When Amber Yeager moved to southeast Tennessee from Mississippi in 2018, she left behind more than a state – she left her entire support system. Five years later, in August 2023, recently divorced and raising two kids alone, she found herself overwhelmed and unsure of what came next.
Then came a well-known Scandinavian tire manufacturer called Nokian Tyres in Dayton, Tennessee.
“I had become a single mother, and I had to have a job that was going to be able to take care of my kids,” Yeager said. “I applied at Nokian and prayed they gave me a shot, and they did.”
That opportunity became a turning point.
“(It meant) everything. If I could not get this job, I did not know what I was going to do,” Yeager recalled. “The fact that they took that chance on me and I’m here now has made a world of difference in my life.”
Yeager came from a long line of Mississippi State Bulldog alums and was a lifelong fan until Nokian offered her a job as a TBM (tire building machine) operator. Since joining the company and experiencing its support firsthand, she’s proudly become a Tennessee Volunteers fan.
A Unique Blend of Mindset
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) incentivized Nokian to come to Dayton in 2017 and has overseen multiple expansions since then.
“We consider them (TNECD) not just neighbors or people who started the relationship but friends on an ongoing basis,” Nokian Tyres North America Senior Communications Manager Wes Boling said.
With early support from TNECD, Nokian hit the ground running. Today, the plant produces an enormous quantity of tire tread per shift. But according to Chris Dotson, lead operator and mentor at the facility, quality – not just quantity – remains the top priority.
“It’s not a matter of churning out numbers for us – that is a factor – but how good can we get it?” Dotson explained. “When this leaves our area to go to another operator, they don’t have to look upstream to figure out what happened. They know they have something good.”
So, what sets the Dayton factory apart from others across the globe? “I think it’s that unique blend of Scandinavian mentality and American grit mingled with Tennessee pride,” Boling said.
Rhea County’s Phoenix Resurgence
TNECD has long recognized the resilient spirit of Rhea County. That resilience was put to the test in 2015 when Goodman Manufacturing, one of Dayton’s oldest and largest employers, announced it would close its plant – costing the community over 600 jobs.
Rather than retreat, local leaders responded with determination. Within just four years, they secured new projects that promised more than 1,000 jobs – one of the most impactful being Nokian Tyres.
“When the Dayton team came up (to make its final pitch), the economic development leader brought an old pair of boots and slammed them on the conference room table in front of a bunch of executive suits,” Boling recalled. “He said, ‘These work boots represent what we’re going to do for you every day.”
“These work boots represent what we’re going to do for you every day.”
According to Boling, three key factors convinced Nokian to plant its roots in Tennessee: the availability of workforce, logistical advantages (particularly in southeast Tennessee, which is near rail, water and interstate) and, perhaps most importantly, the strength of local partnerships.
“The state and local government were ready and willing not just to help us with great things like incentive packages, but to stick around after the announcement and work alongside us, hand in hand, to help connect us with educational institutions, with potential customers even, with partners that would help us grow and not just open here,” he said.
It hasn’t just been Nokian who’s seen the positive effects. Since the company’s arrival, Dayton has grown from a quiet, off-the-beaten-path town to a rapidly growing community. The 2020 U.S. Census estimated the city had over 7,000 residents. Today, it’s projected at closer to 8,000 – a staggering projected growth rate of over 9%.
“We have a gas station right down the road that’s open 24 hours now because there’re more manufacturers open third shift.” Carrie Dotson, a Nokian Tyres TBM curing and finishing team lead, said. “You’re also bringing people in from our surrounding cities and actually making our community a little more known.”
A Recurring Theme and a Friendly Neighbor
Yeager isn’t alone in recognizing the difference Nokian Tyres has made in her life.
“If I’m at the grocery store, I’ll check whoever I park next to,” Chris Dotson said with a laugh. “I’m looking at their tires and such.”
Each tire produced at Nokian carries a unique barcode, allowing employees to trace it back to the exact time and machine it came from. Brandon Iles, a senior TBM adjuster, explained how he keeps an eye out for the tires he produces.
“The first two numbers is the actual build machine that it came off of, and then you can break it down by that eight-digit barcode,” he said. “(You can track it down to) the time and second it was made.”
Employees consistently point to Nokian’s culture and high rate of pay as the company’s top two greatest strengths.
“Our leadership group, they are so wonderful,” Carrie Dotson said. “They’re easy to talk to, they’re approachable, they’re people you’d feel comfortable communicating with.”
Chris Dotson agreed.
“They come out, walk the floor, shake hands. That’s something that really means a lot,” he said. “They’re not just a name on the wall of who’s in charge. It’s literally a person you’ve become friends with, gotten to know.”
Boling notes it’s part of a larger company promise to be a good neighbor to the citizens of Rhea County and southeast Tennessee. Part of that company promise involves sustainability and responsibility, too. For example, Nokian applies a practice of zero production waste to landfill – to make this happen, they partner with local organizations (like the Flatrock Motorsports Park in Rockwood) to recycle scrap.
“We’re not just in the community, we’re of the community,” Boling said.
A Future of Stability
Now secure, successful and thriving, Yeager credits not only Nokian but her fellow employees, as well.
“I have no family here (in Tennessee), so, honestly, my coworkers have become like my family,” she said. “I care about them, and if they’re slacking or need help with anything, I’m there for them.”
Yeager’s daughter, 17, is a rising high school senior with aspirations of going to law school, while her son, 19, just wrapped up high school. Neither of which might have been possible without Nokian’s move to Dayton.
“Just the ability to have this job, it created stability where there was chaos,” Yeager said. “So that was a blessing in itself.”
“Just the ability to have this job, it created stability where there was chaos.”
Her journey reflects Nokian’s own evolution in Tennessee. Amid the challenges of the pandemic, the company tripled in size – “Something I don’t recommend,” Boling joked – but every growing pain has proven worthwhile.
“We have been invested in,” Boling said. “The best way for us to grow here and to grow relationships, even with our own people, is to invest back in this community.”
To learn more about the Nokian Tyres factory in Dayton, Tennessee, click here.
