WAYNE, NJ – Hankook Tire, the seventh-largest and one of the fastest growing tire companies in the world, announced it was recently recognized with a World Excellence Award as an outstanding global supplier by the Ford Motor Company.  The award honors suppliers that have aligned themselves with the values and operating practices of Ford while reaching the highest quality, technology and delivery performance.

Hankook Tire was the only tire supplier honored at this year’s World Excellence Awards.  This marks the third time since 2005 that Hankook Tire has received this distinction from Ford.

“Since first supplying original equipment tires for Ford vehicles in 1999, Hankook Tire has built and maintained a strong relationship with the Ford Motor Company,” said Bryan Woo, vice president, Hankook Tire Global OE Division. “Our original equipment automotive manufacturer partners such as Ford are a vital part of our overall business and allow us to reach new customers, giving them the opportunity to experience the quality and performance of our tires.”

In North America, Hankook Tire supplies original equipment tires for the Ford Fiesta, Edge, Explorer, Flex, Taurus, E-250, E-350, and the F-150.  Hankook also supplies original equipment tires for Ford’s Lincoln brand.

Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally thanked all of Ford’s supplier partners for their commitment to excellence and for continuing to embrace the ONE Ford mindset. “Our suppliers play a critical role in Ford’s growth around the world,” Mulally said. “We are so grateful for their work to serve our global customers with a full family of cars, utilities and trucks offering the very best quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value.”

Working closely with Ford, Hankook engineers design tires for Ford’s original equipment applications, paying attention to proper fit, durability and performance targets — attributes that customers have come to expect from both Ford and Hankook products.

Hankook has been steadily expanding its portfolio of OE tire supply to premium automakers, light truck, and commercial truck manufacturers.  In 2011, Hankook’s supply of OE tires increased 64 percent in the United States.