By SEMA Editors
 Hikomitsu Noji, president and representative director of The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd., along with Governor Bryant and officials from the state of Mississippi, participated in the signing ceremony at the West Point Ritz near the site of the future company plant. | |
Yokohama Signs Agreement to Build Plant in Mississippi
Yokohama Tire Corp. (YTC) signed an agreement to build a commercial truck tire plant in West Point, Mississippi. According to Yokohama, the facility, which is expected to produce one million tires starting in 2015, will have an initial capital investment of $300 million and potential plant expansions could reach up to four times the original employment and investment levels. The plant will be built on more than 500 acres of land with construction expected to begin in September and completion two years later. Yokohama expects to hire approximately 500 employees to work at the facility.
“Since our entry into the U.S. market more than 40 years ago, along with the subsequent acquisition of our plant in Salem, Virginia in the ’80s, Yokohama has been on a continual growth," said Hikomitsu Noji, president and representative director of The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., YTC’s parent company in Japan. "Now we will build a factory in the United States for the first time. It re-affirms our commitment to the North American market and to the continued mutual success of Yokohama and its business partner—our dealers."
Roush Yates Car Show Set for June
The Roush Yates 5th Annual Car Show will take place Saturday, June 8, 2013, at Roush Yates Performance Products, 122 Knob Hill Road, Mooresville, North Carolina. The show will have attractions for the entire family, including, race cars, free raffles, a bounce house, free food, a live band, games, prizes and more. The Roush Yates Car Show is open at no cost for the first 100 cars registered, and all makes and models are welcome. The producers of the car show announced that chassis dyno services will be also available to the public for those who want to see just how much punch their hot rods really pack. Register for the event on the Roush Yates Performance Products' website.
 Power Automedia hired truck-market publishing veteran Stuart Bourdon as editor of OffRoadXtreme.com. | |
Power Automedia to Launch OffRoadXtreme.com and DieselArmy.com, Names Stuart Bourdon Editor
Power Automedia announced that it will add two new truck-focused publications in 2013—OffRoadXtreme.com and DieselArmy.com. The company says that the new releases will target the truck market with hard-hitting tech and how-to articles, as well as the latest in OE trends, accessories, performance parts, suspension upgrades, wheels/tires and industry-leading event coverage. Both OffRoadXtreme.com and DieselArmy.com are scheduled for debut in September 2013, making them the 10th and 11th publications fielded by Power Automedia. In addition to the announcement of the new publications, Power Automedia also hired truck-market publishing veteran Stuart Bourdon as editor of OffRoadXtreme.com. For more than a decade, Bourdon served as staff editor for Four Wheeler and 4Wheel & Off-Road magazines.
Ford Donates $1 Million to College for Creative Studies
The College of Creative Studies (CCS) announced that Ford Motor Co. will donate $1 million to the institution over the next five years that will help provide educational opportunities to Detroit youth. The funds are being used to establish the Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies (HFA: SCS) College and Career Transitions Office, and start a Blue Oval Scholarship fund for graduates of HFA: SCS to attend CCS. The HFA: SCS is the public charter middle and high school created as a partnership between CCS and Henry Ford Learning Institute (HFLI), with support from the Bob and Ellen Thompson Educational Foundation. HFA: SCS is located inside the CCS A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education and will graduate its first high school senior class this year.
Diana Brennan to Head Sonoma Raceway’s PR Affairs
Diana Brennan, who has worked in the Sonoma Raceway Media Relations department since 1999, was recently named senior director of media and community relations. Brennan assumes the management of the raceway’s department, overseeing all media communications, as well as the facility's community initiatives, including the local chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. “It has been inspirational to watch Diana’s development over the years from college intern to one of the industry’s most respected professionals,” said Steve Page, Sonoma Raceway president and general manager. “She is more than ready to assume this leadership position and we are fortunate to have her on board.” Brennan has worked full-time in the media relations department at Sonoma Raceway since 2001, most recently as director of media and community relations. Brennan was first hired as an intern in 1999.
Strategic Marketing Services Named One of Top Places to Work in Kentucky
Strategic Marketing Services LLC was named one of the "Top 20 Best Places to Work in Kentucky" by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in April. According to The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the selection process is based on the assessment of the company’s employee policies and procedures, as well as the results from an internal employee survey.
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