Yokohama Reaches Settlement in Patent Suit
Yokohama Tire Corp. and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. have reached a final settlement agreement with Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. Ltd. pertaining to design patent infringement, with Hangzhou agreeing to destroy the manufacturing molds and remaining inventory of its Westlake H280 tires.
Seventh Annual National Tire Safety Week to Take Place in April
The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) announced that the Seventh Annual National Tire Safety Week will be held April 20-26, 2008. The annual event is an initiative of the Rubber Manufacturers Association’s "Be Tire Smart — Play Your PART" program, a year-round effort designed to help drivers learn the simple steps they can take to ensure that their tires are in good working condition. For National Tire Safety Week, tire manufacturers and retailers nationwide will work to educate motorists about proper tire care and maintenance. RMA provides tire retailers, auto dealers and automotive repair shops with free "Be Tire Smart" brochures and other materials. Many participating retail outlets will use the opportunity to promote tire care through advertising, promotions, free tire pressure checks and conducting media outreach.
Yokohama Dedicates First ADVAN Premium Service Center
Yokohama Tire Corp. opened its first ADVAN Premium Service Center this week. The specially built service center is located inside The Tire Man in Thousand Oaks, CA. The new site was officially dedicated in a traditional Japanese ceremony by Yokohama Tire Corp. President and CEO Norio Karashima and Paul Saylors, owner of the Tire Man. The Tire Man was chosen as the first site in the U.S. for ADVAN Premium Service Centers, according to Jim Mayfield, director of ADVAN Brand.
Yokohama to Sponsor Select NFL Teams and Two College Football Teams
America’s most popular sport is the latest marketing arena for a variety of Yokohama Tire Corp. promotions, according to Dan King, Yokohama vice president of sales. Starting this fall, Yokohama is partnering with the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, as well two high-visibility college teams, the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans.
Yokohama: Sales Up, Earnings Down
From Tire Review Yokohama Rubber Co. said its overall net sales increased 10.2 percent through the first nine months of its 2006 fiscal year versus the year prior, and its worldwide tire group sales were up 11.2 percent. At the same time, raw material costs and other financial factors pushed operating income down 18.3 percent
Falken Tire Promotes John McAndrew to Director, Dealer Channel Sales
Falken Tire has promoted John McAndrew to director-dealer channels. McAndrew joined the Falken Tire Sales team in April of this year as director, business development. His primary focus was on helping Falken grow and refine its distribution network throughout North America.
Tire Industry Rolls Out Sixth National Tire Safety Week
Tire manufacturers will again spearhead a week-long effort to educate motorists about proper tire care during the sixth National Tire Safety Week, scheduled for April 22-28, 2007. The annual event is an initiative of the Rubber Manufacturers Association’s (RMA) "Be Tire Smart – Play Your PART" program, a year-round effort designed to help drivers learn the simple steps they can take to ensure that their tires are in good working condition.
Yokohama Adds to OTR Sales Team
Yokohama Tire Corp. has hired former Bridgestone/Firestone executive Michael Baggett as its eastern region OTR sales manager and promoted Tim Easter to national OTR fleet and OEM manager. According to Gary Nash, Yokohama’s director of OTR sales, Baggett will be responsible for OTR sales across states along the Atlantic Ocean, spanning from Florida to Maine,
Yokohama Takes Legal Action to Protect Intellectual Property
Yokohama Tire Corp. has initiated legal proceedings against several tire companies, including Hangzhou, Tireco, Cooper, Guizhou and Greenball for infringement of Yokohama tire patents on some of its best-selling brands and its long-standing and prominent ADVAN trademark.
Yokohama Hires New Ad Agency
FULLERTON, CA — Yokohama Tire has selected Culver City, CA-based Kovel-Fuller Inc. for advertising strategy, creative development, media planning, media buying, point-of-sale and other marketing collateral. Kovel-Fuller’s assignments will cover Yokohama’s multiple business divisions, which are the consumer sales, commercial sales, and OTR (Off-The-Road) sales. For more information about Yokohama, visit: http://www.yokohamatire.com.