Toyo Tires: История и развитие японского производителя шин

Japanese tire manufacturing company

, commonly known as Toyo Tires, is a multinational tire and rubber products company based in Itami, Japan. The company owns and operates eight factories in Asia, North America, and Europe and distributes tires and automotive components through fourteen sales companies throughout the world. Toyo Tires posted net sales of 497B Japanese yen for fiscal year 2022. It is the eleventh largest tire company in the world based on 2022 revenue.

The company started in 1945. In 1966, the company expanded to the United States as Toyo Tire USA Corporation. In 1999, Nitto Tire North America was established.

Date EventAugust 1945Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. is establishedAugust 1947The first truck tire exportedJuly 1953The Itami Manufacturing Complex is openedMay 1956Ayabe Toyo Rubber Co., Ltd. is establishedOctober 1959Toyo Soflan Co., Ltd. is establishedDecember 1961The Central R&D Laboratories (now the Technical Research Center) is opened1963Car tires are exported to the United States for the first timeMarch 1964Chubu Soflan Kakoh Co., Ltd. (now Chubu Soflan Co., Ltd.) is establishedSeptember 1964The Hyogo Plant is openedMarch 1965Tohoku Toyo Rubber Co., Ltd. (now the Sendai Plant) is establishedJuly 1966Toyo Tire & Rubber becomes the first Japanese tire manufacturer to establish a U. S. subsidiary (Toyo Tire (U. S. A.) Corp.)April 1971The Akashi Plant is openedJune 1971Toyo Giant Tire Co., Ltd (presently Nippon Giant Tire Co., Ltd) establishedFebruary 1974Toyo Tire & Rubber acquires a capital interest in Vaculug Australia Ltd. (now Toyo Tyre and Rubber Australia Ltd.) March 1974Toyo Tire & Rubber acquires a capital interest in Fukushima Rubber Co., LtdApril 1974The Soflan Technical Center is opened at the Hyogo PlantJuly 1974T. G. K. Seals Co., Ltd. (now T. G. K. Co., Ltd.) is establishedJuly 1974Tire Testing Course opened in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan—the first of its kind built by a Japanese tire manufacturerSeptember 1975Toyo Reifen GmbH established in Germany, NeussFebruary 1979Toyo Tire & Rubber forms a comprehensive business partnership with Nitto Tire Co., LtdFebruary 1979Ryoto Tire Co., Ltd. (now the Kuwana Plant) is establishedMarch 1982Alliance agreement with Continental AG concludedJanuary 1982Toyo Tire Canada Inc. establishedJune 1983The Fukushima Plant is openedApril 1986The Automotive Parts Technical Center is openedNovember 1986Nippon Giant Tire Co., Ltd. established.(J. V. company with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.) March 1987 New Pacific Industry Co., Ltd. is established as a joint venture with Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co., Ltd. In the Republic of ChinaAugust 1988Dynamic Simulation Optimized Contour Theory (DSOC) is announced as a new design theory for truck and bus tireNovember 1988GTY Tire Company is established as a joint ventureOctober 1989The High Polymer Processing Technology Center is opened at the Fukushima PlantFebruary 1990Toyo Banden Nederland B. V. establishedJanuary 1993Tire Testing Course opened in Saroma, HokkaidoJune 1993Toyo Rubber(Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. establishedJuly 1995The Tranpath MP minivan tire is launched as the first product in the Tranpath seriesJanuary 1996Toyo Tire & Rubber acquires a capital interest in Cheng Shin Toyo Tire & Rubber (China) Co., LtdDecember 1998The Itami Manufacturing Complex is closedSeptember 1999Toyo Tire & Rubber forms a business partnership with Kinugawa Rubber Industrial Co., Ltd.,April 2000The East Japan Automotive Parts Technical Center is openedDecember 2000T Mode is announced as a new basic design systems for tiresFebruary 2001Toyo Automotive Parts (U. S. A. ), Inc. is established in Kentucky, U. S. ANovember 2001The main building at the Toyo Technical Center is completedAugust 2002Toyo Tire & Rubber acquires a capital interest in Cheng Shin Petrel Tire (Xiamen) Co., Ltd. (China)October 2002A major shopping mall, Diamond City Terrace, is opened on the site of the former Itami Manufacturing ComplexJanuary 2003Toyo Tire (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is established as a joint venture in Shanghai, ChinaMay 2003Toyo Rubber Chemical & Industrial Products (HK) Limited is established in Hong Kong, ChinaJune 2004Toyo Tire North America, Inc. is established in Bartow County, Georgia U. S. A., as a tire manufacturing baseSeptember 2004Toyo Automotive Parts (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. is established in Guangzhou, China

Manufacturing and marketing of car tires, industrial rubber and synthetic resin products, soft and rigid polyurethane products, waterproof sheets, anti vibration rubber for automotive parts, seat cushions, and sporting goods.

Toyo has sponsored off road Trophy Truck drivers including Robby Gordon, Kyle LeDuc, BJ Baldwin, Tavo Vildósola, Gus Vildósola, Andy McMillin and Bryce Menzies. As well as rally and stunt driver Ken Block. Meanwhile, Nitto has sponsored the King of the Hammers rock crawling race, and drifting drivers Vaughn Gittin (since 2013), Chelsea DeNofa (since 2017), Ryan Tuerck (since 2019), Fredric Aasbø (since 2020), and Adam LZ (since 2021). The company has also sponsored the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts promotion from 2006 to 2008 and later since 2011.