Shaw Industries Group Inc. — a Dalton, Ga.-based floor covering provider and subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. — has opened a 210,000-square-foot carpet tile manufacturing plant in Nantong, China, to help the company expand its market presence in Asia and meet increasing demand for commercial carpet tile in that region.
"Two thirds of the world's carpet tile is sold outside of North America — the majority in Asia," said Vance Bell, chairman and CEO, Shaw Industries. "Sales in China, in particular, have grown 20 percent annually, making it the world's third largest carpet-tile-purchasing country. Our new plant expands our opportunity to serve this growing market."
The carpet tiles, which feature designs created at Shaw's facility in Cartersville, Ga., are made using the company's Eco Solution Q? fiber, EcoWorx? backing systems, and EcoLogix? carpet cushioning systems. The tiles are completely recyclable, bitumen- and polyvinyl chloride-free, and Cradle to Cradle certified (CM) to the Silver level.
Shaw built the Nantong facility according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED?) Gold standards for New Construction, and also is applying for ISO International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 and 14000 certifications. The facility currently employs 100 people and will employ 250 people once it is operating at full capacity.
"Nantong's woven textile heritage mirrors the communities in which we've manufactured flooring in the southeastern U.S. for more than half a century," said Jeff Galloway, vice president, Asia Pacific, Shaw Industries. "The feeling of being at home in China is due in even larger part to the reception and cooperation we've enjoyed from the Nantong government, the officials in the Nantong Suzhou Science and Industrial Park, and all those with whom we've done business in China, including our newest Shaw associates."
Shaw also recently announced plans to build a modular carpet tile manufacturing facility in Adairsville, Ga., to expand its U.S. manufacturing base (See " Shaw To Build Carpet Tile Facility In Adairsville, Ga., Add 500 Jobs," TextileWorld.com, Sept. 3, 2013).
