DAYTON, Tenn. – After a productive month of orientation, Nokian Tyres is ready to send the first group of employees at its Dayton, Tennessee factory on a dynamic six-week training experience at its facilities in Russia and Finland.
The intensive training trip will equip Dayton Factory launch team members with the tools they need to successfully produce some of the safest, most sustainable tires in the world at one of the industry’s most advanced production facilities. Trial production will begin at the company’s first North American factory later this year, and commercial production is on schedule to start in 2020.
“We couldn’t be happier with the skill and enthusiasm of our first 60 employees,” said Nokian Tyres Dayton Factory Operations Director Peter Chia. “Now, we look forward to seeing them apply their energy to learning about our industry-leading processes and products.”
Most employees will train at the company’s state-of-the-art factory near St. Petersburg, Russia, where the highly automated technology closely resembles the even-more-advanced machinery currently being installed in Dayton. The journey will also include cultural experiences and deeper introductions to the company’s employee-focused culture. Some workers will train at Nokian Tyres’ original factory and global headquarters location in Nokia, Finland.
While the majority of the launch team will travel to Europe, a group of engineers, technicians and operators will remain at the Dayton Factory to commission and test the state-of-the-art machinery.
Making the community a priority
Amidst a busy training schedule, the launch team participated in several community service projects during its one-month orientation experience. Employees worked on landscaping projects to improve parks and non-profit facilities, helped renovate a playground, painted park benches and tables and helped prepare a transitional lodging house for beneficiaries of We Care, a local organization committed to serving homeless and underprivileged Rhea County residents.
Employees also built and donated bicycles to underserved children as part of the company’s relationship with We Care.
“There’s a reason our launch team has spent so much time serving the community in its first month on the job,” Chia said. “Our company wants to set the tone for the kind of community partner it will be.”
Nokian Tyres will deepen its involvement with the Rhea County community in the coming months. The company is a platinum sponsor of the Tennessee Strawberry Festival and the title sponsor of Nokian Tyres Summer Nights, a four-evening concert series in Dayton this July. The life-driven company has also formed an employee-led donations committee that will evaluate opportunities for non-profit involvement.
Second phase of hiring Later this year, Nokian Tyres will begin its second phase of hiring for the Dayton Factory. The company plans to employ approximately 200 workers by the end of 2019. Eventually, around 400 employees will craft tires at the state-of-the-art facility. Anyone interested in working at Nokian Tyres is invited to apply at NokianTires.com/DaytonFactory.
Job candidates who have already completed an application on the website do not need to reapply; the company has their information and will contact potential fits for its positions. “We’re working hard to build our team,” said Dayton Factory HR Operations Manager Blake Markham.
“If a candidate hasn’t heard from us, it doesn’t mean he or she isn’t a good fit. We’re evaluating a large number of applications and encourage patience from our applicants.”
The Dayton Factory is a key element of Nokian Tyres’ growth strategy, which aims to double the company’s North American sales by 2023. The company enjoyed a comparable growth rate over the previous five years.
