Toyo Tires is installing a 14.0 MW solar power plant at its Toyo Tire Malaysia SDN BHD (TTM) tyre factory. According to Toyo representatives, TTM “mega-solar system” will be the largest in the state of Perak, Malaysia when work on the 96,000-square-metre rooftop space of the factory building is completed.
Toyo Tire Corporation has appointed Hiroaki Takizawa general manager of its Europe, Africa & Middle East Sales Department and Sales Division. Takizawa joins the company on 1 September, succeeding Masaomi Kono in these roles.
Toyo Tire Corporation will end the manufacture of non-tyre automotive parts at its subsidiary in the USA. The cessation of production at Toyo Automotive Parts (USA), Inc. will take effect on 31 October 2023, and the company will be dissolved as a business entity. The closure of the Franklin, Kentucky-based business affects (as of June 2023) 207 employees.
Toyo Tires is supporting the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Championships between 1-12 August in Bern, Switzerland. The tyre-maker’s participation comes in line with its new partnership with the IFSC, announced in June. Toyo’s European CEO, Kenta Kuribayashi said that Toyo’s partnership was inspired by the sport’s growing global community, which “resonates with Toyo Tire’s philosophy” of “creativity and innovation”.
Iori Suzuki will retire as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. (TTHA) on 31 July 2023, and two will fill the roles he vacates the following day. Tatsuo Mitsuhata is to become chairman and chief executive officer of TTHA, and Nobuo Yoshida has been named the business’s president and chief operating officer.
As of 1 July, Ralf Gutena is the new director of sales and marketing at Toyo Tire Holdings of Europe GmbH. Switching to Toyo from Kumho Tire Europe, Gutena is based in Germany and responsible for increasing market penetration in Europe.
As of 1 July 2023, Yoji Imura has taken on new responsibilities at Toyo Tires. The former president of Toyo Tire Serbia LLC is now chairman and chief executive officer of the Serbian business. Kadir Aykut Gidergi, previously plant manager in Serbia, is now president and chief operating officer of Toyo Tire Serbia LLC, effective 1 July.
Toyo Tires with Ring Racing had a successful outing in its recent visit to the Nordschleife, achieving a podium finish in the Nürburgring Langstrecken Series race. After qualifying fourth in their Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2023, Heiko Tönges took the start in car number 170, with Michael Tischner taking over for the middle stint and team principal Uwe Kleen bringing it home for the finish. The Toyota GR Supra was equipped with Nürburgring-soec Toyo Proxes Slicks.
Full-year 2022 financial results show that – in terms of share price performance, at least – Japanese tyre manufacturers are leading the way on the global stage. Much has happened in the last five years, but five-year share price data is clear that the costs of chip shortages, shipping, dearer raw materials, pandemic and war have hit European and Western tyre brands harder than their Japanese counterparts. We compared the share performance of five of the largest European and Western tyre brands (namely: Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, Pirelli and Nokian) during the last five years with the leading Japanese-based tyre manufacturers (Bridgestone, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Yokohama and Toyo Tires) in order to gain an insight into their relative performance.
On 1 April 2023 Colin Pears, currently Sales Operation Manager at Toyo Tyre (UK) Ltd., will take over as Managing Director of the tyre maker’s UK subsidiary. He begins in this role on the date that Teppei Shigeno ends his tenure as President of Toyo Tyre (UK).
Toyo Tire Corporation has appointed Masaomi Kono division general manager of its Europe, Africa & Middle East sales division and also, confusingly, general manager of said division, as well as general manager of the Europe, Africa & Middle East sales department. Kono begins in these roles, and presumably will receive slightly larger business cards, on 1 April 2023.
Teppei Shigeno will end his tenure as president of Toyo Tyre (UK) Ltd. on 1 April 2023. Toyo Tire Corporation has not yet announced who will succeed him in this role.
This year began with the sad news that Ken Block passed away after a snowmobile accident on 2 January. The world-renowned rally driver served as brand ambassador for Toyo Tire Group for the past seven years, and the tyre maker has published a memorial message paying tribute to Block and his accomplishments.
As of 1 January 2023, Shoji Hirao takes on further responsibilities for sales within Toyo Tire Corporation’s Europe, Africa & Middle East business. In addition to his existing remit as division general manager for the Europe, Africa & Middle East sales division and sales headquarters, Hirao has been appointed general manager of the Europe, Africa & Middle East sales department and sales division.
On November 29, Toyo Tires issued a notice on its official Chinese website saying it will resume using the old Chinese brand name in the mainland market from 1 December. Both the old and new brand names are the Chinese translation of “Toyo Tires”. Toyo previously used this brand name in the Chinese market before 2015, subsequently changing its name to use the Chinese pronunciation of Toyo Tires to determine the new version of the brand and the company name.
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Lena Drapella/IFSC
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