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Cooper Tire, Kenda Rubber End Marketing and Distribution Arrangement

Posted on: Tuesday, 17 February 2009, 07:52 CST

FINDLAY, Ohio, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY (NYSE: CTB) and American Kenda Rubber Industrial Co., Ltd. (d.b.a. Kenda USA Corporation) today announced that effective May 1, 2009, they will be ending their marketing and distribution arrangement with the Kenda brand in the United States and Canada, and at that time, Kenda will resume responsibility for the sales and marketing, distribution and customer service for the Kenda brand.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010404/COOPERLOGO )

Since November 2004, Cooper has been the exclusive marketer of Kenda radial passenger and light truck tires in the United States and Canada. That agreement granted Cooper exclusive rights to market, sell and distribute Kenda's radial passenger and radial light truck tires.

"The decision to end our marketing and distribution relationship was a mutual decision between Cooper and Kenda," said Phil Caris, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Cooper. "And while the results of the joint venture were positive, it was agreed that a new approach would be beneficial in pursuing each company's brand strategy. We have been very happy with our relationship with Kenda. As we begin to look into the future, we felt this strategy put both companies in a better position in this tough economic environment."

Jimmy Yang, President of Kenda USA, said, "Over the past few years, the Kenda-Cooper relationship has been beneficial for all parties involved. We are looking forward to the new direction of 're-launching' our brand in the United States. As we take over the marketing activities for our brand, there is opportunity for growth in the US without having to change our distribution infrastructure. The Cooper-Kenda partnership has definitely added value for the Kenda brand and will continue to help Kenda's growth in the tire market."

Transition for Cooper Tire dealers will be handled with a minimum of change and disruption so that customer service will not be affected. Both companies will continue as partners in the radial passenger and light truck tire plant in China, and technical and other related matters.

About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car and light truck tires and subsidiaries that specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies located in 10 countries around the world. For more information, visit Cooper Tire's web site at: www.coopertire.com.

About Kenda Rubber Industrial Co., LTD.

Kenda Rubber Industrial Co., LTD., headquartered in Yuanlin, Taiwan, is the world's leading tire and tube manufacturer in Bicycle, Motorcycle, Agricultural, Trailer, Lawn and Garden, ATV, Golf Cart, Folk Lift, Automobile and other specialty areas. The Company also produces rubber membrane serving the water retention and commercial roofing industry under the brand of Pond King and StaFast Roofing. Kenda employs more than 7,000 people and has 5 manufacturing facilities located in Taiwan, Vietnam and China. For more information, please visit the Company's web site at: www.kendausa.com.

SOURCE Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

Source: PR Newswire

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