NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Hankook Tire America Corp. has donated $15,000 to the American Red Cross for its disaster relief operations in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee region hit by tornadoes March 3.
Nashville has been the home of Hankook Tire's U.S. headquarters since the tire maker opened its manufacturing plant in Clarksville, Tenn., in 2017.
The headquarters on Commerce Street is only a few blocks away from where the tornado left a path of destruction in East Nashville, the company said, and many Hankook employees live in East Nashville, Germantown and Mt. Juliet, which were some of the hardest hit areas.
"The people of Nashville, Middle Tennessee and some of our employees are hurting in the aftermath of this devastating tornado. We want to do our part to help those immediately who are in need," Soo Il Lee, Hankook Tire America president, said. "We want to do our part to help those who are in need, and giving to the American Red Cross enables us to help those hurting as well as the community that we love."
The American Red Cross has been helping those who were affected by the storms, which damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and houses and left at least 24 people dead in a four-county area.
Bridgestone Americas, also headquartered in Nashville, recently donated $75,000 to the American Red Cross and $25,000 to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Wegmann automotive USA Inc., based in Murfreesboro, Tenn., has donated $10,000 to the Middle Tennessee Disaster Relief Fund.