Dayton plant workers credit training and local assurances with rapid growth, pride

Dayton, Tenn. — Employees at a Dayton tire manufacturing plant said assurances from the state and local government, combined with on-site training and mentoring, helped the facility grow quickly after opening and created a sense of community pride.

Workers described how the site developed after an initial visit in February 2018 and credited investments in people — not just capital — with creating opportunities and the potential to expand. “When it came down to it, the question we had to answer when we were selecting our site was not who is going to want us or what's going to get us there. It's what's going to keep us there, not just for 5 years or 10, but for for decades, for generations,” Employee 1, a factory employee, said. “We were assured by the state of Tennessee, by local government, that if we opened, people would be knocking on our doors, and they have. And we were able to to grow…