Tue March 9 04:00 pm 2021 in category Company news

Nokian Tyres' Dayton Administration Building Earns LEED v4 Gold Certification

The company previously announced LEED v4 Silver certification of its production facility

DAYTON, Tenn. – The solar-powered administration building at Nokian Tyres’ North American production facility has earned LEED v4 Gold certification, the latest achievement in the company’s quest to serve as a sustainability leader in the tire industry.

Inspectors highlighted the administration building’s innovation in design, energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality as key drivers of the high certification level. Design innovations include solar power, low-emitting building materials and a high level of natural lighting throughout the facility.

The accomplishment, coupled with LEED v4 Silver certification of the attached production facility, makes the company’s Dayton, Tennessee complex one of the most eco-friendly in the tire industry.

“This achievement is another proof point in our efforts to make high-quality tires that protect drivers and the environment,” said Dayton Factory Operations Director David Korda. “LEED v4 Gold certification is a testament to our team’s hard work carrying out Nokian Tyres’ core value of sustainability at a life-driven workplace.”

Fueled by solar energy and stocked with amenities that promote employee well-being, the 26,000-square-foot administration building serves Nokian Tyres’ growing workforce at the factory. The company is currently hiring nearly 150 workers there in the first half of 2021.

A bank of solar panels anchored in the parking lot provides power to the administration building and generates energy for a portion of the production process. The three-megawatt panels can generate approximately 4,000 megawatt-hours of solar energy each year, which would be enough to power more than 500 homes.

Employees also enjoy more than two acres of freshly installed greenspace in front of the building. When workers walk to and from work each day, they stroll past trees, plants and a pond – a prime open space to collaborate with colleagues.

Nokian Tyres prioritized employee welfare when it designed the administration building. In addition to offices and meeting spaces, the facility includes a workout area, mothers’ room, canteen and even a sauna. Open-concept work areas inside the building fuel the company’s collaborative culture, and outdoor courtyards allow office employees to work outside when weather allows.

Nokian Tyres opened the Dayton Factory in 2019 and is ramping up production there, with full capacity of approximately four million tires per year expected once ramp-up is complete. The factory will decrease delivery lead times to North American customers and allow the company to tailor its product mix to the needs of drivers in the region.

Nokian Tyres has long striven to lead the tire industry in sustainability. The company has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for four straight years, ranking it among the most sustainable publicly traded companies in the world. It was also the first tire company to have its emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. Over the past seven years, Nokian Tyres has reduced greenhouse gas emissions from production by more than one third.

Download pictures and videos of the Dayton Factory