The unprecedented lockdown imposed in March last year turned the supply chain of companies upside down, and the tyre companies were no exception. However, the intensity of disturbance was relatively high for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (YOHT), which exports more than 90 percent of its production. According to Padmakumar G, Executive Vice President – SCM at YOHT, unprecedented lockdown led to unprecedented initiatives for YOHT. “Most importantly, we learned the importance of being able to react, adapt and set up crisis management mechanisms to weather situations of uncertainty,” says Padmakumar G.

Q) Was Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (YOHT) ready for the unprecedented lockdown?

Padmakumar G: The whole of 2020 was an extraordinary time when ‘business as usual’ was not an option. From the beginning of the year, it was clear that we were braced for a marathon and not a sprint.

At work, we had a unique period of simultaneous supply and demand shocks. Our plants in India were closed for a couple of weeks. As they (plants) were finally allowed to operate, we faced government-mandated operating restrictions and labour shortages that prevented us from running the plants at total capacity.

On the positive side, our plant in Israel was running at full capacity and continued shipments as planned. All sales and administrative employees at global locations were working from home and were doing their best to be accessible at all times. In North America, our network of national warehouses was open, stocked at historically high inventory levels and operating at full local, regional, and national distribution capacity to ensure continued deliveries to locations.

Our competitive position, market share, brand and diversification of our businesses in products and regions helped us see some all-time highs during these challenging times.

Q) Vendors and customers got panicked because of the uncertainties instilled by the lockdowns. How did you keep their morale and confidence intact in those tough times?

Padmakumar G: Unprecedented lockdown led to unprecedented initiatives for YOHT. The acute restrictions and lockdowns created many urgent situations that required immediate attention in the early days of the pandemic. At YOHT, we believe that no crisis should go to waste.

Adaptability, inventiveness and tenacity of our team paved the way to a ‘recovery mode’, and we started planning for the longer-term proactively. We did not face substantial business and operational disruptions – from mitigating the effects of reduced supply to managing disruptions to logistics suppliers and hurdles in meeting their contractual obligations to customers.

YOHT has an agile team that quickly reprioritised the customers’ requirement and ensured critical supply continuation through our multiple sourcing locations. We closely integrated with suppliers, vendors and customers to have better visibility. Consistent communication and streamlining the complexity helped us keep our commitments while keeping the morale and confidence in the most challenging times.

Q) YOHT is mainly into export of products and imports of raw materials? How did you cope up with the supply-demand situation?

Padmakumar G: Prioritisation of critical supply with effective utilisation of available inventories of finished goods, raw materials, and production capacities were the immediate focus in the lockdown situation. What also helped is that we have a wide base of sourcing raw material from multiple sources. We were able to keep our facility running at full efficiency to meet market requirement. We stepped up all measures to ensure that our customers get our products in the earliest shipments.

Q) ATG is now a part of Yokohama, a global giant in the tyre industry. What changes has Yokohama brought in the supply chain?

Padmakumar G: Yokohama has a strong legacy of quality, and its manufacturing and supply chain is very process-driven. The Kaizen processes and digitalisation of our daily supply chain activities helped us improve our process and culture. 

Q) What did you learn from the pandemic?

Padmakumar G: The importance of supply chain resilience and risk management is more apparent than ever. Most importantly, we learned the importance of being able to react, adapt and set up crisis management mechanisms to weather situations of uncertainty. 

Q) There has always been pressure to reduce cost and improve efficiency by shortening the order-to-delivery period. Could you share a couple of examples highlighting the company’s efforts that reduced the cost and enhanced supply chain efficiency?

 Padmakumar G: To shorten the order to delivery, YOHT has initiated Strategic Inventory build-up through S&CP (Sales & Capacity Planning) and effective cost management through strategic buying of raw materials. We have also increased the manufacturing flexibility to reduce delivery in our business of handling 3500+SKU’s.

Q) What new ideas will the company implement at the Visakhapatnam plant to have better supply chain management?

Padmakumar G: Investment in technology that will gain data insights like MES & digitalisation, improving transparency and considerations on sustainability in the supply chain will be key focus areas of our SCM processes in the Visakhapatnam plant. 

Q) What are the current challenges in the business?

Padmakumar G: Current situation of increased raw material cost, an aggressive demand for containers and increased shipping cost are some of the major challenges in SCM across industries. 

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Maxion Wheels, a division of Iochpe-Maxion and a global leader in wheel manufacturing, is playing a key role in bringing Daimler Truck’s vision for more sustainable commercial vehicle manufacturing to life through a collaborative effort on a concept refuse collection truck. This innovative vehicle will be showcased at IFAT Munich, the premier global gathering for the recycling and environmental sector taking place from 4 to 7 May 2026 at Trade Fair Center Messe München. Designed to highlight a commitment to circular materials, resource efficiency and forward-thinking industrial processes, the concept truck serves as a tangible demonstration of how the commercial vehicle sector can embrace environmentally responsible practices.

