One of the world's biggest makers of luxury vinyl tile is expanding its plants in Alabama and building a distribution complex to boost output and sales of one of the fastest growing sectors in the flooring industry.
The global flooring manufacturer Tarkett, which operates six plants in Dalton, Ga., will spend $60 million over the next three years to expand its luxury vinyl tile (LVT) production plants in Florence, Ala., where it will also build a new distribution center.
The expansion in Florence will add another 50 jobs.
"These investments will strongly optimize our equipment, increase our local luxury vinyl tile production capacity, improve our supply chain efficiency, and enhance our customer service," Jeff Fenwick, president of Resilient, Tarkett North America, said in a statement. "This is a strong signal of Tarkett's commitment to long-term growth and sustainability in North America."
The two Tarkett LVT manufacturing plants in Florence produce the Tandus Centiva, Johnsonite, and Tarkett commercial and residential brands and are helping to meet the growing appetite among American homeowners for vinyl floors. Tarkett said continuous upgrades at the Florence manufacturing sites have significantly cut energy use and waste generated during production even as output has grown.
The global vinyl flooring market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.4 percent over the next five years and reach an estimated $16.2 billion by 2023, according to industry research published by ReportBuyer.
LVT is among the most popular flooring options for homeowners and office buildings today, growing by an estimated 30 percent last year, according to Kemp Harr, publisher of Floor Focus magazine.
"LVT was first developed in Asia, and we love to see global companies like Tarkett decide to invest in manufacturing of LVT in the United States," Harr said.
The biggest global vinyl floor makers include Shaw Industries, Tarkett, Mohawk Industries, Armstrong World Industries and Gerflor.
The Paris-based Tarkett Group operates 34 industrial sites around the world and employs 12,500 workers. The company is investing nearly $100 million over the next three years to boost LVT production in North America and Europe.
With net annual sales of more than $3.3 billion, Tarkett is a global leader in vinyl, linoleum, carpet, rubber, wood and laminate flooring and sports surfaces. Tarkett sells 1.3 million square meters of flooring every day.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6340.