Hankook

Hankook was established in 1941 as the first tire company in Korea. However, its biggest expansion came in 1979, when it built the world's largest tyre factory. Another important year for gaining a larger market position was 1982, when the company built two technical centers, in Daejeon, North Korea, and in Ohio, USA. In 1994, the company expanded with another major office in Beijing and a technical centre in Hannover, Germany. Production was modernized and automated with a new factory in Korea. Between 2000 and 2007, the company expanded with another distribution center in the Netherlands and built test tracks in Korea for both dry and wet testing. The next major step in the company's development was the strategic alliance with Michelin. In 2007, the company was ranked the seventh largest tyre manufacturer in the world. The company's major awards include Ford's "Q1 Awards", the highest award for quality, reliability and technical support given by the car manufacturer. In addition, two iF Design Awards in the communication category for its animated video films Ventus S1 evo2 Motion Graphic Brochure and Eco Motion Graphic Brochure. Hankook is the official tyre supplier for the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen-Meisterschaft), a touring car race held on closed circuits mainly in Germany. Hankook also supplies all-season tyres for the VW Jetta in the USA and Canada. VW also sells its Transporter, Caravelle, Multivan and California models in Europe on Hankook tyres. The Korean company has also agreed a partnership with BMW AG for 2014, with the latter choosing Hankook's Ventus S1 Evo factory tyres for all its X5-series ATVs. BMW opted for these tyres mainly because they are designed specifically for high-performance and dynamic vehicles, with a newly modified tread radius and dual-ply carcass ensuring maximum road contact in all conditions. Another important feature of this tyre is its higher silicon content, which guarantees better wet grip and greater resistance to ageing.