Dalton -– Shaw Industries said it is investing $100 million to streamline its distribution network and expand its fiber extrusion facility in Northwest Georgia.
According to the manufacturer, the investments will expand capacity for projected growth, add approximately 175 jobs and improve service to its customers.
This follows Shaw’s recent announcement of plans to invest $85 million to build a carpet tile manufacturing plant in Adairsville, Ga., that will employee 500 associates, and the company’s opening of a carpet tile facility in Nantong, China, to serve Asia.
“As our end-use markets recover, we are accelerating our investments in our business,” said Shaw Chairman and CEO Vance Bell.
The distribution network upgrades will include constructing an additional 535,000 square feet of warehouse space in Dalton as well as consolidating shipping points for both carpet and hard surface flooring in other distribution centers in Northwest Georgia.
When completed, hard surface distribution will be consolidated into one central location with an additional 70% capacity.
Construction in Whitfield County will begin this fall, and the planned changes in efficiency and capacity for both hard surface and carpet distribution will be complete by the end of 2015, Shaw said.
During the consolidation phase, some employees will shift to new roles and new locations. Over the next five years, Shaw said it expects to add 110 employees in these facilities.
Shaw’s extrusion facility in Dalton is expanding capacity within its existing facility and purchasing an adjoining piece of land for future expansion, company representatives said.
The high-speed extrusion equipment will increase the plant’s output by over 30 percent and will be able to run all resin types currently used in the industry, according to Shaw.
The expansion will create 65 new jobs that will be filled on a rolling basis as equipment becomes operational next month.