ABOUT

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing an extensive sales network throughout the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company's complete product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications.

2019

Yokohama Tire named official tire of Global Time Attack and Super Lab Battle USA.
Yokohama Tire and SoCal partners build new KABOOM! playground in Huntington Beach, CA.
Yokohama Tire returns as sponsor and exclusive tire provider for Porsche Pikes Peak division.
Yokohama Tire partnering with Subaru Motorsports USA.

2018

Hideto Katsuragawa promoted to chairman, Shinichi Takimoto to CEO and Jeff Barna president.
Yokohama announces all-new Team Yokohama, an eclectic array of drivers, lifestyle athletes and influencers onboard to lead the charge to engage with new audiences.
Yokohama is now the official tire of the 24 Hours of Lemons, the madcap race series featuring cars that cost a whopping $500 or less.
Yokohama's GEOLANDAR M/T™ G003 named spec tire of the 2018 TrophyLite Series.
Multi-year partnership agreement makes Yokohama the exclusive title sponsor for all SSA's Academy, Select, Recreational and 3v3 tournaments.
Humberto Gomez Named President of Yokohama Tire Mexico, Succeeding Industry Icon Gary Nash.
Yokohama Tire named title sponsor of the Manhattan Kickoff Classic.
Yokohama Tire named sponsor and exclusive tire provider for new Porsche Pikes Peak Class.
Yokohama to ‘Go Strong’ during Easter Jeep Safari Week in Moab, Utah, sponsoring five trails and highlighting its GEOLANDAR line.
Yokohama will continue to be a sponsor of the American League West team through the 2020 season.
Yokohama Tire gains traction with its aggressive, all-new GEOLANDAR X-MT™.
Yokohama Tire's new all-season AVID Ascend GT™ offers all-season handling, long mileage and a smooth, quiet ride.
Yokohama’s ADVAN® A054 is the official tire for Nitro Rallycross (NRX), a new adrenaline-fueled event at the 3rd Annual Nitro World Games, September 22-23 at Utah Motorsports Campus near Salt Lake City.
Yokohama Tire relaunches its EXCEED online dealer training program.
GEOLANDAR X-MT™ and AVID Ascend GT™ are honored in the transportation category by The Chicago Athenaeum.

2017

Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. – YTC’s parent company in Japan – celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Jeff Barna is named YTC’s chief operating officer.
YTC signs a multi-year sponsorship deal with US Youth Soccer. The agreement names Yokohama as the “Official Tire Sponsor of US Youth Soccer,” as well as title sponsor of the Yokohama Skills Challenge.
Yokohama partners with the Needham Soccer Club, becoming the Official Title Sponsor of the Needham Memorial Day Tournament Driven by Yokohama.
The MYX S01™ OTR radial all-weather tire for graders, loaders and dozers debuts at ConExpo in Las Vegas.
Yokohama announces the sponsorship of Spartan Race, producers of obstacle course racing events.

