Tokyo—The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced that Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc., a passenger car tire manufacturing and marketing subsidiary, will upgrade its facilities to boost production. The initiative will begin in April. By the end of the year, annual capacity will expand from 2 million units, to 2.5 million. The upgrade will cost around  billion.

Yokohama Tire Philippines will step up production of 16-inch and larger high-performance passenger car tires and of recreational vehicle tires, for which demand is growing internationally. This subsidiary currently makes passenger car tires of 13-to-16 inches. By year-end, 16-inch and larger models and recreational vehicle tires should account for about 30% of production. The upgrade will entail the construction of new facilities on that company's current property.

Yokohama Tire Philippines was established in April 1996, started production in January 1998, and has been profitable since the beginning. The new facilities will feature highly efficient lines that simply categorize models and sizes. About 90% of its output is exported to Europe, the Middle East, and other ASEAN nations. The balance is for the aftermarket and Japanese automakers in the Philippines.

Profile of Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc.