Oriental Weavers ups capital investments at Georgia manufacturing facility

Oriental Weavers Group, one of the world’s largest machine-made carpet, rug and related raw materials manufacturer. Based in Cairo, the group has manufacturing facilities in three countries and distributes its products in more than 130 countries worldwide has announced a number of capital investments at its manufacturing facility in Georgia.

In March, the Dalton, Ga.-based company completed installation of a five-meter loom, which officials say is the fastest and most technologically advanced loom in North America. The investment comes on the heels of a similar five-meter loom installation that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2014 that increased domestic capacity 27% in 2015 over the previous year.

Jonathan Witt, senior vice president of Oriental Weavers said that their customers’ needs come first. Their open floor plans have become increasingly popular over the last decade and more and more of today’s consumers demand larger sized rugs. Their new five-meter looms allow them to accommodate trend with much less waste that was created when producing room sized rugs on the industry’s standard four-meter looms.
In addition, retailers expect product to deliver at a faster pace than ever before thanks to the immediate demands of today’s home delivery minded consumer.

Oriental Weavers’ new loom is the fastest machine on the market today and will help the company continue its commitment to growth of its Made in the USA products. The new equipment, 35% faster than a traditional four-meter loom, gives Oriental Weavers the ability to more efficiently and rapidly produce domestically made products, all while diminishing waste, eliminating excessive inventory and reducing the amount of energy needed to weave each rug.

The growth in domestic weaving production also requires an expansion to the company’s yarn production capacity. In order to increase yarn production and promote energy savings, Oriental Weavers is completing the installation of a new Superba heat-setting yarn line. The machine can produce 50% more yarn each year than the company’s previous equipment. The new technology is also very environmentally friendly; reducing energy consumption by 30%.

Witt said that incorporating these two exclusive five-meter looms into their manufacturing mix, along with the new heat-setting yarn line, they can accommodate retailer needs faster and more efficiently all while reducing energy consumption and providing more American jobs.

Company officials said that their significant investments in production capabilities over the course of 18 months reinforces Oriental Weavers’ dedication to its inventory levels as well as the company’s ability to quickly adapt to business trends and conditions. The consumers have become more in tune with where products are made and the desire for American-made goods has increased considerably. This new machinery allows for an additional 17% increase in domestically made products over 2015.

The company is putting the finishing touches on a more than 200,000 square foot expansion to its Dalton-based distribution center because of the exceptional increase in production in 2015 and planned for 2016 and beyond. The addition will accommodate the increased production as well as provide jobs for skilled workers living in the Northwest Georgia area. The distribution center expansion is expected to be fully operational by June.

Oriental Weavers was founded in 1979 by industrialist and entrepreneur Mohammed Farid Khamis has emerged as the largest producer of machine-woven carpets in the world and today is the global leader in tufted and jet-printed rugs and carpets. Oriental Weavers has a unique business model that allows it to achieve consistent, sustainable growth