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SEARCHHankook continues to expand its Tennessee Plant with TBR tire manufacturing capabilities, projecting 2,200 total jobs and 12 million total in tire capacity upon completion.
Rob Williams, President of Hankook Tire America speaks to the media at the 2025 TMC Annual Meeting.
Photo: Hankook Tire
Hankook Tire announced its fifth-generation lineup of truck and bus radial (TBR) tires at the 2025 Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition in Nashville.
Hankook also shared updates on the phased expansion of its Tennessee manufacturing plant to increase TBR capacity and will begin Phase 3 construction by the end of 2025.
"TMC provides a great opportunity to showcase the many innovations and exciting updates happening on the TBR side with Hankook,” said Rob Williams, president of Hankook Tire America.
“With advanced, new tech-forward products and the promise of a significant expansion of our TBR manufacturing capacity, we look forward to continue our growth and industry leadership, especially in such an innovative sector. This event gives us a perfect opportunity to connect with fleets and industry stakeholders and strengthen customer partnerships."
Aligning with the planned plant expansion, Williams said the new additions to Hankook's TBR family and all future truck & bus tire products will be brought to market under the Hankook Smart Brand.
He said Smart Brand tires use Hankook's Smartec technology philosophy, integrating innovations such as Self-Generated 3D Sipe technology and new tread compounds.
The new tires that Hankook showcased at TMC 2025 include:
Smart Flex: AH51 / DH51 / DH52 – Premium performance all-condition tire for extended mileage and lifespan; AH51 and DH52 available Q2 2025; DH51 available Q3 2025
Smart Line:
TL52 – Smart trailer tire optimized for long-haul performance manufactured at Hankook Tire’s U.S. manufacturing plant in Clarksville, Tenn.; available later this year
AL52 and DL52 – TBR long-haul tires which were first unveiled at last year’s TMC show; available now
eSmart City AU56 – Exclusive electric commercial vehicle tire for high load capacity, extended battery efficiency and tread life; available Q4 2025
Williams said Hankook’s Tennessee manufacturing lant in Clarksville is currently undergoing Phase 2 of the Passenger Car and Light Truck (PCLT) Line and Phase 3 of the Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) Line expansion simultaneously.
Upon completion of the expansion plan, the facility will employ approximately 2,200 people, achieve an expected annual production capacity of 10 million PCLT and 1 million TBR tires, and become one of the largest tire plants in North America.
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