Hankook Tire Company, which has a 66-year history and has become a global entity in the last five years, is carrying out a diverse range of marketing activities in the global tire market to support its leap into a premium tire brand.
By actively targeting the finished car market, Hankook is raising its brand awareness and continuing to expand its business in overseas markets. Currently, it provides 3.5 million tires annually to Ford, two million to GM and 540,000 to Volkswagen. It will also supply 90,000 UHP tires to Audi’s A6L and A4 models.
Distributing tires to 170 countries around the world, the Korean tire giant has its global headquarters in Seoul along with five regional headquarters - Latin America, Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East (LAAM), and America, Europe, China as well as Korea. The company ranked seventh among international tire companies and celebrated its 100 millionth tire off the production line in 2007.
Hankook tire’s main production bases in Daejeon and Geumsan produce more than 60 percent total output. It has also established a solid foundation for growth in China by producing high-quality tires customized for the local market, securing a high market share. Additionally, Hankook Tire built another operational stronghold in Dunaujvaros, Hungary, to secure a fully-fledged manufacturing base in the European market.
The company has established four regional technical centers in the United States, Europe, China and Japan to better focus on technology and products that are suited to local tastes. In this way, it is aiming to produce tires of global standards that bring greater value to customers.
Hankook tire aims to create tires customized for different regions and maximize customer satisfaction. About five percent of revenue is invested in research, and Hankook tire retains 730 R&D personnel including 380 staff who hold either doctoral or master’s degrees.
The Hankook Runflat System is the result of unwavering commitment to make safer and more convenient tires. THE Hankook Hybrid System is an eco-friendly technology that sharply reduces rolling resistance.
Numerous tests in auto magazines attest to its high quality standards. Auto Bild, Auto Sport, Stiftung, Warentest and Gute Fahrt are just some of the respected German publications, which have recognized the high levels of quality and security of Hankook tire products.
Hankook tire is on the verge of becoming a leading global tire manufacturer with unrivaled competitiveness. To be the world’s most successful tire brand and No. 1 in customer satisfaction, it keeps striving to make those dreams into reality.