History

Yokohama History

1917

Established in YOKOHAMA, Kanagawa Prefecture with a joint investment from YOKOHAMA Cable
Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (current Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.) and BF Goodrich, of the United States

1919

Start of Tyre Production at Hiranuma Plant, Yokohama

1929

Start of Tyre Production at Tsurumi Ward, Yokohama

1937

Renamed tyre and industrial products trademark to "YOKOHAMA"

1944

Mie plant started tyre production

1950

Mishima Plant acquired from Meji Rubber Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

1951

Hiratsuka Factory started operations

1952

Headquarters moved from Yokohama to Tokyo

1954

Launching of Japan´s first tubeless tyre

1957

First Tyre containing synthetic rubber was launched in Japan

1958

Launching of Japan´s first nylon cord tyre

1961

New YOKOHAMA Rubber headquarters building opened

1963

Hama Chemical Co., Ltd. established
 
Corporate name changed to The YOKOHAMA Rubber Co., Ltd.

1964

Completion of Shishiro Plant

1967

Launch of Radial Tyre for Passenger Car < GT Special >

1969

Research Center opened
 
YOKOHAMA Tire Corporation established as a sales company in Los Angeles, United States

1970

First steel radial tyre for truck and bus manufactured in Japan < Super Steel Series >

1974

Onomichi Plant started production of tyres

Ibaraki Plant started operations

1976

YOKOHAMA Tyre Australia Pty Ltd established as a sales company

1977

Development of - at that time - world´s largest OTR tyre 40.00-57 60PR  (for 200 ton dump trucks)

1978

Launch of HPT Radial Tyres for Passenger Cars < ADVAN HF >

1981

The first tyre franchise shop < Grand Slam > opened in Tochigi prefecture

Release of Tubeless Radial Tyres for Trucks and Buses

1983

YOKOHAMA Rubber supplied official tyres for the first F3 Macau Grand Prix

Launch of Studless Tyres for Passenger Cars < Snow Star 847 Studless >

YOKOHAMA Rubber made a full-scale entry into the sporting goods business and launched golf products < PRGR Carbon Driver >, < PRGR Golf Ball 2 pieces >

1986

D-PARC (Daigo Proving Ground and Research Center) comprehensive tyre testing facility opened

1988

YOKOHAMA Reifen GmbH established as a sales company in Germany

Tokyo Hamatite Co., Ltd. established

GTY tire Co., Ltd. established jointly with Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. and General Tire in the United States

1989

T*MARY (Takasu Motoring and Researching Yard) specialized winter test course opened

The Mohawk Rubber Company of the United States acquired

A008P obtained technical approval by PORSCHE

1991

R&D Center RADIC Completed at the Hiratsuka Factory

1993

Specific action standards for environment protection clarified and Environmental Action Plan formulated

1994

PRGR Co. Ltd. established

1995

YOKOHAMA Tire Division became the first Japanese tyre manufacturer to be ISO9001 certified

1996

YOKOHAMA Aeroquip became a wholly owned subsidiary of YOKOHAMA Rubber

YOKOHAMA Aeroquip corporate name changed to YOKOHAMA Hydex Company

YOKOHAMA Rubber (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a company for producing windshield sealants and assembling hydraulic hoses, established in Thailand

Hiratsuka Tire Plant obtains ISO 9001 certification

1997

New plant for windshield sealants in the U.S. state of Kentucky built
 
New plant for sealing materials at Ibaraki Plant started production

Tyre production and sales company established in Vietnam: YOKOHAMA Tire Vietnam Co.

1998

Mishima Plant obtained ISO 14001 certification, and efforts are undertaken to obtain certification at all plants by the end of 1999

Shinshiro Plant and Hiratsuka Tire Plant received TPM Excellence Award

Start of operations by YOKOHAMA Tire Philippines, Inc.

1999

Mie Plant obtained ISO 14001 certification, and efforts undertaken to obtain certification at all plants by July of the same year  

YOKOHAMA Tire Philippines, Inc. obtained ISO 9002 one year after the start of operations
YOKOHAMA Hydex Company obtained QS 9000, the quality specification for the U.S. Big Three auto makers, and ISO 19001 certification

ISO 14001 obtained at all domestic plants

2000

YOKOHAMA Rubber (Thailand) Co., Ltd. obtained QS 9000 and ISO 9002 certification

YH AMERICA Inc. obtained QS 9000 certification

YOKOHAMA Tire Philippines, Inc. obtained ISO 14001 certification

2001

The YOKOHAMA Rubber Co, Ltd. and Continental AG formed strategic alliance in tyre business

< Geolandar H/T G038 > was adopted as the standard tyre for MERCEDES Benz G-class vehicle

Zero Emission activities started aiming to reduce the amount of industrial waste at landfill sites

YOKOHAMA Hydex Company’s Hiratsuka business site and its Nagano Plant obtained ISO 14001 certification

