Mohawk Textiles Celebrates New State-Of-The-Art Textile Facility

By James M. Borneman, Editor In Chief, Textile World

Mohawk Textiles aims to follow in the footsteps of Mohawk Fabric Co. as it begins its journey as a 100-year-old technical textile “start up.”

Spend five minutes speaking with Dominic Wade, president, Gallatin, Tenn.-based Mohawk Textiles, and you’ll very quickly learn that you are speaking with a driven and relatively fearless individual. He is passionate about his family, the people he works with, investing in the future of textiles and cares deeply about the country he’s served.

After attending Lafayette College where he earned a degree in business economics on an Army ROTC scholarship, Wade was assigned to the 118th Military Police Company Air-borne located at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C. Post 9/11, Wade served two years overseas in the Iraqi Theater supporting anti-terrorism and was responsible for high-value detainees. After his first deployment from 2002-2003 Wade attended Lehigh University and earned an MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship.

In January 2006, Wade started at Mohawk Fabric Co., in Amsterdam, N.Y., as general manager and minority owner. And so, the journey began — a journey that forms a compelling story of a textile business with a long history with Wade’s determined eye on the future.

A New Company With Deep Roots

Mohawk Fabric Co. was founded in 1922 in the Mohawk Valley of Upstate New York. The tricot warp knitter focused on processing yarn with twisting and warping, as well as knitting, in the city of Amsterdam where it still operates today.

Under Wade’s leadership, the company has embarked on an ambitious expansion and Wade has been instrumental in shaping the company’s growth.

Supported by his brother Schuyler Wade and fellow army veteran Blaine Harvey, the team envisioned building a state-of-the-art greenfield facility in Middle Tennessee. After a decade of dreaming, Mohawk Textiles was founded in 2020 in Gallatin, Tenn., as a sister company to the deeply rooted Mohawk Fabric.

The team added the technically gifted Christopher Ripp, who migrated South to bolster Mohawk’s capabilities and drive the Mohawk vision forward.

Today, Mohawk Textiles specializes in knitting and weaving technical textiles with a focus on single-step twisting, warping, knitting, weaving, braiding and finishing. The new venture marks a significant milestone in Mohawk’s journey of expansion and reflects its commitment to innovation and quality.

Commitment Beyond The Company Walls

Harvey, Ripp, the Wade brothers, and their families now gladly call Sumner County, Middle Tennessee, home. It’s more than just a job. According to Wade, Mohawk Textiles is a “family first” business for all stakeholders and has constructed a “Bold Facility” in the community. Wade eagerly explained the numerous amenities established for Mohawk team members and their families to enjoy that go above and beyond the traditional workplace.

To Wade it is all a function of the founding business principles that drive the Mohawk forward: “Treat all people the way you want to be treated. Communicate often and truthfully. Produce the highest quality product possible. Operate at a fair and sustainable profit. Innovate products with customer collaboration.” And the most important principle: “Invest in and develop your people.”

“With these guidelines, we manufacture knit and woven technical textile products that support the most important American and global industries,” Wade. “They are core to who we are and how we are.”

Getting Technical

Mohawk Textiles’ products are, in Wades words, “critical” to technical applications globally. As a manufacturing center of excellence, Mohawk Textiles focuses on production of high-quality fabrics that meet their customers rigorous demands. “We support all major industries in the USA manufacturing arena — automotive, industrial, medical, aerospace, and military — and are developing soon-to-be-released braided products that focus on recycled, reused, and upcycled waste,” Wade added.

Celebrating The Expansion

During the opening ceremony for the Mohawk Textiles greenfield facility in the Gallatin Industrial Center, Wade described the experience of committing to a greenfield expansion. “Four years ago today, we were 100 yards from here for our ground-breaking,” Wade recalled.

“I know some of you were here that day. Going back in time to that day, we were at the height of COVID with new mask protocols, millions of companies hemorrhaging cash by the day, if they were allowed to operate at all. As I woke up that morning 1,000 miles from home, contemplating the future, and if this was the right time for the Mohawk Textiles expansion to Middle Tennessee, I was scared, nervous, and questioned if I was out of my mind.

“But I had planned, checked it over with everyone that would listen — it was sound in normal times — but these were not normal times. They were challenging times. And I made commitments to team members, banks, and customers, as well as the City of Gallatin.

“So, my family and I drove from New York to the Gallatin Industrial Center for our groundbreaking,” Wade continued. “My plan was to hide my fears and face the challenges as they came — I was expecting about 10 people I knew, and possibly a few others — but boy, was I wrong! The Southern Hospitality was strong that day, and almost 100 people were present. The grit and grace of Gallatin’s business community was in full force.

“Mayor Brown’s welcoming and inspiring words made all the fear, worry and anxiety disappear in an instant, I knew we had made the right choice — the millions of dollars earmarked and spent for state-of-the-art equipment, a cutting-edge facility that spoke to anyone who would visit — that focused on the best experience for employees possible, seemed so right.

“And through the chaos of the pandemic, I could see the opportunities that would be there in the future,” Wade said.‍‍

Commitment To Community

Tennessee was one of about six states that were considered for the new Mohawk facility.
“In other states we could have gotten a free building, but Gallatin had the perfect blend of work, play, and quality of life standards — all 30 minutes from downtown Nashville,” Wade said. “The schools and amenities that are in Sumner County are so family friendly and community oriented that it made sense to give it a try. It also was a growing community that our employees could also afford to live.”

