Hankook's First U.S. Plant Starts Operation in 2016

Hankook Tire's new factory in Clarksville, Tennessee, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony marking the company's further expansion into the US market.

Tennessee's new plant is the eighth plant of Hankook Overseas and the company’s first plant in the United States. It will occupy a total area of ​​469 acres and a total investment of US$800 million. It will be equipped with the most advanced tire production. Equipment and employ 1,800 full-time employees.

The plant is scheduled to be operational in 2016 and is expected to have a production capacity of 12 million pieces/year, mainly for the North American market. Hankook’s global tire production will also exceed 100 million pieces/year.

Hantai CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board Suh Seung-hwa said in a statement, “The construction of the new plant will not only provide strong capacity support for further growth in U.S. operations, but will further strengthen the balanced globalization of Hankook Tire. Production investment strategy layout.” The new plant will increase the efficiency of Hankook’s US tire distribution center while increasing cooperation opportunities with US automakers.

The Governor of Tennessee Bill Haslam attended the ground-breaking ceremony and expressed his congratulations on the new plant, saying that the project will have a very positive impact on the automotive industry in Tennessee and will be local to Clarksville. Create more jobs.

Hankook’s investment in the United States has continued for several decades. For the first time, it established the U.S. regional headquarters in 1981. In 1992, it set up a technology research and development center in Akron, Ohio, and announced in October 2013 with the Tennessee government. Will build a new plant in Tennessee.