Where Are Hankook Tires Made & Who Owns The Company?
Ask anyone to name a vehicle's top three most important parts, and it's highly unlikely they'll mention the car's tires. Tires are often overlooked, even though they're just as crucial as the engine, brakes, or battery, whether you're driving a suburban SUV to a soccer game or piloting a flame-spitting, 10,000-horsepower top fuel dragster down a track. Beyond facilitating the movement of vehicles from one point to another, tires play a vital role in safety and performance. This is why numerous companies worldwide devote their time and resources to producing some of the best wheels available today. Among these is Hankook Tire & Technology Co., a South Korean company owned by the holding company, Hankook & Company.
If you're looking for a tire brand that offers high-mileage options without straining your budget or collaborates with major automotive industry names like BMW, Volkswagen, and Porsche, Hankook might be the way to go. The company's products speak for themselves, and it supplies over 160 countries worldwide. Here's where its tires are manufactured.
There are two tire factories in South Korea
Hankook was established in Seoul, South Korea, in 1941 and ranks among the world's major tire manufacturers. The company's operations currently span the globe, featuring numerous research and development centers and factories across various continents. At the core are several regional headquarters and divisions, like those in Tennessee, Shanghai, China, and Neu-Isenburg, Germany.
The company operates eight factories; the first six are located in Asia, while the last two are in North America and Europe. Hankook runs two tire plants in its home country: the Daejeon and Geumsan plants. The first is situated in Daedeok-gu, a district in Daejeon, whereas the second is in the Jewon-myeon township of Geumsan-gun county, located in South Chungcheong province. South Korea is home to Hankook's global headquarters, which is located in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. In addition to the headquarters, the primary research and development center, the Hankook Technodome, is located in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. Lastly, there is the Hankook Technoring proving ground in Taean, South Korea, which features 13 test tracks and covers an area of 1.26 million square meters.
The company has nine different locations in the Americas
Hankook maintains a number of locations throughout the Americas, from Canada to Chile, but has only one tire factory in the Americas — situated in Clarksville, Tennessee. This plant manufactures Light Truck Radial (LTR) and Passenger Car Radial (PCR) tires. Additionally, the company manages a research and development center, the American Technical Center, in Uniontown, Ohio. This center focuses on innovation, production, and market development, to name a few. The remaining North American locations are in Nashville, Tennessee, and Brampton, Ontario. In Central America, the company has a presence in Mexico City, Mexico, and Panama City, Panama.
South America is home to three of the remaining Hankook locations: one in Bogotá, Colombia; one in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and one in Santiago, Chile. Even though there are no manufacturing plants in Central and South America, the company still has a strong presence here, providing tires to a variety of customers, from motorsports events to everyday drivers commuting to and from work. In total, there are nine different locations in the Americas, which, while an impressive number, is actually less than half of the locations in Europe.
Europe has the highest number of Hankook locations
Hankook has over eighteen locations across Europe. Critical among them is the production and indoor test plants in Rácalmás, Hungary. Since its establishment, Hankook has invested over €880 million in the Rácalmás factory and, in 2021, announced it would add an additional €32 million to enhance the plant's services and processes. With the additional investment, Hankook projected the facility would be able to store up to 1.5 million finished tires. The Hungarian plant is recognized for producing high-quality tires for brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW, which, of course, are some of the most popular brands across Europe.
Hankook also has a research and development base in Hannover, Germany, as well as a Nürburgring workshop in Germany, which, naturally, focuses on racing tires. Hankook operates a test facility in Ivalo, Finland, where its tires are evaluated under winter conditions to ensure they can handle Arctic-like environments. There is also a test center in Idiada, Spain, where the manufacturer's tires are tested in both wet and dry conditions.
The rest of the centers in Europe include locations in Northamptonshire, UK; Villeurbanne, France; Sesto San Giovanni, Italy; and Madrid, Spain. Additionally, there are centers in Upplands Väsby, Sweden; Hoofddorp in the Netherlands; Warsaw, Poland; Moscow, Russia; Istanbul, Turkey; and Budapest, Hungary. Lastly, Hankook has centers in Kyiv, Ukraine; Schwechat, Austria; Belgrade, Serbia; Bucharest, Romania; and the Czech Republic.
The rest of the tire factories are in Asia
Back in Asia, Hankook has several factories in China. At the heart of these operations is the Hankook Tire China Headquarters, situated in Shanghai. In addition to this headquarters, the China Technical Center in Zhejiang is dedicated to research and development for the region. China hosts three tire factories: the Chongqing Plant in Chongqing, the Jiangsu Plant in Jiangsu, and the Jiaxing Plant in Zhejiang. Finally, Hankook also runs a tire plant in West Java, Indonesia, which marks its final tire factory.
The company also operates a technical office in Nagoya, Japan. The rest of its global network is spread across Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East, with locations in Jakarta, Indonesia; Sydney, Australia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Bangkok, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Taipei City, Taiwan. There are also centers in Dubai, UAE; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Cairo, Egypt; Almaty, Kazakhstan; Casablanca, Morocco; and finally, Singapore.