Shaw Industries Group, Inc. (Shaw) has completed the expansion of its hardwood flooring manufacturing facility in South Pittsburg, Tenn., to meet the growing demand for its engineered hardwood flooring products.
The $40 million investment adds more than 60 percent capacity to the existing hardwood manufacturing facility as well as dozens of jobs over the past several months as new equipment and production lines have come on line.
“The expansion of our South Pittsburg engineered hardwood facility is a prime example of our continued investment in new product development and advanced manufacturing practices,” notes Shaw Chairman and CEO Vance Bell. “Hardwood is important to Shaw’s business growth strategy.”
The announcement represents the company’s ongoing alignment with market demands and preferences. In 2006, Shaw transformed this former yarn plant into one of the most sophisticated and technologically advanced hardwood flooring manufacturing facilities across Shaw’s entire portfolio – and the largest engineered hardwood facility of its kind in the world. In 2015, the company introduced a significant product innovation with EPIC® Plus built with Stabilitek, a next generation engineered hardwood that offers superior performance on high-moisture concrete slabs often found in today’s homes as a result of rapid construction schedules.
Additionally, in recent years, the company has invested in technology, innovation and automation to improve efficiency, product performance, cost, safety, material yield and waste reduction at its hardwood facilities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. As a result of this keen focus on its hardwood business, Shaw has become the second largest and fastest growing hardwood manufacturer in the market – having entered the hardwood flooring business just a decade ago.
“We have invested heavily in hardwood in recent years – from styling and service to manufacturing and marketing,” states Scott Sandlin, Shaw Vice President of Hard Surfaces. “This ongoing investment offers numerous benefits to consumers, retailers, builders, and interior designers, including a wide range of looks and finishes to match ever-evolving customer preferences, and durable products to withstand today’s busy lifestyles. We will continue to invest in the category toward our goal of being the unquestioned leader in wood flooring.”