Mohawk Opens New Calhoun, Georgia Distribution Cen

Calhoun, GA, November 2, 2005--Mohawk Industries’ new Calhoun distribution centers are symbolic of the company’s relationship with Calhoun and Gordon County, said Bill Kilbride, president of Mohawk Home, according to the Calhoun Times. “Mohawk is growing. Calhoun is growing. We are working together in a mutually beneficial way,” Kilbride said during ceremonies marking the opening of 1.3 million square feet of distribution and manufacturing space on Interstate 75. “Mohawk is glad to call Calhoun its home.” The newspaper reported that Mohawk executives and government officials gathered Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the new Calhoun distribution centers in a ceremony marked by an emphasis on the importance of partnership between the business community and state and local government. The planned $33 million project keeps more than 485 existing jobs in Gordon County and will create 130 new jobs. One of the centers will support the manufacturing and distribution of Mohawk Home products while the other will serve as the North Georgia distribution center for hard surface products such as ceramic tile, laminate, vinyl and hard wood. Kilbride praised the completion of the project as beneficial to the company’s logistics but also noted that the distribution centers represent much more than just an expansion of the company’s facilities. “We already employ almost 3,000 people in Gordon County,” said Kilbride. “This expansion will add good, new jobs to the local economy, and it will help Mohawk to improve the efficiency of its logistics.” Jeff Briggs, vice president of operations for Mohawk Home, said the company’s home furnishings division will employ 600 in the new manufacturing area by the end of January. John Ames, Mohawks vice president of regional operations, said the hard surface distribution center will employ 55 initial and could grow to as many as 100 employees.