Stamford Tyres and Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) share one of the tyre industry’s longest and most enduring partnerships. At the heart of this relationship lies the Falken brand, distributed exclusively in Singapore by Stamford Tyres for four decades and subsequently across many Southeast Asian countries.

To mark the occasion, The Tyreman spoke with Executive Chairman Dawn Wee, spouse of the late founder and former president, Wee Kok Wah; Conson Sia, CEO of Stamford Tyre Group; and Yukio Yoshida, General Manager, Asia and Oceania Region Department, Global Business Administration HQ, SRI. They reflected on the partnership’s history, its challenges and achievements, and the road ahead amid electrification, sustainability, and digital transformation.

“The partnership actually began with Ohtsu Tire & Rubber back in the 1970s,” recalled Dawn Wee. “When Wee took over the business, we were mainly in tyre retreading. But when the British Army pulled out and the Singapore Army shifted to new tyres, he realised that new tyre distribution was the way forward.”

Their first agency was BF Goodrich, but the turning point came with Ohtsu. A young and determined entrepreneurial, Wee travelled to Japan to explore agencies. “The big names like Bridgestone and Yokohama were already taken. But through trading houses, Wee found Ohtsu, a small manufacturer near Osaka with no major overseas distributors.”

In 1975, Stamford Tyres became Ohtsu’s sole distributor. “At first, people laughed as it wasn’t a popular brand,” Dawn shared. “Wee and I would travel to Osaka and Izumiotsu to meet their team. On one trip, they introduced us to a new name, Falken. Ohtsu wanted a global brand identity, and Wee was excited by the chance to step into the higher-end segment.”

From Singapore, the partnership quickly expanded to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and eventually all of Southeast Asia. By the 1980s, Wee even set up an office in Miami to support Falken’s entry into South America. “Everywhere Othsu wanted to grow, he followed,” Dawn said.

Building Trust with Sumitomo

When SRI acquired Ohtsu in 2003, Stamford Tyres was initially apprehensive. “SRI already had its own brand and also held Dunlop, which were handled by other distributors. They didn’t know us well at first,” Dawn admitted. “So, they sent a senior team to evaluate us. Once they saw the breadth of our business, from passenger car to Off-the-Road (OTR) tyres and fleet management, they gained confidence. The relationship only grew stronger.”

Falken itself was new when it launched in Malaysia in 1984. “Stamford has always been the right partner — ambitious, entrepreneurial, and committed to lasting relationships and high service standards,” said Yoshida. “They are our longest-standing partner, and their contribution has been vital to Falken’s growth in this region for the past decades.”

A Philosophy of Adding Value

The Falken relationship was built gradually, but it shaped Stamford Tyres’ philosophy and direction in profound ways. As Dawn explained, Falken was still a small brand in its early days, and being its distributor required real commitment, putting in money, carrying stock, and investing in the brand.

Guided by Wee’s belief that a distributor must always ‘value add’ and not simply sell for profit, Stamford worked hard to build up Falken’s presence, especially in Asia where its marketing support lagged behind bigger Japanese brands like Bridgestone and Yokohama. This mindset of adding value became central to Stamford’s identity, ensuring that the brands it carried were not just sold but actively grown.

“Another factor that sets Stamford Tyres apart is our strong retail presence,” she explained. “We are now rejuvenating our retail base in Malaysia. Unlike many distributors who shy away from retail due to high investment, Wee believed in ownership, buying shops and land to show real commitment. Whatever we earned, we reinvested to strengthen the business. Over 50 years, the Stamford group grew stronger financially and built up a professional team of managers with deep knowledge of the tyre trade. This has gained the respect of our main principal suppliers especially SRI and cemented our relationship.”

This philosophy helped Falken grow from a niche brand into a premium player. Its focus on aftermarket, inch-up tyres and motorsport aligned well with Stamford’s rim business. More recently, its Wildpeak line has ridden the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and 4×4 boom in Malaysia, where SUVs now account for nearly 30 per cent of new registrations.

“For us, Stamford Tyres has been more than a distributor, it is the local face of Falken in Malaysia,” Yoshida said. “The company actively engages with customers, shares insights, and shapes marketing with us, from dealer surveys to roadshows and track events. Their initiatives have been essential to building Falken’s presence.”

