Mullican Investing $6 Million in New Production

Johnson City, TN, Dec. 22, 2009--Mullican Flooring is adding another production line for solid prefinished hardwood flooring at its Johnson City, Tenn., headquarters and manufacturing site.

The expansion represents a $6 million investment and will position the company for industry growth in 2010, Mullican said.

The new production line, to be operational by March 1, will also bolster the Johnson City site’s manufacturing capacity of solid prefinished flooring by 50 percent. Mullican has other production sites in Norton, Va.; Holland, N.Y.; and Ronceverte, W.Va.

The company said an additional 50 jobs will be created over the next two years. In total, the local facility’s labor force is expected to grow more than 50 percent by 2012.

“This not only represents growth in our workforce and production, but it also shows we are providing a stable work environment for our 135 employees in Johnson City,” says Mullican President Neil Poland.

“The past year was extremely difficult for our nation’s economy, especially the building industry, so it’s rewarding to bring some positive news to our region and our industry as we wrap up 2009.”

Poland said that the new production line enables the company’s Johnson City plant to produce enough solid prefinished flooring in less than two days to cover the infield at NASCAR’s Bristol Motor Speedway.

The expansion project is being partially funded through a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) loan.

Brian Greenwell, Mullican’s vice president of sales and marketing, maintains that although 2009 was difficult for the hardwood flooring industry, Mullican planned accordingly for the economic downturn. One of the company’s strategies was to focus on developing prefinished “green” flooring for the remodeling market.

“Our research indicated several years ago that there would be an increased demand for hardwood products that would bring sustainability to our forests,” Greenwell says.

“Although hardwood floors are a naturally ‘green’ product, we took things a step further by developing several new products that meet the strictest standards being mandated in the building industry.”

Recognized as one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of 3/4-inch solid hardwood flooring, the company gained industry attention in 2009 by introducing its “Green Haven” line, prefinished floors that are certified 100 percent-PURE by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).