Hankook's goal: Grow N. American presence, improve brand image.(Hankook Tire Company Ltd.)

Tire Business, October, 2007 by Chow, Namrita

Byline: Namrita Chow

If Hankook Tire Co. Inc. is to reach its goal of being the No. 5 tire maker worldwide by 2010, it has to expand its presence in North America and improve its brand image worldwide, the firm's top executives said recently.

"If successful in the U.S., we will be successful all over the world,'' said Seung Hwa Suh, Hankook's president/CEO, speaking at the firm's global headquarters in Seoul in early October to a group of North American journalists invited to tour its facilities in South Korea and China.

In North America, where Hankook reports sales of about $700 million, the company sees its brand awareness-or lack thereof-as a major obstacle to growth, Mr. Suh said.

To tackle this issue, Hankook is planning to...

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