Yokohama Had Record First Half
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. posted $3.93 billion in sales during the first half of 2025, a record for the company. Sales increased by 10.3% on a year-over-year basis.
Yokohama also achieved a year-over-year consolidated business profit increase of 13.8% during the first half to $422.3 million, credited to “the strong performance of existing businesses off-setting the one-time costs related to the acquisition and consolidation of Goodyear’s OTR business.”
An increase in consumer tire unit sales and continued growth in sales of “high value-added" tires also accelerated profit growth, according to Yokohama officials. (Yokohama finalized its purchase of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s OTR tire business unit in February 2025, a deal valued at $905 million.)
However, the Tokyo-based company’s operating profit fell 2.5% year-over-year, coming in at $373 million for the first half of 2025.
First half highlights
In a presentation that was issued with Yokohama’s first half results, the company listed the acquisition of an OTR tire plant in Romania and the purchase of Chicago, Ill.-based Industrial Tire Solutions as highlights.
Also in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corp. (YTC) added 33 Euro-metric and P-metric sizes to its Geolandar A/T4 G018 light truck tire, giving the product more than 100 SKUs in total, with more sizes to hit the market in the near future.
YTC also launched the BluEarth 718L SmartWay-verified premium commercial medium truck tire for drive axle applications. The tire is available in four sizes and comes with a seven-year unlimited retread casing warranty. And YTC rolled out its new 116R regional all-position steer tire, which comes in three sizes.
On May 1, YTC hiked prices on its consumer and commercial truck tires sold in the United States by up to 10%.
Near the end March, Yokohama Corporation of North America (YCNA) announced several top-level organizational changes, including a promotion and expansion of duties for Jeff Barna, president and CEO of YTC. In addition to retaining those positions, he was named president and CEO of YCNA, which added responsibilities to support Yokohama Canada (YTV) and Yokohama Mexico (YTMX).
Shinichi Takimoto, who had served as chairman and CEO of YCNA for the past nine years, became head of Japan Tire Business Division and Head of OE Tire Sales and Marketing Division for Yokohama Rubber Co. in Japan. It also was announced that Stan Chandgie, chief operating officer for YTC, will also serve in the same role for YCNA, adding responsibilities in Canada and Mexico.
That same month, Yokohama closed its Yokohama TWS Trelleborg ag tire plant in Spartanburg, S.C.
In January 2025, Yokohama named Lawrence Harmon regional president, North and Central America, for Yokohama TWS.
Plant updates
As part of its consumer tire growth strategy, Yokohama officials mentioned that mass production at the company’s plant in Mexico is scheduled to begin in 2027 and production at a plant in Hangzhou, China, will commence next year.
The company also has revised its full-year 2025 sales and profit forecast upward.