OW Expands Production And Facilities In US
Oriental Weavers, the world’s largest manufacturer of machine-woven rugs, announces significant capital investments in its Dalton, Georgia manufacturing facility. The company just completed installation in March of an exclusive five-meter loom, which is the fastest and most technologically advanced loom in North America. The investment comes on the heels of a similar prominent 5-meter loom installation that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2014 that increased domestic capacity twenty-seven percent in 2015 over the previous year.
The new loom is the fastest machine on the market today and will help the company continue its commitment to growth of its Made in the USA products. The new equipment, thirty-five percent faster than a traditional four-meter loom, gives Oriental Weavers the exclusive ability to more efficiently and rapidly produce domestically made products, all while diminishing waste, eliminating excessive inventory and reducing the amount of energy needed to weave each rug.
The growth in domestic weaving production also requires an expansion to the company’s yarn production capacity. In order to increase yarn production and promote energy savings, Oriental Weavers is completing the installation of a new Superba heat-setting yarn line. Using the latest technology, the machine can produce fifty percent more yarn each year than the company’s previous equipment. The new technology is also very environmentally friendly; this state of the art heat-set machine reduces energy consumption by thirty percent.
These significant investments in production capabilities over the course of 18 months reinforces Oriental Weavers’ dedication to its superior inventory levels that have become synonymous with the brand as well as the company’s ability to quickly adapt to business trends and conditions. It is also important to note, consumers have become more in tune with where products are made and the desire for American-made goods has increased considerably. This new machinery allows for an additional seventeen percent increase in domestically made products over 2015.
Because of the exceptional increase in production in 2015 and planned for 2016 and beyond, the company is putting the finishing touches on a more than 200,000 square foot expansion to its Dalton, Georgia distribution center. The addition will accommodate the increased production as well as provide jobs for skilled workers living in the Northwest Georgia area. The distribution center expansion is expected to be fully operational by June 2016.
“Our customers’ needs come first at Oriental Weavers,” said Jonathan Witt, senior vice president. “Open floor plans that have become increasingly popular over the last decade and more and more of today’s consumers demand larger sized rugs. Our new five-meter looms allow us to accommodate that trend with much less waste that was created when producing room sized rugs on the industry’s standard four-meter looms. In addition, retailers expect product to deliver at a faster pace than ever before thanks to the immediate demands of today’s home delivery minded consumer. Incorporating these two exclusive five-meter looms into our manufacturing mix, along with the new heat-setting yarn line, we can accommodate retailer needs faster and more efficiently all while reducing energy consumption and providing more American jobs. Everyone benefits, everyone wins.”
