Hankook Tire, a leading global tyre company under Hankook & Company Group, has earned a place on the ‘World’s Best Companies 2026’ list compiled by the US weekly news magazine TIME. Since 2023, TIME has collaborated with global market research firm Statista to identify the world’s top 1,000 companies annually, evaluating factors such as employee satisfaction, three-year company growth and Statista’s key ESG indicators.

The selection was driven in part by sustained performance growth over the past three years. Hankook Tire’s tyre division reported revenue of KRW 10.3186 trillion in 2025, exceeding KRW 10 trillion for the first time since the company’s founding. This achievement was supported by an expanded premium-focused portfolio and stable sales in major global markets.

Sustainability management has also yielded notable results. The company has broadened its renewable energy procurement, including a long-term power purchase agreement for its Hungary plant signed in February, and now holds international ISCC PLUS certification at four production sites: Geumsan, Hungary, Daejeon and Jiaxing in China. Its recently published ‘2025/26 ESG Report’ introduced a group-wide ESG management framework and an integrated materiality assessment system, with transparent disclosure of key outcomes in sustainable materials, supply chain management and human rights.

Beyond these efforts, Hankook Tire continues creating social value through its group’s integrated ESG brand. It is advancing a ‘Mobility-Tech’ strategy incorporating artificial intelligence and data while adding eco-friendly vehicle models to its flagship ‘Vehicle Sharing’ social contribution programme and expanding it into a demand-tailored support model. The company has set a ‘2050 Net-Zero’ goal, became the first Korean tyre company to receive SBTi approval for 2030 reduction targets in 2023 and earned FIA 3-Star Environmental Accreditation in 2024. It was also named to TIME and Statista’s ‘World’s Most Sustainable Companies’ list and the Financial Times and Statista’s ‘Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders’ list in 2024.

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Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) celebrated the critical role its customer service teams play in shaping the customer experience with the Customer Service Appreciation Week 2026, recognising them as the vital connection between customers and the many internal teams working together to deliver on company commitments.

This year’s theme, ‘The Extra Mile’, honours the dedication behind that work, including coordinating complex logistics, anticipating customer needs, connecting customers with appropriate expertise and navigating unexpected challenges. Teams bring together people, information and solutions to keep customers moving forward, often making a difference through extra follow-up, proactive updates or determination to find a solution.

Levi Neufeld noted that the EVAL customer service team keeps the customer at the centre of every decision, a commitment shared across all service teams. For Dental, Dinesh Weerasinghe said going the extra mile means understanding each customer’s needs, providing accurate guidance and ensuring nothing is left unresolved. Tim Davis pointed to the PVOH team’s strength in supporting one another through heavy workloads, weather disruptions and unexpected challenges to provide seamless service.

Christian Amad emphasised AIS’s role as the first point of contact, ensuring customers receive needed information and products on time. David Steinberg highlighted Elastomers’ can-do attitude, which helps the team stay flexible and work effectively across three business units and product lines. Across all teams, that extra effort builds customer trust. KAI thanked each member for their responsiveness, knowledge, teamwork and care.

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Tegeta Green Planet was represented by its director, Shalva Akhvlediani, at the 4th IRF Europe & Central Asia Regional Congress & Exhibition, convened by the International Road Federation (IRF Global). The three-day gathering assembled specialists possessing international and regional expertise, alongside public and private sector delegates and researchers, to deliberate on pressing matters concerning road infrastructure development.

Sustainable, Smart and Safe Roads for Sustainable Economic Growth served as the congress's central theme. Akhvlediani took part in a session titled ‘Sustainable Road Infrastructure: Climate Risks, Emissions and Long-Term Efficiency’, which examined methods for reinforcing the resilience and sustainability of road infrastructure across its complete lifecycle, spanning planning, design, construction, maintenance and renewal.

Climate change adaptation, low-carbon materials, circular economy approaches and environmental efficiency featured among the session's principal subjects, together with solutions guaranteeing road infrastructure's durable, long-term performance. Akhvlediani shared Tegeta Green Planet's expertise and outlook, noting that the company's operations accord directly with circular economy principles by converting waste into resources and advancing responsible waste management.