2016

For the fourth consecutive year, Yokohama’s off-the-road tire factory in Onomichi, Japan earned Caterpillar’s highest supplier distinction, the Platinum Level Recertification for its Supplier Quality Excellence Process.
Yokohama and IMSA expand their partnership with Yokohama becoming the official tire provider and presenting sponsor of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama.
Yokohama launches the new GEOLANDAR® A/T G015™ tire for trucks and SUVs.
Yokohama sponsors the Day Canyon Point Trail during the 50th annual Easter Jeep® Safari Week in Moab, Utah.
Yokohama announces senior management changes: Hideto Katsuragawa is appointed CEO of Yokohama Corporation of North America (YCNA) and CEO of YTC; Shinichi Takimoto is named president of YTC, CEO of Yokohama Canada Inc. (YTV) and CEO of Yokohama Tire Mexico S. de R.L.de C.V. (YTMX); and Tetsuya Kuze becomes the new vice president of YCNA and CEO of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi, L.L.C. (YTMM).
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan is the latest addition to Yokohama’s growing OE fitment program, sporting AVID® S34RV tires.
Yokohama launches the new SmartWay-verified 108R™ regional all-position/steer tire. YTC now has 15 tires that are recognized as SmartWay “low rolling resistance tires.”
Yokohama sponsors the Los Angeles Angels for the seventh consecutive season.
Yokohama, Sullivan Tire Co. and KaBOOM! announce they are joining forces to build a new, eco-friendly playground in Rockland, Massachusetts. It is YTC’s second KaBOOM! playground build.
Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia (YTMV), LLC, received two awards for outstanding achievements in sustainable manufacturing: the Environmental Excellence Gold Award from the Virginia Water Environment Association and the bronze Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award.
YTC’s newest addition to the Y67™ off-the-road line-up goes on sale to underground mining operators and service managers.
YTC and Chelsea FC kick-off free youth soccer clinics in California, Michigan and Minnesota, in conjunction with Chelsea’s U.S. summer tour.
Yokohama’s new R69™ L5-S OTR off-the-road radial for loaders in underground mine applications launches in size 18.00R25.
For the 12th consecutive year, Yokohama is an Official Sponsor of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
YTC is named the “Preferred Tire Vendor” for Gemini Motor Transport, Love’s primary fuel hauler.
YTC establishes a tire research and development center in North Carolina.
Yokohama launches Y Trax™, a new tire data tracking software.
Yokohama goes green with its first-ever BluEarth® commercial tire, the new SmartWay®-verified BluEarth® 709L™ ultra wide base drive tire.
YTC adds four new sizes to its 104ZR™ urban/regional all-position/steer tire line-up: 225/70R19.5, 245/70R19.5, 265/70R19.5 and 285/70R19.5.

2015

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held for the opening of Yokohama Boulevard, a $20 million, four-mile road that will serve as a major thoroughfare in moving materials and products to and from the Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi, LLC’s new commercial tire plant in West Point, Mississippi.
Yokohama’s off-the-road tire factory in Onomichi, Japan earned Caterpillar’s 2014 Platinum Level Recertification for its Supplier Quality Excellence Process. This marks the third consecutive year Yokohama has been awarded the construction equipment maker’s highest supplier distinction.
Yokohama adds a new tire to its line-up: the GEOLANDAR G055™ crossover all-season tire.
Expanding on an initial partnership announced in late 2014, Yokohama signs a three-year multi-channel partnership with the national non-profit KaBOOM! to include cause marketing campaigns, playground builds and annual title sponsorships.
Yokohama launches yokohamatruck.com, a dedicated commercial tire website.
Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia, LLC received the 2015 Environmental Warrior Award from the Virginia Water Environment Association (VWEA). The award was bestowed upon the Salem, Virginia, facility as part of VWEA’s 2015 Industrial Waste and Pretreatment Environmental Excellence Awards Program.
Yokohama returned to Formula Drift for the fourth consecutive season. This season, YTC partnered with three drivers, including 2013 Formula Drift champion Michael Essa, along with Masashi Yokoi and Matt Field. All three drivers compete on YTC’s ADVAN Neova® AD08R tires.
On April 22, children in San Juan Capistrano, California received a new, eco-friendly playground, thanks to Yokohama and its cause marketing partner, KaBOOM!.
Yokohama’s complete line of commercial truck tires – including ultra wide base, drive and steer/all-position – are now an option in Freightliner’s Data Book.
Yokohama’s 10-city 2015 Ride and Drive Dealer Training Program kicked-off in Houston, Texas. The annual program is designed to educate Yokohama dealers throughout the country about its tire line-up.
Yokohama’s sports sponsorship program with Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels continues. YTC’s partnership with the Yankees is in its fifth year and partnership with the Angels is in its sixth year.
Yokohama’s high-performance W.drive® winter tire line, known for its inclement weather reliability and durability, added a new member to the family – the W.drive® V905.
Yokohama’s television advertising campaign, “I Am Yokohama,” won a bronze, local-level ADDY® Award in the products category from the American Advertising Federation (AAF) of Orange County.
For the second consecutive year, Yokohama teams up with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and the LPGA to host the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
Tom Kenny, a 33-year tire industry veteran, takes over for Dan Guiney as YTC’s director of technical service. Guiney retired after 43 years in the tire business, the last 13 with Yokohama.
Yokohama announces a five-year sponsorship deal with English Premier League champion Chelsea FC.
For the 11th consecutive year, YTC is “the official tire” of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi, LLC (YTMM), Yokohama’s first U.S-built plant, hosts its grand opening ceremony in West Point, Mississippi. The high-tech facility will have the capability of producing up to a million commercial tires a year.
Yokohama and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) reach a multi-year agreement to extend their partnership with YTC continuing as the official tire provider and series sponsor for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama. YTC has served as the marketing and technical partner for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama since 2009.
Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia (YTMV), LLC becomes the latest Yokohama plant to be a zero landfill operation and achieves two major milestones: its 25th anniversary and the production of its 80 millionth tire.

