Hankook Tire appointed executive vice president Kim Hyoung-nam, 51, to head the company’s global purchasing unit in a move to strengthen the department and draw closer to becoming a top tier tire brand, the company said Friday.

Kim has been working for three decades in the auto industry, with his expertise spanning research development to purchasing.

His previous job was with Renault Samsung. Before that, he was with Kia Motors.

Kim will be committed to handling Hankook Tire’s global purchasing transactions to develop the unit into a more integrated and strategic workforce, the firm said in a press release.

“Hankook Tire is fast becoming a global tire manufacturer, which has become a strong motivation for us to bolster our global purchasing team,” said Lee Joo-hak, a spokesman for Hankook Tire.

The company is Korea’s first and largest tire maker operating global regional offices in four key areas, seven production facilities and five research and development centers.

Hankook Tire ranks fifth in the world in terms of production, with more than 80 percent of its sales coming from overseas.

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)