Automotive textiles producer Suminoe Textile of America Corp., Gaffney, S.C., is investing $5 million to expand needlepunch nonwoven carpet capacity and add 100 jobs.
The company, a subsidiary of Suminoe Textile Ltd., Japan, established its Gaffney operations in 2003, and expanded the facility in 2010. It now employs more than 400 people in Gaffney.
Needlepunched nonwoven carpet is increasingly being substituted for tufted carpet in automotive interiors because it is more economical to produce and offers benefits such as light weight, noise absorption and improved aesthetics.
May/June 2014
