Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. announced executive appointments at Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. (TNA), effective as of July 1.

Shinji Tanabe has been appointed chairman and CEO of TNA, which manufactures Toyo and Nitto branded passenger and light truck tires in White, Georgia. He will be responsible for the overall plant organization, including administration and planning, Toyo says. Throughout his 41-year career at Toyo, Tanabe has served as general manager of the tire production division, vice president of production headquarters, chief compliance officer and vice president of quality assurance, environment and safety headquarters. He will continue in his current position as advisor and assistant to the vice president, production headquarters. Tanabe is a graduate of Yamagata University.

Patrick Lenz has been appointed president and COO of TNA. He will be responsible for the management of the plant’s day-to-day manufacturing operations, according to Toyo. Lenz joined Toyo Tire in 2020 as TNA’s general manager. He brings nearly 22 years of manufacturing, industrial engineering and management experience to his new role, including positions of increasing responsibility for several major tire manufacturers. Lenz is a graduate of Park University in Missouri.

Donald Bunn, president and CEO, is retiring after seventeen years of service at TNA. Bunn was among the earliest TNA hires in 2005 and has played an integral part in its growth. He was appointed president and plant manager in January 2015 and added the title of CEO in January 2018. Bunn has guided TNA through multiple expansions, attained record levels of output and steered the plant through the pandemic, despite supply chain disruptions and labor shortages, Toyo says.

“I had the privilege of working with Don Bunn for the last 17 years and witnessed his many contributions to TNA, including the last seven years successfully leading our Georgia manufacturing plant,” said Iori Suzuki, chairman, president and CEO of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. “On behalf of Toyo Tire, I congratulate Don on his retirement and thank him for his dedicated service. We have a very experienced management team in [place] and look forward to their leadership at our largest manufacturing plant.”