Nokian Tyres Inc. has begun hiring the first 50 workers for its first North American tire factory. The company expects to have as many as 150 employees on the payroll in Dayton, Tenn., by the end of 2019. The plant employees will be trained on site, as well as at Nokian's two European production facilities. The company expects to begin commercial production in 2020. The plant will have the capacity to build 4 million tires by 2023.
“We strive to be the employer of choice in Southeast Tennessee, thanks to world-class technology and a robust company culture,” says Nokian Operations Director Peter Chia, who will manage the facility. “We believe this factory will make the region proud and position our company for continued growth.”
The exteriors of the factory’s mixing tower and production building are largely complete, and workers are installing manufacturing technology inside the facility, which is located 45 minutes north of Chattanooga.
“We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made and continue working to complete construction on schedule,” says Nokian Facility Design and Construction Manager David Korda. About 200 construction workers are on site of the company's first North American production facility each day.
The $360 million, 830,000-square-foot manufacturing facility will serve customers across the United States and Canada, and is considered a critical element in Nokian's quest to double its North American sales by 2023. The plant will produce passenger and light truck all-season tires, and a distribution facility will house 600,000 tires.
To learn more about the factory and it's progress, visit www.nokiantires.com/daytonfactory.
