Ikuji Ikeda, president and CEO at Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110), was inaugurated last May as the 15th president of the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA). Japan Rubber Weekly recently sat down with Ikeda to hear his thoughts on the association and the industry heading into 2019. Defining his role with the JRMA, Ikeda said that he sees his job...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) plans to launch Japanese sales of the Dunlop Sportmax Q4 hypersport radial motorcycle tire. Developed and produced in the U.S., the tire is set for phased-in Japanese sales from March 1, 2019. One front tire size and five rear tire sizes are to go on sale. The first Sumitomo Rubber hypersport radial to be sold...
While snowy conditions around Japan have started later than average this winter, recent developments are hinting at a more favorable tailwind for sales of studless winter tires. Coming into mid-December, northern Japan is finally seeing full-fledged winter conditions, while elsewhere even parts of the Kanto region are beginning to see snowfall. Publishing a demand forecast this summer for the second...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) recently began delivery of the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT to Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203). A high-performance run-flat tire, it is being deployed as a factory-standard product for use in the new Lexus UX compact crossover launched in November. The Lexus UX comes as a new addition to the Lexus lineup, adopting...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) recently announced that it is participating in the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) as a founding member. At the same time, the company revealed that it has formulated its own Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy to use throughout its group – this being aimed at ensuring the sustainability of natural rubber as a resource...
Sumitomo Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5110) announced on Oct. 30 that it is supplying its Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 line of tires as OE for the new Lexus ES model that launched last month. As an original debut model of the Lexus brand, the ES is a mainstay of the automaker’s lineup. And the latest model of this, coming as...
