Van De Wiele, one of the largest manufacturers of high performing machines for the textile industry, plans to invest $5 million in a Chattanooga facility that will create around 35 jobs and provide service and support for the company's U.S. operations.
"Chattanooga is an ideal location to support the carpet industry," said Bob Harding, president of Van de Wiele in a statement. "Proximity to Atlanta, with air links to the rest of the USA as well as Central America, will better position us to support knitting, weaving and tufting across an entire market."
The new facility will include a state of the art sampling and development center for tufting, following Van de Wiele's recent acquisition of tufting machine manufacturer Cobble.
"Chattanooga is the birthplace of tufting with a long tradition in the flooring industry," said Charles Beauduin, CEO of Belgium-based parent company NV Michel Van de Wiele. "We see many Chattanooga businesses leading in their respective fields, and that bodes well for the future of the area."
"We are very much looking forward to this exciting new chapter for the Van De Wiele Group of Companies in the USA," said Harding, confirming that the company plans to move its entire U.S. operation to the Chattanooga area following completion of the new facility on Relocation Way in Ooltewah, slated for the end of 2014.