Nokian Tyres has announced that it has added a fourth production shift at its Dayton, Tennessee, USA, factory to enable 24/7 production of tires. The tire manufacturer has also achieved ISO 14001 certification, validating what it says are stringent environmental standards at the production site.
“ISO 14001 certification is another testament to the fact that we are one of the most sustainable tire manufacturers in the world,” commented Darren Bakkestuen, the Dayton factory’s environmental, health and safety manager. “It’s pretty rare that we got through the assessment without any major findings.”
The fourth production shift came into effect in mid-July, not long after the company added a third production shift in May. It comes as part of the company’s long-term ramp-up plans for the factory, as it aims to produce four million tires each year, employing 400 workers when the facility reaches full capacity. Since the beginning of 2021, Nokian has hired around 150 new employees.
“Adding third and fourth production shifts allows us to keep pace with production goals that will help us grow our presence in North America,” explained David Korda, the Dayton factory’s operations director. “We’re pleased with the quantity and quality of workers we’ve added this year, and we’re eager to help them thrive as our company grows.”
Alongside the ISO 14001 certification, the production building also holds a LEED v4 Silver certification – the only tire production facility in the world to have achieved this – and the solar-powered administration building is LEED v4 Gold.
The company states that the factory will be utilized for the production of tires that meet customers’ needs in the region, and will reduce delivery lead times across North America.
