From left, Wes Boling, Nokian Tyres senior communications and content manager, and Blake Markham, Nokian Tyres senior human resources manager
The Chattanooga Regional Manufacturers Association named Nokian Tyres its 2021 Company of the Year at its annual awards ceremony in Chattanooga. Nokian Tyres’ North American factory in Dayton received the award as a result of its commitment to safety, robust community efforts, sustainability achievements and innovation, said officials.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from CRMA, because it shows that our people-first approach to manufacturing is effective,” said Nokian Tyres Dayton Factory Operations Director David Korda. “We will keep working hard to reward the trust our employees, community and customers have placed in us.”
Nokian Tyres opened the Dayton Factory in 2019 and is growing production there, with full capacity of approximately four million tires per year expected once ramp-up is complete. Workforce at the factory has more than doubled in 2021, and Nokian Tyres continues to seek qualified workers to fill its growing number of positions.
The highly automated facility is a safe, productive workplace for more than 300 employees, 70 percent of whom live within a 20-mile radius of the factory. Nokian Tyres uses latest-generation technology and rigorous quality and safety standards to craft tires at the factory, which has earned ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification for its quality control and environmental practices, respectively, said officials.
In addition to its impact on the Southeast Tennessee workforce, Nokian Tyres was recognized for its community engagement efforts. Local outreach includes a scholarship program for high-achieving students at Rhea County High School, sponsorship of Nokian Tyres Summer Nights – a summer concert series in Dayton – partnerships with educational institutions in the area, tens of thousand dollars in donations to non-profit organizations in Dayton and beyond, and membership in Thrive Regional Partnership.
Earlier in October, Nokian Tyres accepted the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award for Excellence in Sustainable Performance, the highest sustainability honor a Tennessee organization can receive, and the first time a Rhea County company has earned the award. The Dayton Factory earned recognition for being the first in the tire industry to earn LEED v4 Silver certification, as well as for its solar power, energy efficiency and low waste and emissions. Nokian Tyres holds sustainability as a core value and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a list of the most sustainable publicly traded companies in the world, for four consecutive years.
The factory will decrease delivery lead times to North American customers and allow the company to tailor its product mix to the needs of drivers in the region.
To learn more about Nokian Tyres’ Dayton Factory or apply for jobs, visit NokianTires.com/DaytonFactory.