Shaw Industries Group Inc. — a Dalton, Ga.-based floor covering provider and a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. — will invest $100 million to streamline its distribution network and expand its fiber extrusion facility in Dalton, adding 175 jobs in the process.
In an effort to streamline and improve the efficiency of its distribution centers — many of which currently ship both carpet and hard surface flooring — Shaw will realign the centers to be specific to carpet or hard surface flooring distribution. This fall, the company will begin construction to add 535,000 square feet of warehouse space at Shaw Plant 34 in Dalton, which will become a carpet distribution center; and will consolidate most of its hard surface distribution to Shaw Plant DL in Calhoun, Ga., expanding hard surface capacity by 70 percent. The realignment of all distribution centers is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. Shaw will add 110 employees at its carpet distribution centers in Dalton over the next five years.
In addition, the company will expand fiber extrusion capacity at Shaw Plant WM in Dalton by adding state-of-the-art, high-speed extrusion equipment. Shaw reports the new equipment will be able to process all resin types currently used in the industry, and will offer improved manufacturing efficiency as well as increase the plant's output by more than 30 percent. Over the coming months, the company will add 65 jobs at the site as equipment comes online starting in October. Shaw also is purchasing land adjacent to the facility for future expansion.
The news comes on the heels of Shaw's announcement that it will invest $85 million to open a carpet tile manufacturing plant in Adairsville, Ga. (See " Shaw To Build Carpet Tile Facility In Adairsville, Ga., Add 500 Jobs," TextileWorld.com, Sept. 3, 2013). The company also recently opened a carpet tile manufacturing plant in China to serve its customers in Asia (See " Shaw Opens Carpet Tile Manufacturing Plant In China," TextileWorld.com, Sept. 17, 2013).
"As our end-use markets recover, we are accelerating our investments in our business," said Vance Bell, chairman and CEO, Shaw Industries. "This will benefit not only our customers, but our associates and the communities where we operate."
