Finland-based Nokian Tyres may be what one of its executives called a "niche" manufacturer in terms of overall North American market share, but its profile in Dayton, Tennessee, is considerably higher.
"Nokian's generosity toward the city has been remarkable, making it a wonderful friend," Dayton Mayor Hurley Marsh says in a statement.
Nokian broke ground on a $360 million plant in Dayton in 2017. The facility formally opened in late 2019, production commenced in early 2020 and the company undertook a $174 million expansion that began in late 2022 and rolled into last year.
The Dayton plant was Nokian's first manufacturing facility in North America. Plant manager David Korda says Dayton checked each of the several boxes Nokian had on its list.
"The process started with 80 (potential) sites in North America," he says. "The team was looking at things like proximity to rail, power and the availability of the land needed to build the first phase, with aspirations for further growth. Dayton really shined in terms of meeting all those requirements.
"Dayton's been awesome -- we're not the largest employer in Dayton, but we have a large (employee) population, and most (of our workers) live in Rhea County," says Korda, adding that the plant employs nearly 500 workers. "That means a lot, so we're always looking to give back to the community."
Marsh adds in his statement that Nokian consistently delivers in that regard.
"(Nokian's) economic impact on Dayton's citizens, coupled with its penchant to support our civic programs, helps make Dayton a wonderful place to live," he says.
Earlier this year, Nokian introduced a new, Dayton-made all-weather tire. At the January launch, company officials said the Remedy WRG5 tire is "a true four-season driving solution" that also sports Kevlar-like sidewall fibers designed to prevent accidental puncturing.
Nokian Marketing Director Hans Dyhrman says that while the company's North American market share is only about 1%, the Dayton-made all-weather tire "leads" in its segment, known as 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake.
"We actually invented the category in 1999, and it's the industry standard," he says. "After 25 years of development, we're into our sixth generation in that category.
"We're not a massive player, but it's a really big market and we're continuing to grow -- and striving to continue that growth."
Korda says Nokian's Dayton plant was initially producing three different tire "families" but, as a result of the 2022-23 expansion, is now turning out six additional product lines. He says the global pandemic actually turned out to be a plus.
"When we first opened the factory, we just had one shift," he says. "We were going to add a second shift in six months or so, but that got delayed -- COVID was completely new, and there were all sorts of things going on.
"So we just navigated through that first year and worked on our craft -- so that when that wet blanket that was COVID got lifted, we'd be ready to go with gusto," he adds. "Instead of complaining, we made the best of a bad situation -- we had to struggle, but we came out stronger on the other side and were able to ramp up more quickly than we'd originally planned."
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