2014

Yokohama signs a three-year agreement with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail to be title sponsor of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament in Prattville, Alabama. The Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic was conducted September 18-21.
Yokohama signs an agreement to be the exclusive tire supplier of the Red Bull Global Rallycross (GRC) series.
A new Yokohama commercial mobile website for fleet owners and drivers launches.
A commercial version of EXCEED - YTC's online dealer training program - debuts.
Two national TV spots highlight YTC's new "I Am Yokohama" advertising campaign, which is aimed at further strengthening its relationship with enthusiasts while expanding its message to appeal to a wider adult audience.
Yokohama announces it is moving its Western Region Distribution center from Fullerton, California to a newly constructed 658,000-square-foot facility in Chino. YTC relocates its corporate headquarters to nearby Santa Ana. The new 57,000-square-foot headquarters occupies two-and-a-half floors in a high-tech, nine-floor office complex building near John Wayne Airport.
YTC names KaBOOM! as the beneficiary of YTC's title sponsorship of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to ensuring all children get the balanced and active play they need to thrive.
Takaharu Fushimi is named CEO for Yokohama Corporation of North America. Fushimi is responsible for the strategic operations in North America, as well as oversight of the multiple subsidiaries and business units responsible for sales and marketing, OE business and manufacturing.

2013

Gary Nash named president of new subsidiary, Yokohama Tire Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. (Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada De Capital Variable). Humberto Gomez is named as director general.
Yokohama signs an agreement to build a commercial truck tire plant in West Point, Mississippi. The facility, which is expected to produce up to one million tires annually starting in 2015, will have an initial capital investment of $300 million and potential plant expansions could be up to four times the original employment and investment levels. Tadaharu Yamamoto named YTMM president.
Yokohama holds a groundbreaking ceremony in West Point, Mississippi for its forthcoming commercial truck tire plant.
Driving on ADVAN Neova AD08R tires, YTC-sponsored Michael Essa wins the 2013 Formula Drift title at Irwindale Speedway.
YTC announces two new top-level executives: Naoki "Nick" Takeda, executive vice president and chief financial officer; and Taketoshi Morita, vice president, OE business.

2012

The web-based Yokohama Inflation Pressure Calculator is launched and new Mexico web site goes live.
YTC debuts the SmartSolution™ Certified Dealer Program.
Yokohama honored by OC Metro magazine as a "top green company."
YTC signs a five-year sponsorship extension with Infineon Raceway.
A special in-game promotion puts YTC and the Los Angeles Angels baseball team in the Guinness Book of World Records, as 39,013 fans made history as the "largest gathering of people wearing cowboy hats." YTC provided the Yokohama-branded hats.
Takayuki Hamaya is promoted to YTC chief operating officer.

