Oriental Weavers, the world’s largest manufacturer of machine-woven rugs, has announced a significant capital investment made in its U.S. manufacturing and warehousing facilities. The expansion, which occurred in late 2014, allowed for a 12% capacity increase at the company’s Dalton, Georgia, manufacturing facility and was due largely to the recent high demand for domestically made products. The company first invested in a new high-speed loom to put the expansion wheels in motion. The new loom was the first 5-meter loom to be installed in the United States and is the fastest and most technologically advanced loom of its kind. The new loom, 35% faster than the industry standard, gives Oriental Weavers the exclusive ability to produce area rugs made in the United States more efficiently by significantly increasing production, reducing waste, and eliminating excessive inventory—all while maintaining the existing level of energy required. In addition, due to the company’s organic growth and the increased capacity that the new high-speed loom yields, Oriental Weavers is expanding its distribution center, located in Dalton. The expansion, of nearly 200,000 square feet, will accommodate the added production and will provide new opportunities for skilled workers living in the Northwestern Georgia area.