Kumho tires are manufactured by the company Kumho Tire – a subsidiary of the Kumho Asiana Groups. It was founded by Park In-chon (Incheon), in 1960, as Samyang Tire (and changed their name in 1996). Nowadays, the chairman of the company is Park In-chon’s third son – Park Sam-koo (Samgu).
Kumho Tire is currently the second largest tire manufacturer in South Korea, following Hankook Tire. They manufacture all types of tires, under the brands Kumho and Marshal. The North American market makes about 20% of the company’s sales.
Brief History of Kumho Tires
Upon opening, the company was manufacturing around 20 tires per day. Their first export market was East Asia, where they started delivering tires at the end of the 1960s. In 1966 and 1988, their tires acquired the US Department of Transportation (DOT) mark, making the tires legal within the American market.
In 1963, the company established ties with US tire company Uniroyal, expanding their activity worldwide. In 1977, they created a subsidiary, Kumho Tyre, to start cooperating more tightly with the UK.
By 1983, the total number of tires Kumho made surpassed 30 million, and by 1990: 100 million. In 1992, the company was awarded 10th place in the TOP-10 ranking of tire manufacturers worldwide, for the first time. Continuing their development, Kumho tires ranked 9th in 2003. In 2010, they ranked first in Korea’s Customer Satisfaction Index (KCSI). In 2017, they were mentioned in a ranking as a part of the TOP-10 passenger-car tire manufacturers.
US Presence of Kumho Tires
The company started its relationships in the US soon after their opening – in 1963. The official start on the US market for the company was in 1975. They established export to the country, expanding and opening a technical center in Akron, Ohio, in 1990. In 2005, the main US headquarters moved to Rancho Cucamonga, California. 10 years later, they moved again to Atlanta, Georgia, and still reside there.
There was good reason for moving to Georgia, as on the May 2nd, 2016, the company opened its first US plant in Macon. Its capacity is 4 million tires a year, and the company is planning to gradually increase the number to 10 million in the future. The building started back in 2008 but soon stopped, due to the global financial crisis. The plans were renewed in 2014 with a budget of $450 million.
The plant has a new three-symbol plant code, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) aims to change all tire plant codes before 2025. The code for the Kumho Tires American plant is 000.
The company also has several distribution facilities in the US. Their locations are: McDonough (Gerogia), New Lenox (Illinois), South Brunswick (New Jersey), Groveport (Ohio), and Grapevine (Texas).
Kumho Tires’ Best Lineups
Some of the most outstanding lineups of the manufacturer are:
- Performance all-season/summer: Ecsta.
- Grand touring all-season: Sense.
- Grand touring all-season: Solus.
- All-terrain: Road Venture.
Performance All-Season/Summer: Ecsta
The Ecsta lineup includes all kinds of performance all-season and best summer tires. They are most suitable for sedans, sports coupes, as well as other types of sporty passenger vehicles. The tires provide great traction on both wet and dry surfaces. Summer tires offer more dry traction, due to special tread and compounds not suitable for winter rides.
Many of these Kumho tires are directional and have superior high-speed stability. The shoulder design provides high responsiveness while cornering. Dual-angle cross channels between the tread bocks help dissipate water and avoid hydroplaning.
The inner structure of the tires includes twin steel belts wrapped in nylon for reinforcement. Polyester cord plies create the casing, strengthened by stiff sidewalls, which help avoid distortion, especially at high speeds.
Grand Touring All-Season: Sense
These tires are most suitable for hatchbacks, minivans, and regular sedans. They are affordable and provide adequate performance, according to the specifications of touring tires. The latter includes good responsiveness, high levels of comfort, low levels of noise, and improved fuel efficiency.
Sense tires have an all-season compound, which provides traction in a wide range of temperatures. The tread pattern is mostly symmetric, with lateral grooves that help channel water, and circumferential channels to improve hydroplaning resistance. The Kumho tires Full Depth Sipe System provides more traction on wet and snowy roads, successfully biting into the substance even as the tire wears.
The internal construction includes nylon-reinforced twin steel belts, which improve durability. These tires also have a lower un-sprung weight construction, providing better fuel economy and an increased comfort of ride.
Grand Touring All-Season: Solus
Grand Touring All-Season: SolusThese tires are more sport- than family-oriented. They are most suitable for sporty sedans and coupes. Solus tires provide noise and ride comfort, plus great handling and performance on wet and dry surfaces, as well as on light snow.
The company improved these Kumho tires with their ESCOT Technology. It aims to adapt the shape, internal tension, and contact patch area pressure of the tires. The tread pattern includes circumferential and lateral grooves, for better water channeling and traction on wet, dry, and snowy roads.
The inner structure includes traditional twin steel belts with nylon reinforcement and polyester casing. This construction improves handling and provides a smooth ride at different speeds.
All-Terrain Road Venture
All-Terrain Road VentureAll-terrain tires, like Kumho Road Venture, are designed for sport utility vehicles (SUVs), jeeps, and pickups. These are on-/off-road tires, meaning they provide traction and adequate performance on pavement as well as rock, mud, dirt, and other off-road surfaces. These Kumho tires also offer year-round traction, so the rubber remains pliable in cold temperatures and can bite into snow.
As with most on-/off-road tires, Road Venture have special chip-resistant compounds and large tread blocks with wide grooves, to maintain stability on irregular surfaces. Their circumferential grooves appear in a zigzag pattern, further helping dissipate water with the lateral channels. The tapers in the grooves improve the self-cleaning capabilities of the tire. This is a great feature if you drive on loose surfaces or in deep snow, as the substance won’t pack into the tire spaces.
The internal structure has reinforced twin steel belts, with double-ply polyester casing wrapped in tough rubber, which protect the whole unit from high stress.
Interesting Facts About Kumho Tires
- The company once got too eco-friendly.
Kumho Tire is famous for their eco-friendly tire manufacturing. They add recycled rubber to their blend. However, in 2011, China Central Television broadcasted a piece of material proving the company added too much recycled rubber to their mix. This is eco-friendly and cheaper, but can cause trouble, like a sidewall blowout. Kumho Tires initially denied the accusations, but later released an official apology and recalled some of their tires. - The company is a Platinum Partner of Manchester United FC.
Kumho Tire has been an official sponsor of the football club since 2007. Together with the team, they started a campaign called “Play Safer”, promoting awareness of driving safety. - Kumho Tire is the official product supplier for the NBA.
In 2014, it was announced on Twitter that the company had become the official tire supplier for the NBA. - The manufacturer supports other sporting events.
Kumho are also sponsors of the European Formula 3 and La Liga.
US Expansion of Kumho Tire
Kumho Tire is expanding in North America – the largest tire market in the world. The company is already a member of the US Tire Manufacturers Association, which means their products promote safety and quality. Their main aim now is to create original equipment (OE) tires. They have already provided tires for BMW MINI, Dodge, Mercedes-Benz, and Ford.