2011

YTC's parent company, The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., wins the 2011 Environmental Achievement of the Year award at the Tire Technology Expo in Cologne, Germany.
Yokohama's orange oil tire technology, embodied in the DB Super E-Spec® tire, is highlighted in a two-year exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science.
Two Yokohama-sponsored off-road racers, Heidi Steele (SCORE Class 6) and Chad George (Lucas Oil Super Lite) win season championships on Geolandar tires.

2010

YTC launches an online Fuel Savings Calculator for commercial fleet owners.
Yokohama announces new ADVANTAGE® Online program for consumer and commercial tire dealers.
YTC's Salem plant signs new four-year contract with union and begins $13 million expansion to handle increased tire demand.
Yokohama debuts SmartSolution™ communications program and website for commercial tire dealers.
EXCEED, an interactive, self-directed website training program for Yokohama consumer dealers, is launched.
Gary Nash was inducted into the Tire Industry Association (TIA) Hall of Fame.
An electric race vehicle sponsored by Yokohama won the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in record-breaking time.

2009

The 103ZR earns a Heavy Duty Trucking 2008 "Nifty Fifty" award for its capability as a fuel-efficient, long-lasting commercial truck tire.
Yokohama "Forever Forest" holds its first tree-planting ceremony outside of Asia at its Salem, VA plant. Forever Forest is a global initiative that aims to plant approximately 500,000 trees around Yokohama's facilities worldwide by 2017.
Yokohama-sponsored off-road racers Heidi and Cameron Steele win back-to-back championships. Heidi wins the SCORE title in Class 6; Cameron the SNORE (Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts) championship in Unlimited Truck division.

2008

Yokohama becomes the Official Tire of Road Atlanta.

2007

Yokohama launches new Zenvironment® line, which uses high-technology to produce tires that are more fuel efficient and help protect the environment.
Yokohama's Salem, VA, tire plant certified to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard.

Made in the USA

Our Grand Design 100 medium-term management plan outlined efforts to expand our tire production capacity. When Yokohama adopted the plan in 2006, authoritative projections called for an average annual growth of 100 million tires in global demand. From that moment forward, we have been determined to accommodate that growth and provide better service for our customers.

In April 2013, we announced and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Mississippi to build a plant in the city of West Point to produce truck and bus tires that will total up to one million units a year. In September 2013, just five months after the announcement, we broke ground on the $300 million investment covering over 500 acres of land.

Meanwhile, expansions had previously been completed at our Salem, Virginia manufacturing plant where we now produce ultra-high performance, high-performance and touring passenger car tires as well as light truck tires in our 1.2 million square-foot facility. Products manufactured at that location include our flagship brand ADVAN®, GEOLANDAR®, S.drive® and AVID® tires that include the Ascend, incorporating our breakthrough orange oil technology.

We are now proud to announce that as of October 2015 the facility in Mississippi is also fully functional, insuring that the growth of the Yokohama brand in North America will now be served by two factories, right here in the U.S.A.

We at Yokohama are committed to achieving sustainable growth as a global organization and we are grateful to have earned your trust as our customer.

$300 MILLION INVESTMENT

ONE-MILLION-SQUARE-FOOT FACTORY
500 JOBS CREATED
ALL MADE IN THE U.S.A.

A little over two years after we announced and broke ground on a new manufacturing plant for commercial truck tires in West Point, Mississippi, the facility is now rolling tires off the production line. Construction on the 500+ acres of land and production capacity when fully actualized will manufacture up to 1 million tires annually. What does this mean to you?

It means world class commercial tires for the commercial vehicles that carry the goods powering our country’s economic recovery are now made right here in the U.S.A.
Yokohama Tires will be available much sooner, minimizing a fleet’s down time and optimizing its efficiency and profitability.
More jobs are being created that help invigorate local communities.
Yokohama is here to stay and the $300 million project that is now fully realized is only the beginning. Future plant expansions could reach up to four times the original investment and employment levels.

