CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.—Based on Hankook Tire's innovation, quality and service at its Tennessee plant, Ford Motor Co. has awarded the tire manufacturer the "Quality is No. 1" supplier medal.
The plant is the third Hankook production facility to be awarded the honor, with the other two in Jiangsu and Chongqing, China.
"Trusted relationships with our OE customers are central to driving Hankook Tire forward," said Rob Williams, president of Hankook Tire America Corp. "The innovation, quality and continued improvement of our Tennessee plant is key to delivering market-leading products to renowned auto makers like Ford Motor Co."
The Q1 medal also is awarded for continuous improvement and represents a commitment to quality. The honor "is an extremely influential benchmark in the automotive industry that demonstrates the quality level of suppliers and is pursued by major auto parts manufacturers around the world."
"We're proud to see the Tennessee plant become the latest Hankook Tire facility to earn Ford's prestigious Q1 medal and look forward to continued success in Clarksville," Williams said.
Hankook's Tennessee plant makes tires for the new Ford Edge MKX, Ford Explorer and Ford Econoline.
Hankook was the world's seventh-largest tire manufacturing company, according to Rubber News' 2022 Global Tire Rankings.
