Playing catch-up: Yokohama opens second OTR plant. Forty percent of production will go to U.S.

By: Greg Smith

Walt Sudderth, OTR sales manager for King’s Tire Service in Bluewell, W.Va. (far left) attended the grand opening of Yokohama’s second Onomichi, Japan, OTR tire plant along with Rocky Williams, OTR operations manager for Parkhouse Tire Inc. in Fontana, Calif., and Rick Williams, vice president of Mi

“We’re part of history, boys,” said Rick Williams, vice president of Miller Brothers Giant Tire Service in Tampa, Fla., during the grand opening of Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.’s second OTR tire plant in Onomichi City, Japan.

Williams was one of three independent tire dealers from North America to attend the ceremony, which also included representatives from equipment manufacturers Caterpillar Inc. and Komatsu.

Ltd. Construction of the new Onomichi facility began in February 2006. (Onomichi is the only place in which Yokohama produces OTR tires.)

Yokohama has invested $35 million in the new plant. Plant Manager Toshi Kamibayashi told attendees that the new plant will produce 8,000 units per month with 80% of the capacity built for foreign customers.

The new plant is designed to produce small- to mid-size radial tires with rim diameters of 25 inches, 33 inches and 35 inches for use on wheeled cranes and dump trucks of the 30- to 75-ton class.

Toru Kobayashi, , director and corporate office for Yokohama Rubber, said Yokohama is planning a $50 million investment in future expansion at the factory starting later this year. The increased capacity will be for super-large tires (up to 57 inches) for use on dump trucks in the 100- to 250-ton class.

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