Hankook Tire Celebrates Grand Opening of First U.S. Manufacturing Plant

• - Hankook Tire held the grand opening ceremony for its first manufacturing facility in the U.S. to balance and to enhance global production portfolio
• - Hankook Tire Tennessee Plant will be shown the company’s continuous effort of innovation and cutting edge technology to not only the American customers but the global market

October 18, 2017 (Seoul, Korea) – Hankook Tire, the leading and one of the fastest growing tire companies in the world, held the grand opening ceremony for its first manufacturing facility in the U.S., underscoring its commitment to technology, innovation and growth in North America. The new plant in the U.S. will further strengthen Hankook Tire’s well-balanced global production portfolio, completed with manufacturing bases located in all major markets, such as the U.S., Hungary, China and Indonesia. The development of the Tennessee Plant is integral to Hankook Tire’s strategic vision of becoming a top-tier tire brand, while providing high-quality products to its customers. The grand opening celebration took place at the facility in Clarksville, Tennessee, and was attended by State of Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, United States Representative Marsha Blackburn, Korean Consul General Seong-jin Kim, and several other prominent state and local officials.

The Tennessee Plant is Hankook Tire’s eighth plant worldwide and joins a global footprint of state-of-the-art manufacturing that serves customers globally. It will produce 5.5 million units annually, enabling Hankook Tire to more efficiently provide tire dealers and consumers with high-quality tires and industry-leading services to meet the demands of the American market, while supporting existing and future Original Equipment (OE) partners.

“The new Tennessee Plant signifies Hankook Tire’s growing business in the United States and continued journey toward being a global leader in the tire industry,” said Seung Hwa Suh, Global CEO of Hankook Tire. “Our investment in the U.S. is part of our ongoing commitment to innovation, state-of-the-art technology and service for our customers. This high-tech, sustainable facility will enable Hankook Tire to execute every phase of business in the U.S., from R&D to production and sales.”

Hankook Tire incorporated sustainable design and construction practices for development of the 1.5 million square foot facility, which sits on 469 acres. Leveraging top-tier technology and highly automated processes, the Tennessee Plant will produce Passenger Car Radial (PCR) and Light Truck Radial (LTR) tires from Hankook Tire’s extensive North American lineup, acting as Hankook Tire’s key business growth driver in the North American market. Such production plan exhibits the company’s continued execution of its global investment strategy, therefore becoming a global top-tier leading tire company.