FULLERTON, CA – Yokohama Tire Corp. (YTC) has announced the reassignment of several executives as well as one promotion.

Takao Oishi has assumed the new title of YTC executive vice president of operations. Oishi’s responsibilities are in the areas of MIS, logistics, strategic marketing and operations. This is Oishi’s first assignment in the U.S.; he spent the last two years as president of Yokohama Europe and lived in DÜsseldorf, Germany.

Kenichi Shirai was named YTC chief advisor, strategic marketing. Shirai will oversee product planning and strategic marketing. Shirai, also on his first assignment in the U.S., has a mix of marketing and engineering backgrounds and was instrumental in the development of the first generation ADVAN Neova tire as well as the Parada Spec-X. He also worked with the environmental Eco-Motion group that helped produce the Super E-Spec, an all-new consumer passenger tire that combines citrus oil with natural rubber to form a new compound called "Super Nano Power Rubber" which reduces the petrochemical portion of overall tire weight to only 20 percent.

Iwao Shimomura was named YTC senior director, corporate quality assurance. Shimomura, whose nickname is Rocky, is one of Yokohama’s foremost experts in tire development and quality testing. This will be Shimomura’s second stint in the U.S. – he worked in YTC’s Salem, VA, plant from 1991-1994 as manager of tire development. In his new position, Shimomura will oversee tire development, technology and quality assurance.

Also at YTC, Satoshi Miyata was promoted to CFO and treasurer. Prior to this, he held the position of treasurer and has been at Yokohama, Fullerton for more than four years.

Additionally, three YTC corporate executives have returned to Japan-based Yokohama Rubber Company (YRC) for new assignments: Takaharu Fushimi was named YRC general manager, Tire Overseas Sales & Marketing Department No. 1; Tadayoshi Hiraga was named general manager, Tire Overseas Technical Service Department; and Takeshi Masatomo assumed the new title of YRC manager, Passenger Car & Light Truck Tires Product Planning Department.

For more information about Yokohama Tire Corp., visit: www.yokohamatire.com.