As the wheel supplier for this project, Maxion Wheels is translating its deep expertise in sustainability into direct action. The company is supplying steel truck wheels engineered through a combination of lightweight construction, optimised design strategies and advanced material science. By incorporating both primary and recycled materials into the manufacturing process, these wheels are specifically developed to help reduce emissions and lower the overall carbon footprint of the vehicle, reinforcing the project’s broader goals of environmental stewardship and industrial innovation.

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Hankook Tire marked the conclusion of TGL presented by SoFi Season 2 as the league’s inaugural Official Tire Partner and a Founding Partner. The championship event was held on 23–24 March 2026 at Florida’s SoFi Center. Throughout the season, Hankook Tire leveraged the platform to elevate its premium brand presence across roughly 150 countries. This initiative directly reflects Chairman Hyunbum Cho’s vision of uniting mobility and sports through technological innovation, allowing Hankook to deliver a fresh and engaging brand experience to fans worldwide.

The championship itself was a best-of-three clash between two first-time finalists, Jupiter Links GC and Los Angeles Golf Club. In the opening match on 23 March, Los Angeles secured a dramatic one-point comeback win, highlighted by Sahith Theegala’s strategic use of ‘THE HAMMER’ on the 15th hole to claim two crucial points after his team had fallen behind. The following day, Los Angeles continued their momentum. Although Jupiter Links initially surged ahead behind Tiger Woods, the opposition quickly levelled the score and then reeled off four straight points. A pivotal 10th hole saw both teams activate ‘THE HAMMER’ for a maximum three-point swing, with Justin Rose defeating Max Homa to help seal a 9–2 victory and lift the SoFi Cup.

With Los Angeles Golf Club crowned champions, TGL’s Season 2 drew to a dramatic close. Looking ahead to Season 3, the league will expand to seven teams with the addition of Motor City Golf Club based in Detroit, furthering its ambition to build a premier global stage for team golf competition.

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Tyrecycle recently joined Fenner Conveyors in celebrating the opening of the K‑MIX Materials Innovation Hub in Kwinana, Western Australia, marking a significant advancement for sustainable materials innovation nationally.

For Tyrecycle, the event’s focal point was the unveiling of Fenner’s InfinitySeries, the first conveyor belt manufactured using locally sourced recycled material stemming from the pair’s strategic partnership. During the launch, Tyrecycle welcomed mining community members to its East Rockingham facility for guided tours of its recycling operations, demonstrating the processing of old conveyor belts, off‑the‑road (OTR) tyres and passenger tyres into high‑value reusable materials for local supply chains.

This collaboration represents a pioneering closed‑loop ecosystem, transforming end‑of‑life conveyor belts into new, high‑performance products that support mining operations in achieving decarbonisation and circularity objectives. Tyrecycle expressed pride in standing alongside Fenner Conveyors to continue developing sustainable pathways for the mining sector and beyond.

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Pirelli was named ‘Supplier of the Year’ at the Hyundai Motor Group Global Supplier Day, an accolade recognising its superior product quality, effective supply chain management and strong overall collaboration. This distinction reflects the company’s ability to meet high standards across multiple operational fronts.

Amid industry-wide shifts and persistent supply chain disruptions, Pirelli has ensured production stability for Hyundai through forward-looking supply strategies and a globally integrated factory network. By capitalising on the strategic positioning of its Asian plants, Pirelli has aligned closely with Hyundai’s manufacturing footprint, delivering agile support that strengthens their global partnership. This operational synergy has been key to maintaining continuity and responsiveness.

Deep technical collaboration is evident in their latest vehicle launches. The Genesis GV60 Magma and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N are both fitted with Pirelli’s advanced P Zero tyres, incorporating PNCS and ELECT technologies. Developed in 2019 for electrified vehicles, ELECT has since earned over 800 original equipment approvals, underscoring its role in helping Hyundai models achieve optimal performance in the electric era. This award represents a significant milestone in the ongoing partnership, reaffirming a shared dedication to innovation and excellence.

Mattia Bussacchini, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Pirelli, said, "We are truly honoured to receive this prestigious recognition from Hyundai Motor Group. This award fully affirms the strong collaboration between our teams and reflects Hyundai's high recognition of Pirelli's products and services. We look forward to continuing to deepen our cooperation with Hyundai and exploring new opportunities to drive mutual growth.”

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