Nexen Tire America Inc. has promoted tire industry veteran John Thomas to be its senior vice president of sales for the U.S.

Mr. Thomas joined Nexen Tire last April as senior vice president of corporate accounts and western region.

Prior to that he worked for a a number of tire firms during a 32-year career, including Michelin North America Inc., Yokohama Tire Corp., Falken Tire Corp., Treadways Corp., Dunlop Tire Corp., and Giti Tire (USA) Ltd.

In his new role, Mr. Thomas will lead a growing sales force that includes outside sales representatives, a sales management team and an inside customer service team, Nexen Tire said. He will be based at Nexen Tire America’s headquarters in Diamond Bar.

Mr. Thomas’ new role coincides with Nexen Tire’s objective to “solidify its sales force and deliver the best possible experience for customers on service, training and brand development,” the firm said.