Yokohama Tire Corporation's Salem Plant Certified to ISO 14001 Standards

Tire maker's Virginia Facility Committed to Environmental Friendliness

Contact: Michael F. Hollander, PCGCampbell, 310/224-4981 mhollander@pcgcampbell.com

FULLERTON, Calif. (Apr. 27, 2007) ÐYokohama Tire Corporation's Salem, Va., tire plant has been certified to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard, company officials announced today.

The internationally approved ISO 14001 standard helps a company to reduce its impact on the environment's air, water and land. All of Yokohama's Japanese plants have been ISO 14001 accredited since 1999 and the company's plants worldwide are certified or in the process of becoming certified.

"Yokohama is pledged to work toward 'zero emissions,' a program that will eliminate industrial waste at landfill sites," said Shinichi Suzuki, EVP of manufacturing and technology, plant manager and a Yokohama Rubber Co. vice president.

"Our commiTMent to the environment is very important," said Suzuki. He added that Yokohama's manufacturing plants around the world aim for zero-waste output. "We work to reuse or otherwise recycle all waste and will introduce cogeneration systems to raise resource efficiency. We work in all our operations to reduce waste and the output of carbon dioxide. Globally, this is our moral obligation."

"This certification is just one facet of our "Green Initiative' that covers U.S. operations and reduces the company's environmental impact in every way possible," said John Nevin, Yokohama Tire Corporation's quality assurance manager at the Salem Plant. "Many people worked very hard and we're very enthusiastic because the Yokohama Green Initiative is an important step in helping to save the planet in our own little way and everybody likes that. Everybody's on board with that."

According to Nevin, one of the plant's first changes was to eliminate the use of solvent-based green outside paint, used to spray on tires before the curing process. The plant moved to a water-based paint, eliminating much potential pollution.

Tire molds are vented during the curing process and the vents are filled with tiny strands of rubber which in the past had been discarded. Recycling that rubber is now underway at Salem.

"Because of our efforts," said Nevin, "the product is more environmentally friendly. We're also trying to find good ways to recycle and reduce our scrap so we're not filling up landfills."

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 for more than 90 years. 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.

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