LANGLEY, B.C. — The Canadian arm of Yokohama Tire has reorganized to create distinct business units to manage sales and marketing operations of its consumer and commercial lines, the company has announced.
 
Jonathon Karelse will lead the consumer side as business unit director while John Overing has been named business unit director for commercial tires. Both appointments are effective immediately. Both directors report to Yokohama Canada president Éric Dedoyard.
 
“We are creating a more effective and responsive operating structure that will increase the ability of both business segments to grow,” said Dedoyard. “The new structure will allow us to better serve our entire customer base by leveraging the skill sets of our people across all categories of our product portfolio.”
 
The organizational change means tire retailers will deal with a single, unified Yokohama sales and marketing team, Dedoyard says.
 
Since some of the company’s dealers handle both consumer and commercial lines, Yokohama officials say the two business units will work closely together and share marketing and customer service resources. The new structure will see an internal realignment of personnel including business development and inside sales positions for each unit.
 
The new marketing and sales organizational structure will be supported by the company’s existing administration, distribution and technical departments, Yokohama officials said.