YOKOHAMA

The Yokohama Rubber Company, Limited is a Japanese manufacturer whose principal business is the development and production of tires for passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, trucks, buses, motorsport, off-road equipment, and other commercial applications. The company also makes wheels, hoses, conveyor belts, sealants, adhesives, aircraft and marine products, and other engineered rubber goods, while its PRGR brand operates in golf equipment. Its consumer tire business is most visibly associated with the Yokohama name and product families such as ADVAN, GEOLANDAR, and AVID. The company was established on October 13, 1917, in Yokohama as a joint venture between Yokohama Cable Manufacturing and the American BFGoodrich Company. Its early production used American equipment and technology and included rubber belts, hoses, and tires. In the first years, tires produced in Japan were marketed under the Goodrich name; the company adopted Yokohama as its tire brand in 1937. Manufacturing expanded through facilities in Yokohama, Singapore, Mie, Mishima, and other Japanese locations. Yokohama Rubber became a public company in 1950 and changed its legal name to The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. in 1963. Its international expansion included the establishment of Yokohama Tire Corporation in the United States in 1969. The company subsequently developed a broad overseas manufacturing, sales, and distribution network. In the United States, it has operated a manufacturing facility in West Point, Mississippi; a previous Salem, Virginia, plant was reported as scheduled to close in March 2026. The brand has traditionally positioned itself around performance, motorsport technology, durability, and increasingly specialized mobility applications. ADVAN is its performance-oriented tire family, while GEOLANDAR targets SUVs, pickup trucks, crossovers, and off-road use. AVID covers touring and all-season passenger-car applications. The company also sells performance and premium wheels through Yokohama Wheel, including ADVAN Racing, AVS, and Kreutzer lines. PRGR extends the brand into golf equipment. Motorsport has been an important technology and marketing platform. Yokohama has supplied racing series and events including the World Touring Car Championship and World Touring Car Cup, the Macau Grand Prix Formula 3 race, and several North American sports-car and racing programs. It has been the official tire supplier of Japan's Super Formula championship since 2016. In 2025, it was announced as the tire supplier for the FIA Extreme H World Cup, with a prototype tire based on the GEOLANDAR X-AT. The company has also expanded through acquisitions. In 2016 it acquired Alliance Tire Group, a specialist in agricultural and off-highway tires. In 2022 it announced an agreement to acquire Trelleborg Wheel Systems, a major transaction intended to strengthen its agricultural, industrial, and specialty-tire businesses. Alongside consumer tires, these businesses have made Yokohama Rubber a diversified rubber-products and mobility-materials manufacturer rather than only a passenger-car tire brand.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. was established in Japan in 1917 during the country's early industrialization and the development of domestic rubber manufacturing. Its core business became tires, while the company also developed hoses, belts, seals and other rubber products for industrial and transport applications. Over time, the YOKOHAMA name developed from a domestic Japanese marque into an international tire brand. International expansion became more pronounced after the Second World War. The company established Yokohama Tire Corporation in the United States in 1969, creating a direct operating and marketing platform in one of the world's largest automotive markets. Overseas subsidiaries, production sites, distributors and original-equipment relationships subsequently extended the brand across North America, Europe, Asia and other regions. YOKOHAMA's consumer identity has been shaped by performance products, motorsport and enthusiast activity. The ADVAN family became associated with high-performance road and competition applications, while other product families addressed family vehicles, luxury cars, SUVs, crossovers and winter driving. BluEarth products placed greater emphasis on fuel efficiency, comfort and environmental considerations, and GEOLANDAR became a major name for SUVs, pickup trucks and light-truck applications. The group has increasingly pursued a two-pillar model combining consumer tires with commercial and off-highway products. In 2016, Yokohama Rubber acquired Alliance Tire Group, adding specialist agricultural, construction and industrial tire operations. In March 2022 it announced an agreement to acquire Trelleborg Wheel Systems, and the transaction was completed in 2023. The purchase expanded its presence in agricultural and industrial tires and created additional scale outside the passenger-car market. In July 2024 Yokohama Rubber agreed to acquire Goodyear's off-the-road tire business. Completion took place in February 2025, bringing additional mining, construction and related off-highway assets into the Yokohama group. The transaction formed part of the company's Yokohama Transformation 2026 program, which emphasizes premium tire growth, off-highway expansion, operational improvement and the use of acquisitions to strengthen competitive positions. Marketing has varied by market. In the United States, the 2014 I Am Yokohama campaign used CGI and a tire-centered narrative to communicate engineering and technology. In Canada, the 2023 Made Precisely For You campaign linked precise control with local driving conditions and individual driver needs. In India, company marketing leadership has described a more digital-first and locally targeted approach rather than broad mass-media sponsorship. The brand remains active, with tires sold through consumer, fleet, dealer, original-equipment and specialist industrial channels.

• 2025

  Goodyear off-the-road business acquisition completed

  [4]Yokohama Rubber completes Goodyear OTR acquisitionfinance.yahoo.com

  Yokohama Rubber completed the acquisition of Goodyear's off-the-road tire business, adding mining, construction and related assets.

