Hankook to customize tires for China

Byung Il Woo, vice-president of Hankook Tire Co's Global OE Division, poses in front of the company's pavillion on April 21, 2014, at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. [Photo / provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

South Korean tire maker Hankook is planning to develop the best tire to suit the customers' preference in China. The company has set up a Chinese research and development center this year with more than 200 researchers to study the demands of vehicle owners and the road conditions in China.

There has been an increase in demand for high-end tires in China The company is working to develop the best tire possible to meet the requirements, said Byung Il Woo, vice-president of Hankook Tire Co's Global OE Division on April 21.

Vehicle owners inChinaexpect tires to perform on many levels. A few years ago, most customers wanted tires to have a longer life. Now, many want tires to provide a comfortable drive and also reduce noise pollution. But the common thread that runs across all regions in the country is energy consumption. Vehicle owners do not want tires to increase their gasoline bill.

"Therefore, our products are designed not only to lower oil consumption, but are also aimed at satisfying other requirements of customers, including offering better performance," said Woo.

Woo said the company is working on two fronts to make inroads into the passenger car market. First, building brand awareness. Second, creating distribution channels.

Hankook manufactures tires for high-end modelsI, including Mercedes-Benz S-Class, E-Class and BMW 5-Series. The company is expanding its distribution channel to provide customers easy acces to its products.

"Last year, we opened 700 exclusive outlets to sell passenger car tires. Our target is to inaugurate 800 more stores this year," said Woo.

Hankook plans to have more than 3,000 total outlets by the end of this year. In the next four years, the figure will be 5,500 to 6,000, according to Hankook's Vice-President of Marketing Strategy Kim Yun Young.

The tire maker's revenue grew 15 percent over last year inChina. In 2013, the inventory level of passenger car tires fell 30 percent compared to 2012.

Hankook reported 11.1 billion yuan ($1.78 billion) revenue in China in 2013, while its global revenue touched $6.45 billion, and the profits reached $940 million. Its total tire output was 31 million units, and it exported 10 million units.