Operating within Extended Producer Responsibility, Tegeta Green Planet occupies a significant role in Georgia's collection and management of specific waste streams, including used tyres, waste oils and automotive batteries. This practical experience illustrates how circular economy principles can be embedded in real business and infrastructure solutions. Congress discussions additionally addressed international experience exchange and practical approaches for strengthening infrastructure resilience, environmental efficiency and long-term durability.

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NEXEN TIRE has strengthened its Australian logistics footprint by opening a new distribution centre in Perth, Western Australia’s largest hub city. The move extends the company’s supply network beyond its existing east-coast bases in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, creating a more comprehensive nationwide distribution system.

The Perth facility is expected to improve product availability for dealers and consumers across Australia. By enhancing local inventory management, NEXEN TIRE aims to shorten logistics lead times and respond more quickly to shifts in market demand, thereby boosting its competitiveness in the fast-growing Australian market.

Beyond logistics, the tyre maker has introduced its Shop Branding programme to Australia, applying a unified visual identity to partner stores through signage, interiors and displays centred on its signature purple. NEXEN TIRE has also continued sports marketing efforts as an official sponsor of A-League club Sydney FC since the 2024/25 season, with the partnership running through the 2026/27 campaign beginning October 16.

Australia remains a strategic market for NEXEN TIRE, with its local subsidiary posting revenue growth of more than 50 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, more than double the same period in 2024. Combining distribution expansion with locally tailored marketing, the company plans to deepen engagement with Australian consumers, drawing on expertise gained from supplying original equipment tyres to global premium automakers.

John Bosco (Hyeon Suk) Kim, CEO, NEXEN TIRE, said, "With the opening of this distribution centre, we have secured a foundation to supply our products more reliably beyond the east coast. We will strengthen both our distribution network and brand marketing to continue expanding our presence in the Australian market."

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TyreSafe, UK’s leading tyre safety charity, has entered into a new partnership with Mission Zero, a prominent quality standard within the road fleet sector. The collaboration is designed to help organisations enhance compliance, lower risk and advance shared goals for safer, cleaner and more responsible road transport.

Mission Zero offers a structured framework for fleets pursuing zero collisions, emissions and prohibitions, centred on a comprehensive legal compliance audit alongside recognised industry best practice. Its credentials are formally acknowledged across major infrastructure and transport programmes, including Transport for London’s Work-Related Road Risk requirements, HS2, Sizewell C, National Highways and CLOCS.

TyreSafe already collaborates with several of these bodies, including National Highways and CLOCS, reinforcing tyre safety’s place within broader fleet safety and compliance efforts. Its expertise has likewise gained national recognition, featuring in the government’s developing approach to work-related road safety and the creation of a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter.

Under the partnership, the two organisations will jointly assist fleet operators in recognising how effective tyre management supports safer vehicles, stronger compliance and reduced occupational road risk. Combining expertise, resources and industry engagement, they aim to help organisations build safer fleets, prevent incidents and foster a more sustainable road transport future, reflecting TyreSafe’s ongoing commitment to collaboration across the transport, enforcement and fleet sectors and to keeping tyre safety central to the journey towards Vision Zero.

Nick Caesari, CEO, Mission Zero, said, “Tyre safety is a fundamental part of managing risk within any fleet operation. Mission Zero is focused on helping organisations move beyond compliance and adopt a proactive approach to safety, and working with TyreSafe allows us to strengthen the guidance and support available to operators. Together, we can help businesses understand the important role that safe, well-maintained tyres play in preventing incidents and achieving their wider road safety goals.”

Stuart Lovatt, Chairman, TyreSafe, said, “We are pleased to partner with Mission Zero and support its ambition to help organisations achieve higher standards across fleet safety. Tyres are one of the most important safety-critical components on any vehicle, yet they are often overlooked as part of wider compliance and risk management strategies. By working with Mission Zero, we can help more operators recognise that effective tyre management is a vital part of achieving safer fleets and reducing work-related road risk.”

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