When asked her thoughts on the matter, Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown noted: “Mohawk has a culture that fits so well in our city and in the state of Tennessee. Mohawk exemplifies the Made in Tennessee spirit, and we are grateful they chose Gallatin. Our philosophy, much like Mohawk’s, is when Gallatin does well by our businesses, our businesses do well and that helps everyone.”

Economic Development Matters

Gallatin Economic Development Agency Executive Director Rosemary Bates shed some light on shared economic goals. “Mohawk represents the type of manufacturing we envisioned several years ago in our strategic planning — high tech and visionary with an emphasis on taking care of their employees,” she said.

“My predecessor, James Fenton, deserves much of the credit for forging an initial relationship with Mohawk, visiting them in New York to better understand their operations and, of course, to share how Gallatin would like to be a second home for them. When James walked around the shop there with Dominic, he noticed that Dominic knew every employee by name and usually something about their families. That is the type of employer we embrace in Gallatin.

“Mohawk’s facility here is a neighbor to Beretta USA, a meta hyperscale data center, and Axem, which is a company that pursues advanced technology like Mohawk does. Gallatin is also home to Gap Inc.’s Southeast distribution center — also focused on advancing technology.

“Dominic and Mohawk think in big ideas, creative ideas and innovation. They speak our language. The Gallatin Economic Development Agency, Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development, along with TVA — our regional power provider and partner in economic development — also pursue innovation, collaboration, and ingenuity to create a better environment for manufacturing, research and development.”

A Tennessee Welcome

Tennessee State Representative William Slater (Rep.-Gallatin) offered his thoughts on the selection and commitment by Mohawk to Gallatin. “I am extremely proud that a time-tested business-like Mohawk has expanded to Gallatin,” Slater said. “Our skilled workforce and booming economy have helped many companies flourish, and I’m confident Mohawk will similarly thrive here.

“Working with Dominic has been a pleasure, and I appreciate his for-ward-thinking approach and dedication to innovation and precision.

“Tennessee’s business-friendly environment has proven once again to be a powerful draw for top-tier companies, and I’m grateful that Dominic decided to invest in our community,” said Slater, who spoke at the grand opening celebration and was joined by suppliers that were key to executing Wade’s plan for the new plant.

A Force To Be Reckoned With

Of course, when setting up a new manufacturing plant, machinery and technology companies play a key role in providing guidance. “Mohawk comes across as a very modern-led organization that not only talks about being customer-centric and employee-friendly but actually is so to its core,” said Per Olofsson, CEO of Spartanburg, S.C.-based Symtech Inc., a distributor of textile machinery and equipment in the United States and Canada. “Mohawk is very open to customers’ requirements and finds ways to deliver them,” he said. “With the new facility, a very skilled and motivated team and investments in world-class technology, Mohawk is a force to be reckoned with.

“At SYMTECH, we are convinced that Dominic and his team are just at the beginning of their growth journey, and we are excited to do as much as we can to support them.”

A New Standard

Greensboro, N.C.-based textile machinery manufacturer KARL MAYER North America president Mariano Amezcua echoed Olofsson’s sentiments. “Dominic Wade and the Mohawk team have established the new standard for textile mills in North America in collaboration with Karl Mayer,” Amezcua said. “Through the years, Mohawk has steadily moved towards making that vision a reality. Mohawk remains at the forefront of Karl Mayer technology by continually investing in the latest cloud-connected warp knitting machines. Mohawk is firmly recognized as a sustainable and innovative leader through ensuring a warp knit infrastructure prepared for the market demands of today and the future demands of tomorrow.”‍‍

Future Focus

Mohawk Textiles aims to follow in the footsteps of Mohawk Fabric Co. as it begins its journey as a 100-year-old start-up. At the opening celebration, Wade punctuated his remarks, saying: “I believe conducting business better is the only path to ensure our success in the future. That future is founded in taking care of Mohawk’s team members while also supporting their families. I’m honored to have this opportunity to share with you, my fellow business partners, and leaders, that there is a better way to treat people in the workplace com-pared to that of the past.”

Wade follows the motto “lead by example, join an amazing community, add more than we take.”

“I followed this path and as a result we are here together, celebrating the hard work of the Mohawk Team — North and South, and all our partners,” Wade said. “I am grateful to have this opportunity showcase our version of the future workplace that prioritizes its people, community, and business relationships.”‍

An Ambitious Plan

While finishing his MBA, Wade wrote a white paper outlining a 10-year plan putting himself in the shoes of the Mohawk Fabric Co. owner. These ideas in the white paper have continued to influence and guide Wade after he earned his diploma. The highlights of the plan were:

• Engage and understand customer needs and why they buy from us and what we can do together to improve;
• Understand the textile manufacturing process and modernize to current standards from the working museum that we were in 2005;
• Build stronger relationships with suppliers and vendors and leverage their knowledge and resources to grow and better the company; and Get to know the employee base and invest in them and provide the resources for them to build a stronger foundation for the future of the company.

In 2014, when Blaine Harvey and Schuyler Wade joined the company, together they worked on another 10-year plan, which formed the basis for Mohawk Textiles.