automotive and Technology recommenced production at is Bupyeong facility on July 22 following the resumption of its tyre supply. According to a GM official, “Hankook Tire and Kumho Tire resumed their supplies from this afternoon. Both tyre makers told GM Daewoo that they accepted an order by the court to not suspend tyre supply.”

22nd July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pricing Clash Halts Korean Plant Production

GM Daewoo, the third largest auto manufacturer in South Korea, has released a statement to news sources saying that the company has stopped auto production at its Bupyeong manufacturing plant after OE tyre suppliers halted shipments to the factory. Hankook and Kumho, who between them provide over 85 per cent of the tyres fitted to vehicles at the GM Daewoo facility, have suspended supplies in a dispute over tyre prices.

The two tyre manufacturers have been requesting a hike in tyre prices of 12 per cent in the wake of soaring production costs. According to sources within the industry, GM Daewoo has agreed in theory to a price rise, but does not accept the figure placed on the rise by the manufacturers. However, Hankook’s spokesman has stated that “GM Daewoo refuses to negotiate and told us to withdraw the request.”

18th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Gets OE Deal from Ford

Its Solus KH16 radial in size 215/45R17 will be an OE tire on the 2009 Ford Focus. Kumho will be supplying some 200,000 of the tires to Ford in the deal.

“This contract is an important step for Kumho Tires; we now have supply contracts with all of the big three automakers in North America,” said Sae-chul Oh, president and CEO of Kumho Tire Inc. “These companies have recognized that Kumho Tires shares their commitment to quality, technology and performance. We will continue to expand our North American presence to become one of the top five global tire manufacturers by 2015.” (Tire Review/Akron)

7th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors