Kumho Tire Begins Salute To High Performers With U.S. Soccer Team Sponsorship

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- When the bus pulls up Saturday afternoon at New Meadowlands Stadium for the U.S. Soccer team's highly anticipated match with Argentina, it will mean more than just an outing for high performing students from New Jersey's North Star Academy.  The trip will mark the kickoff of Kumho Tire's salute to those who are high performers, no matter what their backgrounds or origins -- just like Kumho's founders.

"At Kumho Tire, we believe in high performance," said J.B. Kim, CEO and President at Kumho Tire USA. "We build it into our products, and we encourage it in our people."  The kickoff events reflect the company's core values and goals. Kumho Tire began in 1961, making 20 tires a day. Now, it is one of the top tire manufacturers in the world.

"We know what it means to start small and win big through a dedication to excellence," said Kim. "That's our story, and we want to see it repeated wherever we do business. So, as we expand further into the U.S. market, we'll be focusing on high performers and helping them on their way."

Prior to game time, Kumho will treat the students to a parking lot tailgate event featuring food and a high performance car display provided by members of the Exotics Rally where the students will get to interact directly with the car owners, learn about the performance technology they have in their vehicles, sit in their cars and take pictures.  Fans that arrive to the game early are welcome to visit the high performance car display and talk to the car owners as well.

Kumho Tire is involving North Star students both to honor their achievements and to show them what a lifetime of high performance can bring. "Being around top performers is contagious," said Rick Brennan, Vice President of Marketing at Kumho Tire USA. "We're going to show these children where high performance can lead them -- and reinforce their desire to be among the best."

To also celebrate and extend its salute to high performers to all U.S. Soccer Fans whether coming to the stadium to watch the match live or viewing it remotely, Kumho has launched the High Performers Challenge Contest* where one individual could win a new Hyundai Sonata, which recently received a top mid-size sedan rating from Consumer Reports.  Fans are invited to predict which team will win, what will be the final game score, what is the last name of the player that will score the winning goal and what minute of the game will the winning goal be scored.  They can easily enter their predictions anytime between Wednesday, March 23 starting at 9:01 a.m. EDT until 7:00 p.m. EDT on March 26, 2011 right before the game by texting "KUMHO SOCCER" to 77577 or visiting www.DriveKumho.com/soccer and following the text prompts or online details accordingly.  Even if no fans predict the exact outcome of the match or if neither team wins, Kumho will be awarding Kumho Tires for Life to one lucky fan.  For entry and complete official rules fans are invited to visit www.DriveKumho.com/soccer.

Kumho Tire along with ETD Discount Tire Centers of New Jersey will be providing all interested fans with a free Tire Tread Gauge Card that includes tips on continuing their own vehicles' high performance, as well as a $40 special U.S. Soccer Fan offer at ETD.

In addition to its U.S. Soccer Partnership, Kumho Tire USA has recently signed agreements with the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA and maintains a presence in the world of high-performance automobiles. In 2010, the company also entered college football sponsorship agreements with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Texas Longhorns, University of Southern California Trojans, Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers.  

Kumho will be integrating its new High Performers Sports Marketing Platform with all of these partners as part of its overall brand strategy and also in support of its new ultra-high-performance tire, the Ecsta 4X that will be debuting his summer. The tire will be one of five Ecsta UHP lines (along with the LE Sport, SPT, ASX and LX Platinum) backed by Kumho's 25 percent  Road Hazard Warranty. If the tire fails for any reason up to the 25 percent wear mark, Kumho will replace it for free.

About Kumho Tire

Founded in 1960, Kumho Tire has a 50-year history of innovation in management, technical development and environmental awareness that has positioned the Company as one of the world's top tire manufacturers.  Distributed in 160 countries, Kumho Tire is dedicated to providing a top quality driving experience to consumers throughout the world.  Headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Kumho Tire U.S.A. is the U.S. sales, marketing, product development and distribution arm of Kumho Tire Co.  More information about the company and its products can be found at www.kumhotireusa.com.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE CHANCES OF WINNING.  Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States or District of Columbia who are 18 years or age or older as of date of entry.  Complete official rules available at www.drivekumho.com/soccer.

SOURCE Kumho Tire