Nexen inks marketing deal with Blackhawks

RICHFIELD, Ohio—Winter tire performance is a cornerstone for Nexen Tire America Inc. And to prove it, the company is putting more of its marketing efforts on the ice.

Or near it, anyway.

The Richfield-based tire maker has joined forces with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, a move it believes will increase its brand awareness among consumers throughout the U.S.

And that all starts this hockey season.

With the partnership, Nexen Tire will be featured on Blackhawks' dasherboards—both physical and digital—at the United Center, the Blackhawks' home rink. The company's branding also will be included on billboards and signage at Fifth Third Arena, the hockey team's community ice rink. The length and additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We are thrilled at the opportunity to expand our local market presence through a partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks," Brian Yoonseok Han, Nexen Tire America CEO, said in a statement.

The Blackhawks partnership is not the first NHL connection for tire maker, which already has a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. But the Blackhawks deal does add depth to the company's global sports marketing efforts, which touch motorsports in the U.S. through FormulaDRIFT and soccer in England, Italy and Germany through the Manchester City, AC Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt football clubs, respectively.

The North American market is an important one for South Korean-based Nexen Tire Co., which established Nexen Tire America in Diamond Bar, Calif., in 2005. It was a critical first step in expanding globally.

For now, though, the tire maker is keeping an eye on the North American market and may be mulling plans to bring a manufacturing facility to the States. The move, Han told Tire Business recently, would make sense, particularly in light of the supply chain weaknesses exposed during the pandemic.

For the time being, Nexen is focusing its R&D efforts on the North American market. Nexen began to establish its Midwest R&D roots in 2017, breaking ground on a 34,000-sq.-ft. technical center in Richfield that officially was christened in 2019.

Late last year, Nexen Tire America moved its U.S. headquarters to Richfield, making the facility the hub of its North American activities.