Takashi Shimizu, President and CEO of Toyo Tires, reflected on fiscal 2025, the company’s 80th anniversary year, highlighting progress at its Serbia plant, which began operations in 2022 and reached full production capacity this year. “Tires manufactured at the Serbia plant have won product awards from a leading UK trade magazine. By leveraging state-of-the-art production technologies, we have been enhancing...
Tires
Yokohama Rubber Opens Chinese New Passenger Car Tire Plant
Yokohama Rubber held an opening ceremony on November 22 for its new passenger car tire plant in Hangzhou, China. The event was attended by numerous local officials and business partners, with President and COO Shinji Seimiya representing the company. The new facility is the first one-year plant launched under Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), the company’s mid-term management plan running from...
Sumitomo Rubber Accelerates Global Expansion of Dunlop Brand
Sumitomo Rubber is ramping up its global expansion of the Dunlop brand. The company, which acquired in January trademark rights for four-wheel tires in Europe, North America, and Oceania, has already begun deploying the Dunlop brand globally, with some regional and product exceptions. On December 3, it announced that it had obtained exclusive rights to use the Dunlop trademark, excluding...
Bridgestone Highlights Achievements in Recycled Materials
Bridgestone on November 20 held the “2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) Partners Reception” at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. The event celebrated the success of the BWSC, the world’s premier solar car race, held in Australia from August 24 to 31. Japanese domestic university teams and co-creation partner companies gathered to share the technological achievements gained through...
Bridgestone Begins AirFree Demonstration in Founding City
Bridgestone has signed a partnership agreement with Kurume City, where the company was founded, to conduct demonstration tests of its next-generation “AirFree” tire, which requires no air inflation. A signing ceremony was held the same day at Kurume City Hall, where both parties confirmed their commitment to accelerating the social implementation of new mobility technologies that support local communities. AirFree...
Sumitomo Rubber Elevates Dunlop Brand with Active Tread Technology in All-Season Tires
Sumitomo Rubber President Satoru Yamamoto reported on the progress of the company’s mid- to long-term management strategy, R.I.S.E. 2035, and outlined efforts to enhance the premium positioning of its tire business. According to Yamamoto, the company will differentiate its products by equipping Dunlop-branded all-season tires, high-performance tires, and large-diameter off-road tires for pickups and SUVs with its proprietary Active Tread...