2002

Grand Design (GD10), a long-term business strategy, formulated

YH AMERICA Inc. obtained ISO 14001 certification

2003

YOKOHAMA Rubber (Thailand) Co., Ltd. obtained ISO 14001 certification

Four domestic production sites achieved zero emissions

Start of production at Hangzhou YOKOHAMA Tire Plant in China

YOKOHAMA Rubber to establish its base for Truck/Bus Radial Tyre Production in Thailand; Operation scheduled to begin in April 2005

2004

YOKOHAMA Rubber’s new Belgian tyre sales company to start operations

< ADVAN Sport >, the new flagship sport tyre, was adopted for BENTLEY Continental GT

YOKOHAMA Rubber to set up new company to manufacture and market passenger car sealant in China

YOKOHAMA Rubber to create an integrated Hose Production/Assembly/Distribution business by absorbing

YOKOHAMA Rubber to establish a High-pressure Hose Assembly and Sales Subsidiary in China

2005

Europe representative office in Dusseldorf, Germany, became a subsidiary to oversee and coordinate European marketing

YOKOHAMA established Tyre Sales Company in Russia

All domestic production sites achieved zero emissions

YOKOHAMA Rubber established wholly owned Tyre Sales Subsidiary in Korea

YOKOHAMA Rubber to build Thai Plant for Passenger Car and Light Truck Tyres

YOKOHAMA Subsidiary officially opened Thai Truck and Bus Tyre Plant

Joint Venture Company to produce and sell Conveyor Belts in China

YOKOHAMA Hamatite (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. manufacturing passenger car sealant and YOKOHAMA Hoses & Coupling (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. a high-pressure hose assembly and sales subsidiary, established in China

2006

YOKOHAMA started to supply tyres to the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)

YOKOHAMA Rubber’s Hangzhou YOKOHAMA Tyre secured ISO 14001 Certification Production and Sales Base in China for Passenger-Car Radial Tyres

YOKOHAMA Rubber announced new Management Plan: Grand Design 100

YOKOHAMA Rubber strengthened European Marketing in Truck and Bus Tyres through Collaboration with Leading Retreader

YOKOHAMA Rubber established subsidiary in India Upward Revision of Forecasts for First Half of Fiscal 2007

2007

Opening ceremony for YOKOHAMA India Private Ltd. held

 

Proceeds from charity music event "LIVE ecoMOTION" donated to WWF Japan

 

Opening ceremony for Onomichi second plant held

 

"YOKOHAMA Forever Forest" (a project to plant trees at all YOKOHAMA plants around the world) kicked off with a tree-planting ceremony at Hiratsuka Factory

YOKOHAMA supplied official tyres for the Macau Grand Prix for the 25th consecutive year

 

SAS Rubber Co. obtained ISO 14001 certification

2008

Enhanced tyre evaluation functions in Europe

Agreement with Spanish IDIADA for prior use of test rack

 

YOKOHAMA Asia established

 

YOKOHAMA Tyre Vietnam Inc. held opening ceremony

YOKOHAMA Asia Co., Ltd., purchasing, marketing and technical service company, established in Bangkok, Thailand

YOKOHAMA Rubber Latin America Comercio Ltda. as a new overseas subsidiary, was established in Sao Paulo, Brazil

 

First overseas YOKOHAMA Forever Forest tree-planting ceremony held at YOKOHAMA Tire Philippines, Inc.

 

Proceeds from charity music event "LIVE ecoMOTION" donated to WWF Japan

 

Suzhou YOKOHAMA Tire Co., Ltd. held opening ceremony and started production at its plant in China

Y.T.Rubber Co., Ltd., natural rubber processing factory built in Thailand

2009

< ADVAN Sport > fitted as Oriniginal Equipment on the AUDI Q7

< ADVAN Sport > fitted as Original Equipment on MERCEDES C-class models

Second phase of GD 100 started

 

 

Agreement made to establish YOKOHAMA R.P.Z. L.L.C., manufacturing and sales company, in Russia

 

Second phase of YOKOHAMA Forever Forest started with tree-planting ceremony in YOKOHAMA Tyre Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

 

Second phase tree-planting staged at the Hangzhou YOKOHAMA Tyre Co., Ltd., the YOKOHAMA HAMATITE (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. and the YOKOHAMA Hose & Coupling (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. in China

Opening Ceremony of the Tire Test Center of Asia held in Thailand

New operational base for Multiple Business established in Europe: YOKOHAMA Industrial Products Europe GmbH

Local subsidiary established in Spain and Portugal: YOKOHAMA Iberia S.A.

2010

YOKOHAMA Nurburgring Shop Opening Ceremony held in the "ring boulevard" at the famous Nurburgring Track

Complete zero emissions achieved at production and sales base of Passenger Car Tyres in China

YOKOHAMA Tire Philippines achieved Overal Performance award by then-President Macapagal-Arroyo for second consecutive year

Opening ceremony of natural rubber processing factory held in Thailand