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 quickly.”

Nut graf: Employees’ comments underscore local economic-development goals — keeping jobs and encouraging workforce advancement — as the plant moved from initial construction to operating and training a local workforce.

Several employees described their paths into manufacturing at the plant. “I had no manufacturing experience whatsoever. I actually put in the application. I'm a very hard worker. I just need somebody to take a chance on me. I had to have a job that was gonna be able to take care of my kids,” Employee 2, a factory employee, said. Employee 2 added, “And, applied at no can and prayed they gave me a shot, and they did.”

Employees said the plant provides higher pay compared with options in-county and introduces newer, safer technology. “You usually have to travel out of the county to find something similar to the pay scale. Coming in to all this newer technology and, it's way safer and more quality driven, it's it's just an honor, really, to be able to work with these machines,” Employee 3, a factory employee, said.

Staffing and training practices were emphasized as reasons the plant retained workers. Employee 4, a factory employee, said the company partnered with Chattanooga State to provide leadership classes: “That really makes me feel important. It makes me feel like they really care about my desires to advance and do different things and learn different things in the plant.” Employee 2 described a mentorship approach on the shop floor: “In each department, we have mentors. And as we have new people come in, they spend their first few shifts with them learning the job.”

Workers also described pride in the final product and its reach. “When you think about it outside of just our date and operation, how far is this product reaching? ... that they trusted the company enough to make a good product and that you had a hand in that. It really is, you know, gives a sense of pride,” Employee 5, a factory employee, said.

Employees said there is physical room on the property for future expansion and that the plant expects growth if market demand continues. “What this growth in Tennessee enables us to do is to make tires for roads like Tennessee's roads. And then in the future, there is the ability to expand. We have space on the property,” Employee 1 said.

Discussion vs. decision: these remarks were descriptive accounts from employees about the plant’s development, training and staffing. No formal motions, votes or policy actions were reported in the transcript segment analyzed.

Ending: Employees framed the plant as both an employer and a community-building presence, pointing to training partnerships and on-site mentoring as contributors to retention and local opportunity.