Shaw mulls Indian imports

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 3/5/2001 12:00:00 AM

DALTON, GA -Historically a domestics manufacturer of woven, fabricated, hand-tufted and braided area rugs, Shaw Industries' Shaw Rugs division is on the verge of expanding its business and offerings to include area rugs imported from India.

"We are 90 percent sure we are going to do it," said Jeff Meadows, Shaw Rugs division vp. "We're looking at importing some exotic printed looks."

The news comes on the heels of Shaw's announcement earlier this year that it will begin importing from China and India hand-hooked scatter rugs as an effort to expand its reach into the gift market.

Should Shaw Rugs move forward with plans to also import area rugs, roll out of the India-made rugs will occur this summer, Meadows said. Starting in June, Shaw will be also introducing its new imported line of scatter rugs to gift merchants.

"Some of our customer base has been asking us to get into the [area rug] importing business," Meadows explained, "so rather than have them go directly or to a middleman to import the rugs, we want them to buy them from us."

Meadows did not offer many details about the new imports except to say, "They are exotic, many have bamboo designs" and that "a few" are printed, but all will feature natural hues. The rugs will be made of sisal, jute and seagrass-the three materials Meadows said Shaw's customers requested.

Shaw Industries currently has manufacturing operations in the U.S. and Mexico, as well as sales offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Miami, and here.