DALTON, Ga. and SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. — September 23, 2013 — Berkshire Hathaway’s Shaw Industries
Group, Inc. will invest at least $40 million and hire more than 25 new associates in South
Pittsburg, Tenn., to meet the growing demand for its Epic® engineered flooring product.
“Marion County could not be more pleased to see the commitment of additional capital
investment and new jobs being created by Shaw in our county. We greatly appreciate the confidence
the company has shown in our citizens and community by announcing this expansion in South
Pittsburg,” said Marion County Mayor John Graham.
South Pittsburg Mayor Jane Dawkins noted, “We are excited about the growth of Shaw in our
city and look forward to continued involvement with them as a good corporate partner. This
expansion project is a confirmation of the company’s long term commitment to South Pittsburg,
Marion County and the State of Tennessee.”
The expansion will add more than 60 percent capacity to the existing hardwood manufacturing
facility. Construction is set to begin in late 2013 and is the latest in Shaw’s efforts to expand
and enhance its hardwood manufacturing. Plant HW, which currently employees 200 associates, has
already grown by 65 associates this year as a result of Shaw increasing the number of shifts it is
operating at the facility.
“Tennessee has the best balance sheet in the country and the kind of business friendly
environment where incumbent companies like Shaw Industries Group, Inc. can feel confident to
reinvest and further their growth,” Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Commissioner Bill Hagerty said. “I want to thank Shaw Industries Group, Inc. for being a valued
corporate citizen and appreciate these new jobs they will create for Tennesseans.”
The announcement represents the company’s continuous efforts to adapt to market demands and
preferences. 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 flooring facility of its kind in the world. Additionally, in recent
months, the company implemented $26 million in technology and automation to improve efficiency,
cost, safety, material yield and waste reduction improvements at its hardwood facilities in
Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.
“The expansion of the South Pittsburg hardwood operation is an important component in our
overall hardwood strategy. By investing in this plant and our other hardwood facilities, we are
enhancing our ability to offer the widest product mix, the most innovative design, and the greatest
quality and service to our customers,” said Shaw Chairman and CEO Vance Bell.
Since entering the hardwood flooring business in 2006, Shaw has become the second largest and
fastest growing hardwood manufacturer in the market. Producing hardwood flooring under the Shaw,
AndersonTM and Zickgraf brands, the company operates nine hardwood facilities, including Plant HW,
where it manufactures its Shaw Epic engineered hardwood.
This is the latest in a series of expansion announcements from Shaw, which recently unveiled
plans for a new carpet tile plant in Adairsville, Ga., opened a carpet tile plant in China to serve
the Asian market, and announced the expansion of its distribution and extrusion operations in
northwest Georgia.
Posted September 24, 2013
Source: Shaw Industries