• 2023

  Trelleborg Wheel Systems acquisition completed

  [3]Yokohama Transformation 2026yokohama.eu

  The completed acquisition expanded the group's agricultural and industrial tire platform.

• 2016

  Alliance Tire Group acquired

  [2]Yokohama Rubber Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Yokohama Rubber acquired Alliance Tire Group, strengthening agricultural, construction and specialty off-highway tire operations.

• 1983

  PRGR golf-equipment brand launched

  [2]Yokohama Rubber Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The group expanded beyond tires by launching the PRGR golf-equipment brand.

• 1969

  United States subsidiary established

  [5]United States subsidiary establishednextgeninvestors.substack.com

  Yokohama Tire Corporation was established in the United States, supporting direct international sales and marketing.

• 1917

  Company founded in Japan

  [2]Yokohama Rubber Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. was established, creating the corporate foundation of the YOKOHAMA tire and rubber-products brand.

A premium, engineering-led tire brand combining performance, control, safety and application-specific technology with a growing off-highway and industrial portfolio.

• Performance and motorsport tires

  ADVAN

  ADVAN is Yokohama's performance-focused family, covering high-performance road tires and competition-related applications. It is used to communicate handling, grip, steering response and technology derived from motorsport and enthusiast driving.

• Passenger-car tires

  BluEarth

  BluEarth is a passenger-tire family positioned around everyday safety, comfort, fuel efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Regional versions are designed for different vehicle types, road conditions and customer priorities.

• SUV, crossover and light-truck tires

  GEOLANDAR

  GEOLANDAR serves SUVs, crossovers, pickups and light trucks. The range includes products tuned for highway comfort, all-terrain use and more demanding off-road conditions, with emphasis on traction, durability and vehicle control.

• Truck, bus, van and fleet tires

  Commercial and truck tires

  YOKOHAMA supplies tires for trucks, buses, vans and other commercial vehicles. These products are developed around load carrying, mileage, retreadability, regional operating conditions and total fleet operating cost.

• Agricultural, construction, mining and industrial tires

  Off-highway tires

  The group's off-highway portfolio covers agricultural machinery, construction equipment, mining vehicles and industrial applications. Acquisitions of Alliance Tire Group, Trelleborg Wheel Systems and Goodyear's off-the-road business have expanded this strategic product area.

• 2023Made Precisely For You

  Canada

  The campaign connected precise tire control and traction with the varied situations faced by Canadian drivers. It used television, online video, radio and social media after a broader brand-repositioning effort.

  Source
• 2014I Am Yokohama

  United States

  Yokohama Tire Corporation launched a television and digital campaign that treated the tire as the narrator. CGI showed tire components and design details, while the campaign sought to reach both existing enthusiasts and a broader adult audience.

  Outcome. The campaign continued through television, print, online and social channels and later received a local bronze ADDY Award.

  Source

• 2025

  Complete Goodyear off-the-road business acquisitionM&A

  Background

  The acquisition was aligned with the Yokohama Transformation 2026 plan and its objective of expanding off-highway tire offerings.

  Action taken

  Yokohama Rubber completed the purchase of Goodyear's off-the-road tire business and related assets.

  Aftermath

  The transaction added mining and construction machinery tire capabilities and was scheduled for consolidation from the first quarter of 2025.

  Reported transaction value. US$905 million cash consideration (Completed February 4, 2025)

  • Goodyear — Goodyear said the proceeds would support leverage reduction and its broader transformation program.

  Source

• 2023

  Complete Trelleborg Wheel Systems acquisitionM&A

  Background

  The group identified agricultural and industrial tires as priority areas for international growth.

  Action taken

  Yokohama Rubber completed the acquisition of Trelleborg Wheel Systems and integrated it into its off-highway strategy.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition increased the scale and geographic reach of the group's agricultural and industrial tire operations.

  Source

• 2016

  Acquire Alliance Tire GroupM&A

  Background

  Yokohama sought to increase its presence in agricultural, construction and specialty off-highway tires.

  Action taken

  The company acquired Alliance Tire Group and incorporated its specialist product and distribution capabilities.

  Aftermath

  The transaction broadened Yokohama's off-highway platform and supported later expansion in the sector.

  Source

• 2020.10.05

  Reported2020.10.05

  Yokohama launched BluEarth-GT tyres in India[8]Yokohama在印度推出BluEarth-GT轮胎financialexpress.com

  Yokohama India launched the BluEarth-GT tyre series in India. The tyres were made in India and were slated to be available in 26 sizes by the end of the year.

Read more

1. 1The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. official websitey-yokohama.com
2. 2Yokohama Rubber Companyen.wikipedia.org
3. 3Yokohama Transformation 2026yokohama.eu
4. 4Yokohama Rubber completes Goodyear OTR acquisitionfinance.yahoo.com
5. 5United States subsidiary establishednextgeninvestors.substack.com
6. 6I Am Yokohamayokohamatire.com
7. 7Made Precisely For Youcampaigncanada.ca
8. 8Yokohama在印度推出BluEarth-GT轮胎financialexpress.com