Meeting of the Environmental Minds

Tadanobu Nagumo, President of Yokohama Rubber Company, highlights company's ongoing environmental efforts during keynote address at Tire Society Conference

Contact: Bill Groak, PCGCampbell, 310/224-4940 bgroak@pcgcampbell.com

FULLERTON, Calif. - (Sept. 25, 2007) - Global environmental concerns and how Yokohama Rubber Co. (YRC) is addressing green issues was the focus of YRC's President Tadanobu Nagumo's keynote address at the Tire Society's 26th annual Conference on Tire Science and Technology in Akron, Ohio. "Considering all the serious issues that we are now facing, we have to take our own approaches to global warming, depletion of energy resources and environmental issues as sincerely and quickly as possible," Nagumo told the audience. "These are our most important responsibilities to take for the present and most importantly the future. By the year 2017, Yokohama's 100th anniversary, we are very eager to minimize the environmental impact made by all of our products. We - Yokohama - want to make all our products eco-friendly and keep the Earth forever blue."

Among the YRC environmental efforts Nagumo discussed are the company's "Grand Design 100" (GD 100) which celebrates Yokohama's 100th anniversary in 2017 and focuses on improving the current condition of the environment.

"Our vision is to assert world-class strengths in technologies for protecting the environment," Nagumo said. "This is the most important responsibility for those who are willing to expand in global overseas markets."

Nagumo said Yokohama's plants in Japan have achieved complete zero emissions one year earlier than planned, as well they have achieved an 8-percent reduction in CO2 emissions, more than the objective for reduction of CO2 emissions in the Kyoto Protocol. "That helped us obtain a top level Environmental Rating certification from the Development Bank of Japan," he said.

Other elements of Yokohama's "green technologies" include research and development to help the prevention of global warming, resource recycling, reduce energy consumption and improve products safety and comfort.

"We're continuously developing our manufacturing and technology to help the environment," Nagumo said. "Additionally we're devoting our wholehearted energies into our R&D activities to provide environmentally friendly products with high added value."

Yokohama's R&D activities have developed various products featuring environmental technologies. For example, YRC has created a process that combines citrus oil with natural rubber to form a new compound called "Super Nano Power Rubber (SNPR)." It's part of YRC's global ecoMotion environmental program. The first SNPR product is the DNA dB Super E-Spec™, an all-new consumer passenger tire.

Another example is the new 703ZL™ truck tire, which uses high technology to build tires that cause less of an environmental impact. The ultra-long mileage 703ZL tire features the deepest tread in the industry - one full inch - with the lowest rolling resistance in its category. It also has more rubber on the outside rib, translating to more road miles. "Environmental concerns are highly important for all of us who are living on this planet," Nagumo said. "We have to address these issues throughout the entire international community." Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global producer and distributor of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation offers a complete line of tires, including high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, as well as off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama's extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com. For details on Yokohama's environmental efforts, go to www.ecotreadsetters.com

Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the "Taking Care of Your Tires" section at www.yokohamatire.com.