Sumitomo conducts rebranding of divisions

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which recently acquired the Dunlop brand from Goodyear for $700 million, has announced that it will change the names of its trading offices in several regions of the world. For example, the European subsidiary Falken Tyre Europe, based in Offenbach am Main, Germany, will be renamed Dunlop Tyre Europe from January 2026, while Sumitomo Rubber North America will be renamed Dunlop Tires North America, and so on.

According to the long-term strategy R.I.S.E. 2035, presented in March this year, the Dunlop brand will become the main brand for Sumitomo, and, unlike Goodyear, the company will position it as a premium brand, rather than a mid-range one.

Currently, Sumitomo owns the rights to the Dunlop brand in the automotive tire sector worldwide, except for India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, and in the motorcycle tire segment, in all regions except India, Europe, and Oceania.

Goodyear has also sold its specialty tire production and part of its chemical business as part of its restructuring.