NASHVILLE – Tennessee officials are living up to their end of a commitment to Finnish manufacturer Nokian Tyres, approving a $28.42 million state infrastructure grant in support of the company’s $360 million planned Dayton, Tenn., tire factory.
State Building Board Commission members last week unanimously approved the nearly $30 million, which will go to the city of Dayton’s Industrial Development Board to be spent as the company constructs the plant.
Nokian and the state announced in May the manufacturer would build its first U.S. tire plant in Dayton, north of Chattanooga. Scheduled to open in 2020, the 830,000-square-foot plant initially would employ some 400 workers.
The facility, which will focus on manufacturing passenger, SUV and light-truck tires, represents the largest investment ever by a foreign manufacturer in Rhea County.
State Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe told Building Commission members the state money is going toward plant infrastructure, site development, equipment, facility construction “and all required related work.” Nokian will be operating under the legal name Nokian Tyres U.S. Operations LLC.