Who Owns Falken Tires And Where Are They Made?

Buying new tires can be a frustrating task these days, as there are dozens of different brands and styles to sort through, and they all chime in at different price points. But if you are in the market for a set of new tires for your car, truck, or SUV, odds are you've already come across the name Falken, as the company makes a line of mid-range tires — including the Ram 1500 Wildpeak A/T4Ws — that could fit the needs of budget-minded shoppers who've learned to avoid certain tire-killing habits.

If you have come across Falken Tires, you might have some questions about the company, as the brand is not as well known as some others like Michelin or Dunlop. First and foremost, you might be curious about who, exactly, owns the Falken Tire brand. Assuming that's the case, you should know that Falken Tires is currently owned by Sumitomo Rubber North America or Sumitomo Rubber Industries, a company that, along with tires, also produces sporting goods and other industrial offerings. They apparently even make artificial turf used in sports facilities. 

In any case, Sumitomo absorbed its subsidiary Ohtsu Tire & Rubber Company in 2003, and with it the Falken brand, though the "North America" part of the company's name might seem confusing given its Japanese history. While Falken was founded in Japan in 1983, the company is no longer based there. In fact, since 1991, Falken Tires has called the United States home, with the company currently headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

With California serving as home base, Falken Tires also holds distribution centers in that state, as well as Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Tennessee and Texas. Given that Falken is currently headquartered in the United States, one might assume that the company also makes its tires Stateside. Such assumptions would not be entirely inaccurate, as Falken did have a production facility located in Buffalo, New York. Said facility was primarily manufacturing Dunlop motorcycle tires until the mid-2010s. Falken only gained access after Sumitomo Rubber — who also owns Dunlop — enabled the manufacturing. A year later, the first Falken tire rolled off the production line in Buffalo.

Unfortunately, it seems the Buffalo facility is no longer operational, with Sumitomo Rubber recently announcing its closure. Despite the plant's shuttering, the New York facility is not the only one producing products emblazoned with the company's name. As of this writing, Falken also has production facilities located in Japan, China, South Africa, Brazil, and Turkey.

Even with manufacturing plants spread across several parts of the globe, the bulk of Falken's tires are still being made closer to the company's original base of operations in Japan. At present, Falken tires are made in three separate locations there, including Shirakawa, Izumiotsu, and Miyazaki. According to the company's records, those facilities are cranking out 10,350 tons, 750 tons, and 9,350 tons of Falken tire products every month, respectively. With Falken Tires continuing to hold its own against other major tire brands, it's likely those production numbers will hold for the foreseeable future.