Shaw Opens Carpet Tile Plant in China

Dalton, GA, Sept. 13, 2013 -– Shaw Industries has announced its grand opening of a 210,000-square-foot carpet tile plant in Nantong, China near Shanghai.

The facility offers customers in Asia quicker access to a wider range of completely recyclable, Cradle-to-Cradle-certified products, which are PVC-free and bitumen-free, Shaw said.

“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,” says Shaw Industries Vice President for Asia Pacific Jeff Galloway.

The plant has over 100 employees and is eventually expected to employ approximately 250.

The carpet tile products are being designed in Cartersville, Georgia, for global markets, utilizing the Eco Solution Q fiber, EcoWorx backing systems, and Ecologix carpet cushioning systems.

Products manufactured in China will be sold for installation in the growing Asia market and there are no plans to export them back to the U.S.

“Two thirds of the world’s carpet tile is sold outside of North America – the majority in Asia,” says Shaw Industries Chairman and CEO Vance Bell.

“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.”

Shaw has showrooms or sales teams in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangalore and New Delhi. The Nantong facility is pursuing ISO 9001 and 14000 certifications and was constructed to LEED Gold standards for New Construction (certification pending review).

The China facility grand opening follows Shaw's recent announcement to open a new carpet tile manufacturing facility in Adairsville, Georgia.

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Related Topics:Shaw Industries Group, Inc.