Sumitomo Rubber rebrands Falken Tyre Europe to Dunlop, positioning Dunlop as premium tier and retaining Falken as its mid-range offering.
Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH Unveiled in Offenbach as Falken Era Formally Comes to a Close
Falken Tyre Europe GmbH has officially completed its transition to become Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH, with the name change formally registered at Offenbach’s Local Court commercial register.
The renaming is part of a broader global brand strategy by parent company Sumitomo Rubber Industries (Sumitomo Rubber), which has been consolidating its operations under the Dunlop name as part of its long-term R.I.S.E. 2035 vision.
To mark the occasion, the Dunlop logo will be unveiled at a ceremony at the City Tower in Offenbach next Monday (March 2, 2026), with Lord Mayor Dr Felix Scwenke attending alongside managing directors Hiroshi Hamada and Markus Bögner.
Bögner said, “The name change is an important milestone of which we can be very proud. It strengthens our identity and underlines that we are ready for the next steps. Our strong heritage with Falken is and remains part of our success, laying the foundations for Dunlop‘s future in Europe. Our thanks go to all our employees and partners who have supported and accompanied us on this journey.”
In January 2025, Sumitomo Rubber secured exclusive Dunlop trademark rights for four-wheel tyres in Europe, North America, and Oceania from Goodyear. Later in the same year, in December, it subsequently acquired the rights for tyres, tubes, and flaps in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam from Continental Tyres Malaysia, with operations under the Dunlop name in those three markets beginning on January 1, 2026.
As part of the same December announcement, Sumitomo Rubber confirmed that seven sales subsidiaries in Germany, the United States, Australia, Chile, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom would also adopt Dunlop-related names from early 2026.
Under the new structure, Dunlop serves as the premium tier, while Falken is retained as the mid-tier offering. A new budget brand is to be introduced at a later stage.