Since our entry into the U.S. market over 40 years ago, along with the subsequent acquisition of our plant in Salem, Virginia in the 1980’s, Yokohama has experienced steady growth. Now, with our Mississippi plant—which is the first Yokohama plant built in the U.S.—we can create even stronger strategic partnerships with our customers. We invite you to see how our vision came to life in the photos below.

THE MANUFACTURING FACTORY COME TO LIFE

YOKOHAMA TIRE (CANADA) INC.

Established: January, 1984 with 10 employees and a distribution center in Burnaby, B.C. Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yokohama Corporation of North America, Santa Ana, CA, USA.

Philosophy: Equipping vehicles with advanced tire technology enhances dynamic vehicle control for the maximum in active safety and driving satisfaction.

Facilities: Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. corporate headquarters is in Langley, B.C. and regional offices with distribution centers across Canada. Western Zone: Langley, BC; Central Zone: Brampton, ON; and Eastern Zone: Montreal, QC.

Consumer Tires: passenger vehicle, including cars and mini-vans, light truck and sport utility, ultra high and high performance, winter, and motorsport applications.

Commercial Tires: light truck utility, medium and heavy truck, bus, earth mover and off-the-road, industrial, and specialty applications.

Dealer Network: Consumer Tires are available at over 700 independent tire dealer locations and well over 2,000 retail locations. Commercial Tires are available at over 300 independent tire and fleet servicing dealers.

YOKOHAMA TIRE (Mexico) INC.

YOKOHAMA also operates within Mexico along with about 120 other countires. Over the past century, we have accumulated technologies that have led us to the creation of high-performance tires for all categories of vehicles, from compact cars, to sports cars, high-powered sedans, and road equipment. large construction. We have also developed original equipment tires for many leading car manufacturers in the world. After participating in a wide variety of sports motorsport competitions, we have accumulated knowledge about the tire performance of each type of car in each motorsport category. We are especially proud of our flagship brand: "ADVAN".

YOKOHAMA RUBBER COMPANY LTD.

The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of rubber products, offering an extensive range of tire, rubber and adhesive products. Established in 1917, Yokohama Rubber has expanded its worldwide business scope with a lineup of high-technology products meeting customer needs in the fields of automobiles, civil engineering, construction, marine engineering, aerospace and sporting goods.

Yokohama Rubber employs 13,500 people worldwide.

Today, Yokohama is reinforcing its global structure through state-of-the-art production centers in Japan, other Asian countries and North America, and through a sales network covering these areas and Europe.

Cause Marketing

Balanced and Active Play is essential and elemental to enable children to thrive.

Through play, children learn to think, communicate and be creative. They develop language and motor skills. They learn to engage and get along with others—whether with their friends, playmates and families. Play, in all its forms, is a powerful thing. From addressing obesity, and improving mental health and wellness, to building a creative and successful workforce—balanced and active play lays the foundation for a skilled, healthy, resilient, and successful society.

Yet, for the 16 million children growing up in poverty in the United States, access to active and balanced play is not always possible. Especially in low-income communities across the country, there can be a lack of playground infrastructure, equipment or play resources

YOKOHAMA TIRE CORPORATION AND KABOOM! PARTNERSHIP

This is why Yokohama Tire Corporation is proud to partner with KaBOOM!, the national non-profit organization dedicated to the bold new goal of ensuring that all children get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Together, we look forward to empowering communities by creating and catalyzing great places to play, as well as educating and elevating the societal conversation about the importance of play in children’s lives.

As a major sponsor of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, Yokohama was proud to designate KaBOOM! as the Charity of Choice for the Classic starting in 2014. KaBOOM! will continue to be the recipient of proceeds from the Classic in 2015 and 2016 to help make new playgrounds a reality for children to enjoy for years to come.

