Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) has approved the purchase of an additional stake in TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD. (TOYO TIRE) for 50.9 billion yen via subscription to a private placement of shares and has entered into a capital alliance agreement with TOYO TIRE. The purchase of these additional shares will increase MC’s shareholding in TOYO TIRE from 3.05% to 20.00%.
The mobility sector is undergoing a once-in-a-century transformation, including the electrification of automobiles and the onset of automated driving technology and, as the so-called CASE trends1 advance, major shifts in industrial structures are also becoming more visible. This also has implications for the tire industry, in which the nature of the services demanded and the types of roles executed are changing, not just on the manufacturing side, including the development of fuel-efficient or low environmental impact products that support the shift to electric vehicles (EV) and the improvement of production efficiency utilizing AI and IoT, but on the sales and distribution side as well.
Up until now, TOYO TIRE has utilized its individual technology to build a unique product portfolio, including large-diameter tires for SUVs and other large vehicles.
On the other hand, MC has a wide array of touching points with various industries, and has accumulated know-hows while building a global network through a wide range of businesses.
Through this alliance, MC will expand its cooperative relationship with TOYO TIRE, one that has been in the making over a half-century of transactions and joint venture business overseas, to a companywide partnership. Utilizing its comprehensive capabilities, MC will work closely with TOYO TIRE to create a new business model, one that will contribute to increasing TOYO TIRE’s corporate value through the provision of new services that meet the needs of the digital age and that are in line with revolutions in the mobility sector.
【Contents of the business alliance】
1. Business alliance
(1) Reinforcement of sales capabilities
Establish joint task force for each region (Japan, China, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia) to develop marketing channels and progressively strengthen sales, logistics, and operations.
(2) Enhancement of technological capabilities
Promote external cooperation on areas such as “Research on next-generation materials”, “Advanced development of manufacturing technology”, and “Utilization of AI and IoT technologies” looking ahead on the future mobility society.
(3) Reinforcing Resources
Reinforce TOYO TIRE’s human resources capacity by delegating executives to TOYO TIRE from MC with a view to promoting business management at TOYO TIRE and TOYO TIRE group companies and strengthening its management base.
2. Specific use of funds
This capital increase will further strengthen the cooperative relationship between MC and TOYO TIRE and will serve as funding for capital investment aimed at strengthening TOYO TIRE’s global business foundation and improving its medium- to long-term corporate value. The specific uses of this fund are as follows.
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Specific use
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Amount
(Billions of Yen)
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|
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①
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Increased production capacity at the U.S. tire plant
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6
|
|
②
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Increased production capacity at the Malaysia tire plant
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10
|
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③
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Construction of new production base
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33
|
|
④
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Expansion of truck and bus tire production facilities
|
7
|
|
Total
|
56
|
|
【For reference】
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【TOYO TIRE】
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|
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Head Office
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2-2-13 Fujinoki, Itami City, Hyogo
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|
Established
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August 1945
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Capital
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30.5 billion yen
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Main Business Activities
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Manufacturing and marketing tires (for passenger vehicles, trucks & buses, construction machinery, industrial trucks), other related products, and automobile components
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|
Revenue
|
405 billion yen as of December 31, 2017 (Consolidated）
|
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Number of Employees
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11,759 as of December 31, 2017 (Consolidated, Including Temporary Employees)
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Representative
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Takashi Shimizu, President and CEO
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【MC】
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|
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Head Office
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3-1, Marunouchi 2 Chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
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|
Established
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April 1950
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Capital
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204.4 billion yen
|
|
Main Business Activities
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Manufacturing and marketing a wide range of products, including energy, metals, machinery, chemicals and living essentials through our domestic and overseas network. We also are involved in diverse businesses by actively investing in areas such as natural resources development and infrastructure, and we are engaged in finance businesses.
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Revenue
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7,567 billion yen as of March 31, 2018 (Consolidated）
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Number of Employees
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77,476 as of March 31, 2018 (Consolidated）
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Representative
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Takehiko Kakiuchi, President and CEO
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（*1）CASE： An acronym for the four current automotive trends: Connected, Autonomous, Sharing, and Electricity
SOURCE: Mitsubishi Corporation
