Yokohama Rubber to close US off-road tire plant

Columbia, South Carolina – Yokohama Rubber Co. is to close its 90-employee, agricultural tire plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, an 18 Feb notification filed under the US WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retaining Notification) act shows.

The 10-year-old Yokohama TWS North America facility was part of the Japanese group's €2.1bn acquisition of Trelleborg Wheel Systems in May 2023 – at which stage it was listed as employing 150 people.  

YRC’s move to close the US facility follows a decision to close its 270-employee plant manufacturing cross-ply off-road tires in the Czech Republic, announced just over a month ago.

Production at the Prague plant – operated by subsidiary Yokohama TWS Czech Republic – is to end by June, said YRC, citing “persistent inefficiencies and an outdated platform” at the 90-year-old unit.

With that announcement, YRC said it was “implementing targeted measures” to address challenges in the off-road tire market under a strategic programme to improve efficiency and long-term competitiveness.

On 19 Feb, YRC posted record results for 2024, with earnings (business profit) of Yen134 billion, up 35.6% year-on-year, on sales of Yen1,100-billion, 11% above prior-year levels.

Within the group’s off-road tire segment, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (YOHT) registered a 7.7% year-on-year increase in sales to Yen142 billion and Yokohama-TWS a 44% rise to Yen149 billion.

Earnings within YRC’s overall Tires division grew 28% year-on-year to Yen127 billion, including a four-fold increase at Yokohama-TWS to Yen9 billion.