SANTA ANA, Calif.—Yokohama Tire Corp. has tapped Jeremy Kahrs to serve as vice president of research and development at the Yokohama Development Center of America in North Carolina.
The promotion, which took effect Aug. 10, will see Kahrs take over "all daily operations" at the YDCA facility in Cornelius, according to Jeff Barna, president and CEO of Yokohama Tire Corp.
Kahrs had served as senior director of research and development at the YDCA.
"Jeremy's technical expertise, along with his passion for engineering and his strong dedication to support the R&D team, have greatly contributed to YDCA's success," Barna said.
Kahrs will report to Barna.
In a separate promotion, Barna said YDCA Vice President Tom Kenny will become an executive technical adviser "to define and oversee strategic projects and continue to support YDCA development."
"Tom has been instrumental in establishing YDCA as a true technical center for the U.S.," Barna said. "In this new capacity, he will continue to work closely with the development team to make recommendations on future development, product testing and quality improvements."
The YDCA and Yokohama Tire Corp. are part of Yokohama Corp. of North America, a subsidiary of Tokyo, Japan-based Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. The company's product line includes tires for high performance, light truck, passenger car and commercial truck and bus.
