WEST POINT, Miss. (Nov. 14, 2013) — Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi (YTMM), a manufacturing subsidiary of Yokohama Tire Corp., has hired its first employee, Human Resources Manager Melissa Orman.
Ms. Orman will be responsible for hiring personnel at YTMM's truck tire plant in West Point, Yokohama said. Groundbreaking for the $300 million facility, which is set to open in October 2015, took place in September.
Approximately 500 jobs will be created during the first phase of operations, Yokohama said, and the 1 million-sq.-ft. factory will include production, warehousing and operations facilities, and will produce up to 1 million tires annually.
"Things are moving quickly with the plant," said Rob Harrelson, Yokohama vice president, human resources and administration, "and we are ready to start hiring. Bringing Melissa onboard was a crucial step in the process."
Yokohama said Ms. Orman was director of human resources at Navistar Defense in conjunction with Griffin Armor. At peak employment, the Navistar West Point facility had more than 1,000 workers.
Prior to joining Navistar, Ms. Orman was vice president and CFO for Trailboss Trailer in Macon, Miss., a heavy-duty trailer manufacturer. She has a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master's of Professional Accountancy from Mississippi State University.
Ms. Orman said she looks forward to joining the Yokohama team in Mississippi and "building another strong part of this great company."