Investment in U.S. economy to yield 200+ jobs in Ga.
Oct. 7/14 2013; Volume 27/number 12
Salem, N.J.—Mannington Mills will undergo a major expansion of its luxury vinyl tile (LVT) manufacturing operation located in Madison, Ga. The company will break ground for the expansion immediately, with plans to double the size of that facility’s footprint. This venture will also significantly increase Mannington’s local workforce in the Morgan County production facility, creating 219 new jobs over the next few years with the potential for even more.
“This expansion is coming to fruition thanks in large part to cooperation from project managers Susie Haggard and Carl Campbell, Jennifer Nelson and other officials in the Georgia Department of Eco-nomic Development, as well as Chuck Scragg at Georgia Power,” said Russell Grizzle, Mannington’s president and CEO.
“With the approval of Gov. Nathan Deal,” he added, “we were able to put together an aggressive plan that will allow Mannington to expand and grow in the state of Georgia. We’re grateful to them for helping to make this vision a reality.”
“Mannington’s decision to grow its business here in Georgia is a direct reflection on the high quality of our workforce and the ease of access we provide to its global markets,” said Gov. Deal. “These are the most critical components of the portfolio we are building in support of our goal of making Georgia the No. 1 state for business.”
Over the past few years, Mannington has experienced significant growth, first with the acquisition of Burke Flooring in 2008 and again in March of last year with the acquisition of Amtico (FCNews, March 5/12, 2012). The company has also grown organically thanks to innovative manufacturing and marketing strategies.
According to Doug Ankney, vice president of operations, “When [the facility is] complete, Mannington’s LVT manufacturing capacity will have quadrupled since March 2012. Many thanks to Michael Lamar and Bob Hughes at the Madison-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce for being instrumental in the process.”
As Grizzle noted, the expansion “will further secure our position as the world’s leading LVT producer. We’re especially pleased that we’re expanding domestically, on-shoring jobs from China and investing in the U.S. economy.”
When the manufacturer purchased Amtico, Mannington LVT was sourced 100% in China. Because of its extensive product line and multiple options, “we found the supply chain very difficult to manage while continuing to provide great service to our customers,” Grizzle said. “This expansion allows us to go from a very long lead time sourced out of China to a very short lead time in manufacturing—about two weeks.”
Changes in manufacturing result in greater flexibility, Grizzle noted, and works in conjunction with what Mannington’s management team has been working on—being lean and flexible in its production processes. Grizzle also believes that domestic manufacturing, and the service component it creates, will continue to expand Manning-ton’s growth in the LVT category. “We’re going to continue to find new technology in which to invest in order to maintain our leadership position. We believe there are other things out there in the manufacturing realm we can apply to this product, which will help us improve further on that service, thus keeping us more competitive well into the future.”
Ellen Warren, chair of the Morgan County Commission, spoke positively about Mannington’s expansion. “We appreciate Mannington’s confidence in our county and its decision to expand its business here. We very much welcome the jobs it’s bringing to the county.”
The facilities will be constructed as energy-efficient buildings, generating a significant amount of usable energy from renewable energy partners. Additionally, Grizzle noted, Mannington will maintain its “product, quality and service excellence during the expansion without interruption,” with the facility said to be fully operational by January 2015.
For additional information on the company’s expansion plans, call 856.339.5914 or visit mannington.com.