Yokohama Tire Corp. recently celebrated its 35th anniversary of operations in the United States. The tire maker began doing business here as an eight-man operation in 1969 in downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Executives at Yokohama Rubber Company, parent company of Yokohama Tire Corp, set out to expand the company and five years later it outgrew its space and moved into new corporate offices in Montebello, CA.
Twelve years later Yokohama again outgrew its facilities and moved to new headquarters in Fullerton, CA. In 1988, the manufacturer doubled the size of the Fullerton plant to 450,000 sq. ft.
With three headquarter changes and 12 different presidents, Yokohama has grown to become a major tire brand in the U.S. market. Today it has facilities in Fullerton as well as in Salem, VA, Louisville, KY, and Auburn, GA.
Norio Karashima, who was named president & CEO last July, directs Yokohama. He succeeded Koji Ikawa who retired at the end of 2004.
