Yokohama Tire Corporation Announces Strategic Management Promotions

FULLERTON, Jan. 15, 2011: Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) today announced several strategic management promotions within the company. They include:

-- Dan King, from vice president of sales and marketing to senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Dan has been highly instrumental in securing strong performances for Yokohama, including a record year in 2010,” remarked Takao Oishi, Yokohama president and CEO. “This promotion reflects Dan’s continued high level of performance, as well as his expanded role since the retirement of Jim MacMaster (YTC’s former executive vice president and chief operating officer) last year.”

-- Thomas Masuguchi, from controller to vice president and controller. “Tom has done a tremendous job further improving Yokohama’s finances and his advice and leadership has been invaluable to our success in recent years,” Oishi continued.

The other Yokohama promotions were:

-- John Cooney, from director of commercial sales to director of export. Cooney, who is credited by the company for building one of the most successful commercial sales groups in the industry, will develop Yokohama’s sales, operations and brand strategies for consumer and commercial export. Cooney will continue to report to King.

-- Rick Phillips, from manager of commercial sales to director of commercial sales. Phillips, who will report to King, assumes the department’s reins from Cooney. “Rick has been a major part of the Commercial Division’s growth the last few years and a key leader for Yokohama,” said King.

-- Minoru (Mike) Nakayama, to chief advisor, corporate strategy and product planning. In this role, Nakayama will advise in the areas of corporate strategy, product planning for consumer tires and motorsports. Nakayama comes from Yokohama Asia Co., Ltd. – a subsidiary of YTC’s parent company, The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. (YRC). He will replace Kenichi (Kenny) Shirai who returns to YRC on January 14.

--Alan Easome, from manager, supply chain planning to director, supply chain planning. Easome, who will divide his time between Yokohama’s Fullerton headquarters and Salem, VA plant, will oversee all activities related to supply chain operations including forecasting, production planning, scheduling, and finished goods inventory optimization. He will report to Jim Quinn, vice president, operations.

--Percy Cottle, from district sales manager, export to zone manager, export. “Percy has been a vital asset to Yokohama,” noted Cooney. “He has been central in establishing the Yokohama brand, both consumer and commercial, in our export markets.” Cottle will report to Cooney.

-- Andrew Briggs, from account manager to senior manager of motorsports. Briggs, who has grown dramatically at Yokohama, will head up Yokohama’s motorsports department (now a separate unit). Briggs will report to King.

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes the dB Super E-spec™ – the world’s first tire to use orange oil to reduce petroleum – as well as tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.