Nokian completes workforce at Dayton, Tenn., factory

DAYTON, Tenn. — What began as a barren piece of land in the foothills of Southeastern Tennessee now has more than 400 workers making passenger and light truck tires around the clock.

Nokian Tyres P.L.C., which broke ground on its first U.S. plant in September, 2017 and dedicated it in October, 2019, announced today that it has completed the hiring of 125 additional workers at the facility in Dayton, ending a three-month process to complete its staff.

Nokian now employs more than 475 workers at the $360 million factory, as it prepares to double production there to 4 million tires annually by 2024.

The Nokia, Finland-based tire maker announced the news as part of a tour of its plant with the tire trade press July 26-28..

"Nokian Tyres sets out to be an employer of choice in Southeast Tennessee, and our new hires are joining a vibrant and successful team," Dayton Factory Operations Director David Korda said.

"We remain impressed by the quality of the workforce in Southeast Tennessee, and we are eager to help our team members grow their careers as we grow our production capacity."

According to Blake Markham, human resources director, more than 2,000 applications were received for the 125 positions. Most of the new employees are production operators, while specialists in maintenance, quality, logistics and general administration also were added.

Mentors dressed in green shirts were sprinkled throughout the plant, working alongside new employees in each production area as part of a personalized training program that Nokian said is designed to maintain quality and culture as the factory grows.

Equipment continues to be installed at the 830,000 sq.-ft. facility, which produces all-season and all-weather tires specifically for the North American market, including the Nokian Tyres One and WR G4, as well as the all-terrain Nokian Outpost family of products.

In addition, work continues on a 350,000 sq.-ft. warehouse, with the capability of storing 600,000 tires. The $174 million investment, set to be the fourth building on the expansive campus, is set to open by mid-year 2024.

Nokian, known for its culture and sustainability efforts, has earned much recognition since opening the plant. It has been named the Chattanooga Regional Manufacturers Association's Company of the Year in 2021, and it was the first in Rhea County to receive the prestigious Tennessee Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award.

In addition, the Dayton production building is the only tire production facility in the world with a LEED v4 Silver certification, and its LEED v4 Gold-certified administration building is powered completely by energy generated from onsite solar panels.

Nokian recently sold its Russian operations to Russian energy and chemicals company P.J.S.C. Tatneft, completing the Finnish tire maker's exit from the country. According to company officials, that plant accounted for 8 million tires annually, half of which were specifically sold in Russia.

To make up for the lost production, Nokian broke ground in late May on a new tire production factory in Oradea, Romania, that is estimated to start commercial production in 2025. The facility will supply the European market.