Calhoun, Ga-based floor covering manufacturer Mohawk Industries Inc. will invest $60 million to
expand its Oak River North Extrusion and Yarn manufacturing facility in Bennettsville, Marlboro
County, S.C., in the state’s Pee Dee region. The facility, which began operations in 2006 and
underwent a previous expansion in 2008, currently has a workforce of more than 400 employees. The
current investment will enable the addition of 87,500 square feet of manufacturing space as well as
new yarn conversion equipment, and also is expected to create 150 new positions at that facility
over the next two years.
Oak River North produces bulk continuous filament yarn from nylon 6, polyester and triexta
polytrimethylene terephthalate polymers for various Mohawk carpet products. The partially biobased
triexta yarn is made using DuPont™ Sorona® polymer and is used to make Mohawk’s SmartStrand
carpets. Demand for Oak River North’s products has increased while the need for other extruded
products has dropped in recent years, and Mohawk has had to scale back production at other
facilities, according to Larry Perugini, the company’s vice president, yarn and extrusion
manufacturing.
“We have been very pleased with the results of the Oak River North Extrusion and Yarn
operations. The people at the facility have been key contributors to our company’s success, and we
are grateful for their good work and dedication,” Perugini said.
“In some other areas of the state, we’ve actually reduced jobs, with the economy being what
it is, and this is an expansion in an area where it’s desperately needed,” he said. “As Mohawk’s
needs for fiber and yarn evolve with changes in consumer demand, we have to analyze our assets and
invest at locations that can help us fulfill our customer’s preferences.”
Announcement of the expansion is certainly welcome for the residents of Marlboro County,
which was particularly hard-hit by the recent economic recession. The county registered an
unemployment rate of 19.5 percent in April 2010 — the highest of any county in South Carolina —
compared with the statewide average of 11.6 percent, according to the South Carolina Department of
Employment and Workforce.
“We are thrilled with Mohawk’s decision, and our legislative delegation was delighted to work
on this project with local officials and state officials,” said S.C. Rep. Doug Jennings, chairman
of the Marlboro County Legislative Delegation. “The announcement by Mohawk shows confidence in
Marlboro County and the state of South Carolina, and we are excited that they will be expanding
their facilities and creating new jobs at a time when they are critically needed.”
June 1, 2010
