TOKYO (Oct. 26)--Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. plans to more than double production capacity at its Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. subsidiary to meet growing demand from Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia for passenger and sport-utility vehicle tyres.
Yokohama will invest $93.7 million until September 2006 in the project, which will increase the facility's annual capacity to 7 million tyres from 3 million. The factory, in the Philippines' Clark Economic Zone, makes car and SUV tyres in rim diameters of 13 to 18 inches, exporting about 90 percent of production, Yokohama said.
The project will focus on expanding capacity for larger rim diameter sizes, including sizes larger than 18 inches, the company said, and will incorporate flexible, small-scale production technology used at the firm's Hangzhou Yokohama Tire Co. Ltd. subsidiary in China.
Capacity at the plant was expanded to 3 million units this year through a $16.7 million project that included adding larger diameter sizes. Yokohama did not comment on the expansion's effect on employment, which was listed at 680 at last report.
Press release from Yokohama (via JCNN)
