News

Toyo Tires Group Factories Resuming Production following the Earthquake in the
Pacific Coast of the Tohoku Region
(24 March, 2011)

Osaka, Japan - March 23, 2011 - TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD. (President and CEO: Kenji Nakakura) would like to express our deepest condolences to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Our thoughts are with those individuals and families who are suffering from the consequences of this disaster. It is our earnest hope that relief to the residents and recovery of this region will progress as quickly as possible.

Toyo Tires has announced that its Sendai Plant, which manufactures automobile tires, has resumed partial operation of productions as of today, March 23rd 2011. Toyo Tires’ manufacturing subsidiary, Fukushima Rubber Co., Ltd. has also resumed partial operations. As indicated in an earlier press release dated March 18th 2011, entitled “STATUS UPDATE REGARDING TOYO TIRE’S SENDAI PLANT,” manufacturing operations at the Sendai Plant had been suspended since March 11th 2011, due to the power outage in the region resulting from the massive earthquake. However, with the gradual return of electric power in the area, Toyo Tires has made a thorough inspection of the production facilities and evaluated the safety of its employees, and as a result has determined that it may safely resume productions as detailed below.

The manufacturing facilities which have resumed operations are:

1) Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. Sendai Plant

Location : Iwanuma City, Miyagi Prefecture
Products Manufactured: Automobile Tires
Details of the Operations Resumed:
As of today, March 23rd 2011, the facilities and production lines have partially opened again to recommence production. It is expected that other production lines can reopen again in turn. In accordance with the recovery and stabilization of the operational environment, the production will gradually be increased in due time, and we are working toward achieving full regular operations as soon as possible.

2) Fukushima Rubber Co., Ltd.

Location: Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture
Products Manufactured:
standard industrial rubber products, automobile parts, water protective sheets, etc.
Details of the Operations Resumed:
As of March 21st 2011, the facilities and production lines have opened again to resume manufacture of some of the products. Manufacturing operations are scheduled to resume gradually in turn by product.

Products will be manufactured on a restricted basis for the time being, due to the limited availability of electricity, fuel and raw materials. In addition, because the transportation infrastructure and fuel supply is still in the process of recovery, the logistics need time to stabilize. Accordingly, Toyo Tires will take the most appropriate production and supply structure in response to the circumstances as it develops, and increase production as the situation improves.

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