Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty along with senior leaders from Mohawk Industries announced the company will build a new ceramic tile production facility and distribution center in the Dickson County Industrial Park. Mohawk Industries is the world’s largest flooring manufacturer and the largest manufacturer of ceramic tile in North America, selling under well-known Daltile, Marazzi, American Olean, Mohawk and Ragno brands. With plans to open the tile manufacturing plant in the fourth quarter of 2015, the company will invest $180 million and create 320 jobs over the next four years.
“I want to welcome Mohawk to Tennessee and thank the company for its investment in Dickson County,” Haslam said. “Mohawk’s decision to build a new production facility and distribution center in Dickson is another example of the business-friendly climate our state offers to companies around the world, and it reinforces our goal to make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”
“A global leader in the tile industry, Mohawk will certainly benefit from Tennessee’s superior central location and premier logistics and transportation infrastructure,” Hagerty said. “I appreciate Mohawk selecting Tennessee as the home of its ninth U.S. ceramic tile manufacturing facility as the company will be an outstanding addition to the corporate landscape of Dickson County.”
The 1.4 million-square-foot Dickson plant will increase Mohawk’s global ceramic tile production capacity to more than two billion square feet annually. The company offers the most comprehensive product line in the ceramic tile industry, including glazed and unglazed floor tile, glazed wall tile, glazed and unglazed ceramic mosaic tile, porcelain tile, quarry tile, stone products and installation products. In addition, the company produces one of the industry’s largest offerings of sizes, shapes, colors, textures and finishes, including popular ceramic wood plank collections up to four feet in length and ceramic products created with Reveal Imaging technology that replicate the visuals of natural stone and other high-fashion visuals. The company’s products are widely used in residential and commercial construction and remodeling and are sold in North America through three primary distribution channels: home centers, independent distributors and company-operated service centers.
“As the U.S. economic recovery gains momentum, our ceramic business is well positioned for additional growth as a result of our innovative, stylish products,” Jeff Lorberbaum, chairman and CEO of Mohawk Industries, said. “We continue to invest in leading-edge facilities that improve our manufacturing efficiencies and create new product collections that reinforce our position as the preferred provider for thousands of customers.”
“We’re extremely pleased to expand our manufacturing operations with this new facility in Dickson, which will support our leading position within the North American ceramic tile market,” said John Turner, Jr., president of Dal-Tile, Mohawk’s North American ceramic business. “The new facility provides us with a number of key advantages, including the quality of the local workforce, access to raw materials and an ideal location from which we can ship to a majority of the U.S. population quickly and efficiently.
“As we add talented new team members in Dickson, the plant will utilize highly differentiated technology to produce unique ceramic products that reflect the exceptional quality and style that have become hallmarks of our brands.
“We want to express our appreciation to all of the Dickson County and Tennessee state officials who were involved in our site selection process for their help in finding a perfect match for our expanded manufacturing needs,” Turner added.
"We're excited to welcome Mohawk to Dickson County,” Dickson County Mayor Bob Rial said. “The Economic and Community Development team has been planning, negotiating, and working toward this day for two years. It's a huge deal; it's the largest industrial investment in the history of Dickson County. We landed this project because Dickson County met and exceeded expectations."
“Industrial recruitment is vital to the growth of any community, and I appreciate the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in this project at every level,” Dickson City Mayor Don Weiss, Jr. said. “Mohawk’s investment in our city and the employment opportunities that will be created provide a stimulus to the continued economic development of our area. I look forward to a long and successful partnership with our newest corporate citizen.”
“TVA and Dickson Electric System congratulate Mohawk on its decision to locate ceramic operations in Dickson County,” John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of Economic Development, said. “We are glad to be working in partnership with the state of Tennessee and Dickson officials to help recruit and expand companies. This enables residents to benefit from the hundreds of new jobs available in our communities.”
About Mohawk Industries
Mohawk Industries is a leading global flooring manufacturer that creates products to enhance residential and commercial spaces around the world. Mohawk's vertically integrated manufacturing and distribution processes provide competitive advantages in the production of carpet, rugs, ceramic tile, laminate, wood, stone, and vinyl flooring. Its industry-leading innovation has yielded products and technologies that differentiate brands in the marketplace and satisfy all remodeling and new construction requirements.
Mohawk’s brands are among the most recognized in the industry and include American Olean, Bigelow, Dal-Tile, Durkan, Karastan, Lees, Marazzi, Mohawk, Pergo, Unilin and Quick-Step. During the past decade, Mohawk has transformed its business from an American carpet manufacturer into the world's largest flooring company with operations in Australia, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia and the United States.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Tennessee was named “2013 State of the Year” for economic development by Business Facilities magazine. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tn.gov/ecd. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.