Tokyo - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced today that on Saturday, August 6, 2011, Y. T. Rubber Co., Ltd. (YTRC), its natural-rubber processing factory in Thailand, held a first-phase tree-planting ceremony on its premises in Surat Thani Province as part of the "Yokohama Forever Forest" project.

Prior to the planting, the company received guidance from Dr. Sirin Kawlaierd, who earned his doctoral degree at Yokohama National University and currently works at the Thai Imperial Household Agency, on the selection of trees indigenous to the local area, suppliers of seedlings, and care after planting. On the day of the event, 400 people, including YTRC President Yoshio Amano, employees, representatives from local administration and elementary schools, local residents and more, participated. Dr. Akira Miyawaki, plant ecologist and professor emeritus of Yokohama National University, and Mr. Yasuo Tominaga, senior advisor of Yokohama Rubber also joined the event, and all participants planted about 1,900 trees in 27 varieties. Dr. Kawlaierd had been one of Dr. Miyawaki's students at Yokohama National University.

YTRC, Yokohama Rubber's own natural-rubber processing facility, was established in September 2008 to provide a stable supply of quality natural rubber, accumulate expertise in precision natural-rubber processing techniques, improve the ability to control the physical properties and quality of natural rubber, etc. Production commenced in May 2010. There are 230 employees as of the end of July this year, and output is now at the level of 3,000 tons a month.

The Yokohama Forever Forest Project was started in 2007 and continues toward its goal of planting 500,000 trees at domestic and overseas production sites in anticipation of the company's 100th anniversary in 2017. With the tree planting at YTRC, approximately 200,000 trees have been planted around the world as of August 2011.