Hankook Tire Expands Partnership with DAV

Hankook Tire America Corp. continues to support the veteran community, expanding its commitment to DAV (Disabled American Veterans). DAV provides free services to veterans of all generations where they live. In the fourth year of its partnership with DAV, Hankook is donating $175,000 to increase its support of DAV’s Mobile Service Office (MSO) program and award a new vehicle to help veterans in the company’s hometown of Nashville get to and from their medical appointments.

The 2018 partnership was announced with an on-stage check presentation during the opening session at DAV’s 97th National Convention on Saturday, July 14, in Reno, Nev. During the ceremony, Hankook Tire America Corp. Public Relations Manager Wes Boling presented DAV National Adjutant and CEO Marc Burgess and National Commander Delphine Metcalf-Foster with the $175,000 check recognizing Hankook’s increased commitment to help veterans through mobility.

“Hankook Tire is proud of how we’ve grown our partnership with DAV over the past four years,” said Hankook Tire America Corp. President Hosung Suh. “With each year of our partnership, we’ve increased the number of veterans we’ve been able to help across the country. We’re honored to be able to give back to even more veterans this year, by bringing DAV’s benefits assistance services to 12 cities across the country and throughout the Nashville area.”

Hankook to Host 12 Mobile Service Office (MSO) Stops
Through DAV’s MSO program, DAV National Service Officers drive their “office on wheels” across the country to counsel and assist veterans and educate them and their families on the benefits and services earned in service. This program extends DAV’s benefits assistance to veterans who might not be able to access it otherwise due to distance, transportation, health or other various reasons. Hankook continues its promise to help American veterans through mobility by doubling the number of Hankook-sponsored DAV MSO stops year-over-year. To bring DAV’s claims specialists to veterans in their local communities at a national scale, Hankook partners with tire dealers and distributors across the country. Below is Hankook’s 2018 MSO stop schedule:

2018 Dates	Hankook Tire Dealer & MSO Stop Location
Tues, Aug. 7	Black’s Tire & Auto Service 3009 Raeford Road Fayetteville, NC 28303
Wed, Aug. 8	American Tire Distributors, Inc. 4554 Progress Road Norfolk, VA 23502
Wed, Aug. 22	Evans Tire & Service Centers 14365 Rancho Penasquitos Drive San Diego, CA 92129
Mon, Aug. 27	Advance Performance Tires and Wheels 4011 West Linebaugh Avenue Tampa, FL 33624
Tues, Sept. 4	Brown’s Parkrose Point S Tire & Auto 12030 NE Sandy Boulevard Portland, OR 97220
Wed, Sept. 12	S & S Tire & Auto Service Center 800 North Dysart Road Goodyear, AZ 85338
Fri, Sept. 14	Gateway Tire & Service Center 2600 Highway 41A Bypass Clarksville, TN 37043
Fri, Sept. 28	NTW 1135 Shallowford Road Marietta, GA 30066
Mon, Oct. 1	CJ’s Tire & Automotive 180 W. Church Road King of Prussia, PA 19406
Fri, Oct. 19	Peerless Tires 6730 Academy Boulevard N. Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Tues, Nov. 6	Centerville Tire Factory 220 W. Parrish Lane Centerville, UT 84014
Tues, Nov. 13	Espino Tire & Wheel 7046 San Pedro Avenue San Antonio, TX 78216

Additionally, Hankook is donating two sets of Hankook tires to DAV to help ensure the performance of its MSO vehicles when driving across the country to service as many veterans as possible.

“We’re so grateful for Hankook’s growing and continued support, which further enables DAV to ensure our promises are kept to the men and women who served,” Burgess said. “Now in our fourth year of the partnership, we thank Hankook Tire for the valuable role the company plays in helping us ensure that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them, to empower them to lead high quality lives with respect and dignity.”

Hankook to Add Nashville Transportation Network Vehicle
New to this year’s partnership, Hankook will sponsor a new seven-passenger DAV Transportation Network vehicle at the Nashville Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center, which will drive Nashville-area veterans to their medical appointments. The Hankook-branded vehicle, which will be delivered in 2019, will join DAV’s fleet of volunteer driven vehicles around the country to provide free transportation to VA medical facilities for injured and ill veterans. This will be the first new vehicle that the Nashville VA Medical Center has received since 2011.

“At our Tennessee Plant in Clarksville, 20 percent of our employees are U.S. military veterans, and we see firsthand the importance of them being able to access the benefits and services they deserve,” Suh said. “And with the new Hankook sponsored vehicle permanently stationed at the Nashville VA Medical Center, we’re proud to provide the mobility services that local veterans need to access proper medical care.”

For more information on Hankook and DAV’s continued partnership, visit dav.org/hankook.

Edwin Goudswaard is now officially serving as the head of research and development at Continental Tires. He succeeds Dr. Boris Mergell who took over as head of the user experience business area at Continental Automotive, also on September 1, 2023.

Goudswaard began his career at Continental in 2006, shortly after completing his mechanical engineering studies, the company said. Following an international R&D trainee program, he worked in virtual development and product development for original equipment tires. Between 2013 and 2021, Goudswaard assumed various management roles in R&D and in the production facilities for two-wheeler and passenger car tires in Europe and Asia. In 2021, he was appointed head of the two-wheel tire business area. He was most recently responsible for Continental’s global research and development activities in the passenger car tire replacement business.