The automobile market in Japan is going through a difficult period, said Yujiro Kanahara, president of Nippon Goodyear Ltd., speaking recently to Japan Rubber Weekly. This is particularly true in the tire sector, where Nippon Goodyear faces a number of strong rivals and where market growth is limited, Kanahara said. Still, he believes there are opportunities for growth.
Guangzhou Fengli Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd., southern China's biggest manufacturer of radial tires and owner of Wanli Tire, has decided to enter the Japanese market. This will provide a foothold for its global expansion strategy, thus ensuring a prime base from which to expand elsewhere overseas.
New Year’s Top Interview: Sumitomo Rubber CEO Ikuji Ikeda 2016 will be a crucial year for Sumitomo Rubber’s new mid-term business plan. In order to achieve its goals, the company plans to stay steady on its feet and adapt to the changes in the increasingly challenging rubber market, said Ikuji Ikeda, CEO of Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110), in an...
New Year’s Top Interview: Bridgestone CEO Masaaki Tsuya The administrative framework at Bridgestone has not changed one iota since it came under a dual leadership structure in February 2012, said Masaaki Tsuya, CEO of Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108), in an interview with Japan Rubber Weekly. While moving forward with efforts to establish and maintain a systematic corporate ethos, they are using...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. announced at a recent press conference that it is developing highly functional biomass materials for tires. Conventional rubber used in tires contains oil from fossil resource as a softener. The problem, however, is that the oil gradually leaches out of the rubber, causing tires to harden. Sumitomo Rubber solved this problem by using plant-based oil as...