Stamford Tyres has long driven Falken’s visibility through launches, sponsorships, drift events, roadshows, and dealer activities.

Reflecting on his role overseeing Asian markets from 1993 to 2003, he said: “Back then, Asia mostly needed smaller sizes compared to Europe or the U.S. But Stamford pushed us forward, bringing inch-up trends and encouraging new sizes. Moving from 15 to 16, 17 and 18-inch tyres was rare at the time, but Stamford helped create demand and shift the market toward higher-value products. This two-way communication has been vital to Falken’s growth.”

He also remembered Stamford Tyres Malaysia’s early days as Exnova Sdn Bhd, when its identity was closely tied to the brands it carried. “As Falken evolved, Stamford evolved too, adapting to new names, products, and directions”

More recently, Yoshida noted, working on Falken’s brand alignment has been a key milestone. “With Stamford’s efforts, Falken has successfully entered the 4×4 market and is now positioned as a premium brand with strong products for the future.”

Challenges and Resilience

Dawn and Yoshida agreed that mutual respect, trust, and open communication have been the backbone of their 50-year partnership. “Stamford Tyres’ business has never been easy in such a competitive market. While Stamford focused on delivering value, SRI supported us with training, marketing, and product innovation. The establishment of Sumitomo Rubber Asia (Tyre) Pte Ltd in Singapore brought us even closer through more effective communication,” Yoshida shared.

The partnership was not without tests, and one of the most significant came in 1997 when a devastating fire destroyed Stamford’s warehouse. During this crisis, SRI extended exceptional support. “They redirected goods from other regions to Singapore, ensuring that our inventory was replenished swiftly and business operations could continue without major disruption,” Dawn noted. “Their generosity and commitment reflected the depth of our partnership, which extends well beyond contractual obligations.”

With the strong backing of SRI’s top management, Wee mobilised the dealer community, introducing special arrangements during a Dealers’ Dinner, held on the weekend after the fire, to reinforce confidence and maintain market stability.

Just a month later, the Asian financial crisis struck. But Stamford’s discipline, reinvesting earnings, avoiding debt, and maintaining supplier trust, carried them through. “These values became part of our DNA,” Dawn said.

Conson added that Stamford has long aligned with SRI’s strategy of moving towards higher-end markets, focusing on ultra-high-performance (UHP) and 4×4 tyres, even if it meant leaving gaps in smaller segments. “You can’t replace volume easily. But we’re building capacity to adapt, including a new warehouse in Kapar that will diversify inventory beyond tyres. As Wee reminded us, we’re essentially a logistics company integrated into the supply chain. That is our strength, especially in times of disruption.”

Yoshida noted that SRI is investing in tyres for electric and hybrid vehicles, with a focus on safety, advanced compounding, and sustainability. “We are also leveraging AI in production management and in R&D to improve efficiency. By aligning strategies closely with Stamford, we ensure the partnership remains future-ready.”

Conson added that while SRI hasn’t offered EV-specific tyres in this part of the world for now, it has already offered EV-compatible ones. “SRI is also exploring Sensing Core technology application on tyres. If the timing is right and the products suit our markets, we’ll follow their lead.”

For both organisations, the priority is to continue growing Falken as a premium brand across ASEAN and globally. “Our vision is to embrace new technologies, support e-Mobility, and adapt to changing needs, creating long-term value not just for our businesses, but for our customers and partners,” Yoshida said.

As both companies celebrate 50 years together, SRI’s acquisition of Dunlop rights in Europe and America creates new opportunities. “For us, SRI isn’t just Falken — it’s also Dunlop,” Conson explained. “They are positioning Dunlop in Original Equipment and Falken in the aftermarket. We’re fortunate to be part of both.”

Stamford had earlier acquired Dunlop Hong Kong agency rights from BTR in the UK, further strengthening its role.

The celebrations are bittersweet for Stamford Tyres after the passing of founder Wee Kok Wah. Dawn reflected: “His loss is deeply personal to me and to the organisation. While it may have raised concerns for SRI, we have built a strong management team to carry on his legacy. Seeing our continuity and successors, SRI has shown confidence in us. As Yoshida said, this golden anniversary is not just about looking back, but also about moving forward with confidence into the next 50 years.”