Tokyo - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., today announced that Yokohama Asia Co., Ltd. it had established February this year in Bangkok, Thailand, began commercial operation in April. Capitalized at 10 million baht (approximately 30 million yen), the new company will become the marketing and technical service base for replacement tires in ASEAN and West Asian countries and control purchasing functions of Yokohama Rubber Group manufacturing and sales companies in Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan in an integrated manner. Yokohama Rubber fully funded the new company's capital.

Yokohama Rubber established Yokohama Asia so as to further expand replacement tire sales in ASEAN and West Asian countries where vigorous demand continues to exist. In addition, the establishment is intended to promote brand/sales channel policies and enhance tire technical services mainly in the area of high-performance passenger car tires, where Yokohama Rubber has excellent expertise

The new company also controls purchasing functions of manufacturing and sales bases in Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam, and MB (multiple businesses) product manufacturing and sales bases in Thailand and Taiwan. In the past, the purchasing department of the headquarters has directly controlled raw material purchasing at these manufacturing and sales bases. However, the company now plans to reduce costs and accelerate delivery speed by establishing a regional purchasing organization and enhancing cooperation with the purchasing department of the headquarters.

In the backdrop of the establishment of Yokohama Asia, there is a fact that automotive manufacturers from various countries have operations in Thailand, a country that is now therefore called "Detroit in Asia". Another reason is that Yokohama Rubber Group has its largest manufacturing/sales company in Thailand as Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Corporate name: Yokohama Asia Co., Ltd.
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Established: February 2008
Capital: 10,000,000 baht(approximately 30,000,000 yen fully funded by Yokohama Rubber)
Representative: Takaharu Fushimi(Non-statutory)
Lines of business::Tire marketing, Tire technical services, Purchase of raw materials, etc.
Number of employees: 10