Nokian opens larger warehouse in Illinois

SHOREWOOD, Ill. — Nokian Tyres L.L.C. opened a 507,000-sq.-ft. storage facility in mid-May in Shorewood, in suburban Chicago, that replaces a smaller warehouse nearby that the firm had operated since 2013.

The tire maker said the warehouse will help the company keep up with demand in North America as well as increased production at its factory in Dayton, Tenn.

The new warehouse is double the size of the former one, with capacity to house up to 600,000 tires. Shorewood is a village of about 7,500 residents located southwest of Chicago with ready access to Interstates 55 and 80.

Nokian said it partnered with Xpedient Logistics to make the move in just 26 days, without interrupting service.

"Our new Shorewood warehouse will increase our storage capacity at an important time in our growth journey," Christy McDaniel, head of supply chain, said.

"The move to a larger facility was a seamless team effort, and we're pleased we were able to complete the process without disrupting deliveries to our customers."

Nokian Tyres opened its first North American factory in 2019 and has been ramping up capacity ever since. The goal, Nokian said, is to use its North American manufacturing plant to shorten product delivery lead times and introduce tires made specifically for the North American market, as well as for growth ambitions of tire dealers.

Nokian operates 11 warehouses throughout North America.