Mount Maunganui is a major residential, commercial and industrial suburb of the Tauranga metropolitan area, located on a peninsula to the north-east of Tauranga’s city centre. It was an independent town from Tauranga until the completion of the Tauranga Harbour Bridge in 1988, which connects Mount Maunganui to Tauranga’s central business district.
Mount Maunganui is also the name of the large lava dome which was formed by the upwelling of rhyolite lava about two to three million years ago. It is officially known by its Māori name Mauao, but is colloquially known in New Zealand simply as The Mount.
Tyres Tauranga
Tauranga is a coastal metropolitan city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of 135,000 (June 2019). It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, by Europeans in the early 19th century, and was constituted as a city in 1963.
Much of the countryside surrounding Tauranga is horticultural land, used to grow a wide range of fresh produce for both domestic consumption and export. There are many kiwifruit and avocados orchards as well as other crops.
The Port of Tauranga is New Zealand’s largest export port. It is a regular stop for both container ships and luxury cruise liners.
Tauranga’s main shopping mall is Bayfair, in Mount Maunganui. Most of the city’s shopping centres are located in the suburbs. They include Fraser Cove, Tauranga Crossing, Bethlehem Town Centre, Palm Beach Plaza, Fashion Island, Bayfair Shopping Centre, Bay Central and Greerton Village.
Hankook Tyres NZ History
Hankook’s origins date back to the 1940s in South Korea, making it the first Asian manufacturer in history. Other brands had some manufacturing plants in this part of the world, but Hankook was the first to come out specifically from there.
One of the things that attracted the most attention from the beginning was the size of its facilities, which are still in Seoul today. At first, it made not only tires for cars but also for airplanes, as well as synthetic compounds for other industries.
The number of factories was expanded. First in other locations in Korea, then in Japan and China and later, after great success in their sales, they decided to establish subsidiaries in the United States. Shortly after they did the same in Europe, opening a headquarters in Germany.
Hankook wants to become a premium tire brand Currently, the South Korean manufacturer is the seventh worldwide in revenue, registering a total of 5.3 billion euros in 2017, so the goal that has been set is not easy. Investment in marketing and advertising, as well as placing the accent on high-end car brands and competition are the main pillars on which the manufacturer operates.
Hankook knows that it has come later than other manufacturers and that they are well established. Despite being a relatively young brand, born in 1941 and turning 77 last May, it has managed to open a gap between European, North American and Japanese manufacturers, which occupy the top positions in sales worldwide.
Hankook is the third largest Asian brand in the world in terms of turnover, only ahead of Bridgestone and Sumitomo. As shown in the table, drawn up according to data from the ETRMA (European tire manufacturers association), the gap between the first two brands, Bridgestone and Michelin, and the rest is remarkable, being the only ones that exceed 20,000 million euros in annual income.
Despite this, Hankook begins to close the gap with its immediate competitors: Pirelli and Sumitomo are close. In fact, in recent years, Hankook has not stopped growing in turnover, experiencing growth between 2015 and 2016 of 4% and almost 1% between 2016 and 2017. Its range supplies tires for both passenger cars and heavy vehicles and light, as well as competition.