Yokohama Rubber establishes Yokohama Industries Americas

The merged former subsidiaries are YH America Inc. and SAS Rubber Company. YH America is engaged in the assembly and sale of automotive hoses, the production and sale of automotive windshield sealants, and the sale of other industrial products. SAS Rubber is engaged in the production and sale of automotive hoses and other industrial-use rubber products. The newly unified subsidiary’s head office is located in Versailles, KY, USA, with production sites in the states of Kentucky, South Carolina, and Ohio. The two merged subsidies had combined sales of JPY 22.0 billion in 2013 and employ about 1,200 people.

YH America was established in 1989 to manufacture and market automotive hoses, metal fittings, and automotive windshield sealants in Versailles, Kentucky. The company established a second North American plant in Easley, South Carolina in 2009. In 2013 it expanded and doubled its sealants production capacity. Currently YH America is preparing for the planned startup of full scale production at a new plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The plant is scheduled to open in the fall of 2014.

SAS Rubber was established in 1932 and joined to the Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. when the company acquired Mohawk Rubber Company in 1989 as its none-tyre operations. Located in Painesville, Ohio, SAS Rubber specialises in rubber automotive hoses, gaskets and other industrial rubber products. YH America and SAS Rubber have been business partners since 1992. The merger will provide an autonomous structure to facilitate their future growth, says Yokohama Rubber.