Ford Motor Co. recently honored Hankook Tire Co. Ltd., the seventh-largest tire manufacturer in the world, with its World Excellence Award for the third time.
The award honors suppliers that have aligned themselves "with the values and operating practices of Ford while reaching the highest quality, technology and delivery performance." Hankook Tire was the only tire supplier to receive this year's award.
“Since first supplying original equipment tires for Ford vehicles in 1999, Hankook Tire has built and maintained a strong relationship with the Ford Motor Co.,” says Bryan Woo, vice president of Hankook's Global OE Division.
“Our original equipment automotive manufacturer partners such as Ford are a vital part of our overall business and allow us to reach new customers, giving them the opportunity to experience the quality and performance of our tires.”
In North America, Hankook supplies OE tires for the Ford Fiesta, Edge, Explorer, Flex, Taurus, E-250, E-350 and F-150. Hankook also supplies OE tires for Ford’s Lincoln brand.
At the World Excellence Awards ceremony, Ford CEO and President Alan Mulally thanked all of Ford’s supplier partners for their commitment to excellence and for continuing to embrace the ONE Ford mindset.
Working closely with Ford, Hankook engineers design tires for Ford’s original equipment applications, paying attention to proper fit, durability and performance targets.
Hankook has been steadily expanding its portfolio of OE tire supply to premium auto, light truck and commercial truck manufacturers. In 2011, Hankook’s supply of OE tires increased 64% in the United States.