THREE PLAYGROUNDS, THREE CITIES, 600 VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED

In April 2015, Yokohama Tire Corporation and KaBOOM! partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County to build the first playground right here in the city of San Juan Capistrano in Southern California. On April 22, more than 200 volunteers from Yokohama, the community and Habitat for Humanity of Orange County joined forces to give kids the childhood they deserve by building a new playground in a single day! In just six hours and with all of us working together, a playground rose, bringing more than 1,300 kids in San Juan Capistrano one step closer to having the childhood they deserve.

And that was just the beginning! Yokohama Tire Corporation looks forward to building two more playgrounds in the next two years. We hope to continue working with everyone in selecting future build sites and making kids’ dreams a reality. Together, we truly can make a difference.

ENVIRONMENTAL Sustainability

In our Tire Group and in our Multiple Business Group, we develop products with an eye to reducing the output of greenhouse gases and other environmentally-burdensome substances and to conserving material and energy. We evaluate products in regard to four environmental criteria: prevention of global warming, resource recycling, resource saving, and safety and comfort.

Our guidelines mandate that all new products achieve an aggregate improvement of at least 5% over existing products and that they at least match existing products in regard to all four criteria. By the end of 2013, 93% of our products fulfilled our criteria for minimizing environmental impact, and we aim to increase that percentage to 100% by the end of 2017.

REDUCING OUTPUT OF GREENHOUSE GASES

Taking part in efforts to forestall global warming is an important part of fulfilling our corporate social responsibility. We have therefore established a panel of experts to oversee such initiatives as installing cogeneration systems, shifting to cleaner fuels, and conserving energy throughout our operations. Our medium-term target in Japan is to reduce our annual greenhouse emissions 25% by 2020, compared with 1990. In 2013, our overall reduction reached 16%. Our long-term target worldwide is to reduce our output of carbon dioxide more than 50% across our entire value chain by 2050, compared with 2005.

REDUCING OUTPUT OF LANDFILL WASTE

Our Grand Design 100 medium-term management plan includes targets for reducing landfill waste at our plants. The principal targets in Phase III of that plan—2012 to 2014—are to reduce annual landfill waste at our Japanese plants 35%, compared with 2006, and to reduce landfill waste per unit of production (by value) at least 1% annually at our plants worldwide. We achieved our year-on-year reduction targets for 2013 in Japan, reducing our landfill waste 11%, to 15,134 tons, and reducing landfill waste per unit of production 13%. Our efforts to achieve further reductions in 2014 center on reducing interim-product and product scrap.

In the United States, at our Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia (YTMV) plant, YTMV has been focused on reducing the amount of waste that is sent to the landfill. Sending zero percent of waste to the landfill is the ultimate goal at Yokohama and tremendous strides have been taken in 2014 to help make this a realization. Some activities that have influenced the drop in landfill percentages this year include a recycling program in the offices and plant floor and sending non-recyclable trash to an incinerator which is converted from waste into an energy recovery resource.

In 2014 additionally, YTMV was inducted into the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP) under an E4 status. The “E4” status is the highest status that a facility can achieve in the program. As part of the program, Yokohama will be encouraged to make environmental sustainability part of the culture through leadership, innovation and continual improvement. Areas of continuous improvements will be energy efficiency, water resource management, chemical management and environmental awareness.

In 2015, YTMV received the Environmental Warrior Award presented by the Virginia Water Environment Association (VWEA) as part of WVEA’s 2015 Industrial Waste and Pretreatment Environmental Excellence Awards Program. The Environmental Warrior Award is a new award presented for the first time in 2015 to the company that has made the greatest improvement in their environmental compliance program.

YTMV is ISO 14001-certified, which is an international specification of environmental management system that holds organizations to stringent environmental principles and audits.

It is our expectation that our Mississippi plant will meet or exceed all of the same environmental achievements that YTMV has.