A new carpet has been installed in the Georgia Capitol to start off a new year of legislative sessions. The carpet was supplied by Shaw Contract, a company based in Dalton, popularly known as the Carpet Capital of the World.
“It’s a huge sense of pride,” state Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, said by phone.
Carpenter said he was surprised to learn that this is the first time the Georgia Capitol has had carpets made in-state.
“The renovation was guided by historic preservationists,” Sara Martin, vice president of corporate communications for Shaw Industries Group, wrote in an email to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, “and Shaw Contract’s custom design studio partnered throughout the process to ensure the flooring reflected the original aesthetic of the space.”
Shaw Contract manufactured the custom carpet for the Capitol with the help of the design group Stantec, and Spectra Contract Flooring installed the flooring, Martin said.
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“The project also required a firm timeline,” Martin said. “Shaw Contract’s ability to work quickly and efficiently ensured the carpet was delivered and installed on schedule, without compromising quality or design intent.”
One day a year, the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce goes to Atlanta and hands out rugs to lawmakers at the state capitol, Carpenter said. Now, lawmakers can see Dalton carpets every day.
“It’s no different than having Dahlonega gold on the dome,” Carpenter said. “It’s kind of neat to know the stuff made by Georgians is in the Capitol.”
Martin said contributing to a landmark as meaningful as the Capitol was both a responsibility and a point of pride for the team.
Contact Northwest Georgia reporter Ignacio Perez at iperez@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6710.