Yokohama hires first employee for new Mississippi plant

Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi (YTMM), the manufacturing subsidiary of Yokohama Tire Corp. (YTC) has hired its first employee as it prepares to open a new plant in West Point, MS, in October 2015.

Melissa Orman has been hired as human resources manager, responsible for hiring personnel at the plant. Groundbreaking for the $300 million facility, which is set to open in October 2015, took place in September.

Approximately 500 jobs will be created during the first phase of operations. The one million-square-foot factory will include production, warehousing and operations facilities, and will produce up to one million tires annually.

“Things are moving quickly with the plant,” said Rob Harrelson, YTC vice president, human resources and administration. “We are ready to start hiring. Bringing Melissa onboard was a crucial step in the process. She’s a West Point resident, Mississippi State University (MSU) cum laude graduate and brings significant experience to the post. We are glad to have her on our team.”

Orman was director of human resources at Navistar Defense in conjunction with Griffin Armor. At peak employment, the Navistar West Point facility had employment exceeding 1,000 people.