Nokian Tyres has opted to temporarily cease production at its Dayton, Tennessee, factory, effective this Friday. While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the factory, this decision is being made out of an abundance of caution in order to safeguard the well-being of Nokian Tyres employees and the Southeast Tennessee community.
The company plans to evaluate the situation as it unfolds in order to set a date to reopen the factory.
The closure will last a minimum of two weeks, and the factory’s leadership team will closely monitor all developments, as well as CDC, state and local guidelines.
“The safety of our team and our community is our most important priority,” said Dayton Factory Operations Director Peter Chia. “That’s why we are taking this proactive step during this challenging time.”
During the closure, cleaning services will thoroughly clean offices and production equipment. Employees will be temporarily furloughed, and the company does not plan to permanently lay off any workers at the factory.
Officials said, "Nokian Tyres embraces safety as a critical core value, and the company will continue to take all reasonable steps necessary to help limit the spread of COVID-19. This temporary closure will not significantly impact the company’s projected production volume or regional growth plan. Nokian Tyres will continue supplying customers through its regional warehouses located throughout North America."
Please visit nokiantyres.com/company/newsroom for further updates.