Yokohama Rubber has revised upward its financial targets for its new medium-term management plan Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026) announced on February 16. The company took into account the current strong performance, the realization of technology and production reforms that it will pursue, and the performance of the OTR (off-the-road tire) business to be acquired from Goodyear. It upwardly revised its...
Tires
Bridgestone Promotes Global Cost Reductions Throughout Value Chain
Bridgestone is promoting cost reductions throughout the entire value chain by optimizing the balance between sales, production and inventory. The company is reducing fixed costs in line with sales volume, optimizing the production system, and thoroughly reducing inventory based on volume and value. In production, Bridgestone is shortening operating days and suspending operations of some processes to improve profitability of...
Four Japanese Tire Makers Post Record Sales and Profit in First Half
The four Japanese tire makers have released their first half (January-June) results for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. Bridgestone, Sumitomo Rubber, Yokohama Rubber and Toyo Tires all posted record-high sales and profits for the period. Although tire sales volume was slightly struggling, the external environment, including raw material prices, yen depreciation, and lower ocean freight rates, in addition...
Sumitomo Rubber Posts Record Highs in Second Quarter
Sumitomo Rubber posted second quarter (January-June) results for fiscal 2024, showing revenue of 587.04 billion yen ($4.03 billion), up 4.6% year-on-year; operating profit of 42.29 billion yen, up 147.6%; and net income of 38.73 billion yen, up 372.5%. Sales revenue, operating profit, and net income were all record highs for the same period. By business segment, the tire business posted...
Interview With Yokohama Rubber President and COO Shinji Seimiya
Japan Rubber Weekly recently sat down with Shinji Seimiya, president and COO of Yokohama Rubber, to talk about the company’s latest developments. Semiya is in charge of tire design and development, as well as manufacturing, quality, and and overseeing technology and production on a global scale. Under the new mid-term management plan Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), which started this year,...
Test Drive Report: Sumitomo Rubber’s Next-Gen Tire Synchro Weather
Sumitomo Rubber will launch its next-generation all-season tire Synchro Weather on October 1. It is a revolutionary tire that combines the performance of a summer tire and a studless tire, and can be used on dry, wet, icy, snowy, and other road surfaces. The new Active Tread technology, which incorporates two switches, the Water Switch and the Temperature Switch, that...