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Thu April 20 04:00 pm 2023 in category Company news

Nokian Tyres Supports Cumberland Trail Project in Southeast Tennessee

The tiremaker operates one of the most eco-friendly tire factories in the world in Dayton, Tennessee

DAYTON, Tenn. – In honor of Earth Day, Nokian Tyres is donating funds to support development of the Cumberland Trail in Rhea County, Tennessee. The money will help the Cumberland Trails Conference continue development of the Laurel-Snow segment of the trail near the company’s award-winning factory in Dayton.

The Cumberland Trails Conference (CTC) will use the funds to purchase trail-building supplies as it fleshes out the Rhea County portion of the Cumberland Trail, a linear state park that boasts 28 segments spanning from the top to bottom of Tennessee. When completed, the trail will extend more than 300 miles from Signal Mountain to Cumberland Gap.

“We are honored to support construction of the Cumberland Trail in our backyard,” said Nokian Tyres Dayton Factory Operations Director David Korda. “The trail showcases East Tennessee’s beauty and will give Rhea County residents a great place to hike and explore.”

When Nokian Tyres opened its Dayton Factory, it also began a sustainability and education initiative called the “Road to Sustainable Success.” The program includes three elements:

  • Supporting education in Rhea County and Southeast Tennessee
  • Providing scholarships for high-achieving students
  • Serving as an advocate for sustainability in the region

The CTC works in cooperation with Tennessee State Parks to design and construct the trail. The CTC provides labor, equipment, supplies and vehicles to build the trail, much of it hand labor in challenging terrain. In addition to funds from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the CTC relies on volunteer labor and private donations to conduct its trail work.

“We are grateful, honored and energized by this generous support from Nokian Tyres,” said CTC Executive Director Savana Keeton. “Local support for our trail-building work is key to completing the Cumberland Trail through Rhea County, and it will pay off for Rhea Countians and all who come to hike the trail. We know that Nokian Tyres is dedicated to caring for the environment; this donation underscores its dedication to providing opportunities for people to enjoy it.”

Nokian Tyres is an industry leader in sustainability. Its North American factory in Dayton, Tennessee is one of the most eco-friendly tire production facilities in the world. One hundred percent of waste at the factory is recycled or reused. The campus is partially powered by social energy and was the first tire factory in the world to earn LEED v4 Silver certification.

The tiremaker is doubling production in Dayton by 2024 and hiring as many as 125 workers at the factory this year as it pursues annual capacity of four million tires per year.

To learn more about Nokian Tyres’ Dayton Factory, visit NokianTires.com/DaytonFactory. To read about the Cumberland Trails Conference’s mission and its work to build the Cumberland Trail, visit CumberlandTrail.org.