Finland-based tire manufacturer, Nokian Tyres, recently announced plans to invest $174.1 million toward expanding operations in Dayton, Tennessee. The new expansion comes in the form of a 350,000-square-foot tire warehouse which will create 75 new jobs, increasing the total number of Nokian employees to 475.
“The lifeblood of this place is its people,” David Korda, Operations Director, Nokian Tyres says.
Per Korda, jobs at Nokian have a starting wage of $17 to $21 per hour; with competitive benefits and growth opportunities.
“The typical requirement for all of our positions is a GED or high school diploma, and typically we’re looking for two to three years experience,” Blake Markham, Human Resources Director, Nokian Tyres says.
Per Markham, the company is partnering with Rhea County High School through a work-based learning program for students. To support higher education goals, Nokian awards $2,500 scholarships to Rhea County seniors pursuing STEM careers. They also participate in Cleveland State’s Advanced Technologies Institute, offering opportunities to aspiring maintenance technicians.
The upcoming expansion follows Nokian’s trajectory of regional growth. In 2017, Nokian Tyres broke ground on its first North American plant in Rhea County. Then, in 2020, Nokian began commercial production in its Dayton location. By 2021, the company had successfully increased production and began a recruiting campaign to meet production demand, leading to the creation of 100 new jobs.
The new warehouse is set to open in mid-2024 with the capacity to hold 600,000 tires. Looking ahead, Nokian is ready to double its output and produce 4 million tires annually by 2024.
Read another Nokian Tyres article, here.
Learn about the Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership, here.
Image credit: Screenshot of Nokian Tyres North America video, here.
