Hankook Tire America Corp. President Soo Il Lee shared plans to ramp up capacity to 4.8 million tires in 2020 with dealers attending the company’s annual Partner’s Day event Jan. 27-31 in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
He also told dealers that Hankook will introduce more original equipment fitments and add new products to its TBR (truck and bus radial) lineup this year.
“We’re inspired by the level of commitment we see every day, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for being a valued partner and customer of Hankook Tire,” said Lee. “To witness and be a part of an atmosphere that continues to foster new thinking and innovation is truly special. We’re confident that 2020 will bring forward an unprecedented level of growth and collaboration, and we look forward to what the new decade and the future of mobility has in store for us.”
In addition to giving dealers a preview of 2020, Hankook highlighted its achievements in 2019.
Last year, the company continued to strengthen its domestic and premium OE sponsorships with key fitments among top tier suppliers such as Ford, Toyota, Audi and Porsche, while also receiving the Honda Double Award for Excellence in Quality & Delivery and Value.
Reaffirming its commitment to innovation and product development, Hankook introduced new compound development techniques leveraging artificial intelligence. The company also received recognition for its concept tires as a winner of the 2019 IDEA awards and iF Design awards.
Hankook launched two new tires in its Dynapro line: the Dynapro AT2, a next-generation all-terrain tire designed to strike the perfect balance of on and off-road performance; and the Dynapro MT2, a mud-terrain tire featuring next-generation MT tread design optimized for the toughest terrain.
Hankook also added new passenger tire sizes, and said it will continue to do so in 2020. On the commercial side of the business, Hankook officials said the company made great strides under the leadership of Rob Williams who was named vice president of TBR sales for Hankook in February 2019.
Hankook announced three new tires at the 2019 Mid-America Trucking Show [MATS], the Smart Flex DL15, e3 MAX DL21, and e3 WiDE TL21. Through strategic partnerships, Hankook also made its most popular TBR tires – the e3 MAX AL21, e3 MAX DL21, and e3 MAX TL21 – available at all 350 of Love’s Travel Stops and Speedco locations across the country.
“It has been a remarkable year for Hankook’s TBR business with new growth, products and technologies,” said Williams. “Thanks to our dealers, who are on the front lines and in tune with our customers’ daily needs, we were able to adapt quickly and expand into new sizes and products to meet the evolving market needs. We’re confident in the way that we’re growing, and we look forward to keeping that momentum going in 2020 and beyond.”
