Toyo North America names pair to executive positions

WHITE, Ga. — Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. (TNA) has promoted Shinji Tanabe to chairman and CEO and Patrick Lenz to president and chief operating officer, assuming responsibilities held by Donald Bunn, who is retiring after 17 years with the company.

TNA a subsidiary of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc.,manufactures Toyo- and Nitto-brand passenger and light truck tires at its plant in White.

Tanabe will be responsible for the overall plant organization at Georgia, including administration and planning.In his 41- year career at Toyo, Tanabe has served as general manager of the tire production division; vice president of production headquarters; chief compliance officer and vice president of quality assurance, environment & safety headquarters.

Lenz, a graduate of Park University in Missouri, will be responsible for management of the plant's day-to-day manufacturing operations. Lenz joined Toyo in 2020 as TNA's general manager. He has nearly 22 years of manufacturing, industrial engineering and management experience, including positions of increasing responsibility for several major tire manufacturers.

Bunn, president and plant manager since January 2015 and CEO since January 2018, was among TNA's earliest hires in 2005 and has played an integral part in its growth, the company said.

Under his guidance, TNA has had multiple expansions, attained record levels of output and successfully steered the plant through the pandemic, despite supply chain disruptions and labor shortages, Toyo said.

Iori Suzuki, chairman, president and CEO of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc, congratulated Bunn on his retirement and thanked him for his "dedicated service."

"I had the privilege of working with Don Bunn for the last 17 years and witnessed his many contributions to TNA, including the last seven years successfully leading our Georgia manufacturing plant," Suzuki said.

"On behalf of Toyo Tire, I congratulate Don on his retirement and thank him for his dedicated service. We have a very experienced management team in Messrs Tanabe and Lenz, and look forward to their leadership at our largest manufacturing plant."