Dalton—In celebration of Earth Day, which takes place April 22, Mohawk Group plans to host a variety of activities and events to bring attention to sustainability year-round. These employee engagement events will take place at the commercial flooring manufacturer’s “Living Site” carpet tile plant in Virginia, and at its Light Lab Design Center and other commercial plants in North Georgia.
“Here at Mohawk, we want to be able to take the excitement and energy of Earth Day and spread it year-round so that sustainability and corporate social responsibility are top-of-mind each and every day,” said Malisa Maynard, vice president of sustainability at Mohawk Industries. “This week will be the perfect opportunity to highlight what we have been up to during the last 12 months, while also celebrating the culmination of many years of hard work.”
At Mohawk Group’s carpet tile manufacturing plant in Glasgow, Va., the on-site sustainability team will be commemorating the company’s third Living Product Challenge (LPC) recertification. As part of this recent recertification, the entirety of Mohawk Group’s nylon carpet tile styles on EcoFlex ONE backing are now officially petal-certified. The manufacturer’s Living Site has long been celebrated as a model of innovation and energy efficiency as the genesis of the world’s first Living Product Challenge petal certified floor covering, Lichen, as well as its other carbon neutral carpet tile products.
Events at the facility, which is nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, will include plant tours for employees and their families. The tours will feature the unveiling of the Living Site’s redesigned LEED-Gold certified showroom, which now integrates the story behind how the manufacturer achieved different LPC petals through various initiatives that include: creating products that regenerate the global ecosystem through beyond carbon- neutral manufacturing processes; manufacturing the least water-intensive carpet tile on the market; maintaining two certified on-site wildlife habitats; and partnering with Susan G. Komen in the fight against breast cancer through the Specify for a Cure program. The tours will also specifically highlight the manufacturer’s expanded Mo-Honey program, which now includes seven new on-site bee hives, as well as a bee hive that has been donated to the local 4-H club and placed at nearby Natural Bridge State Park.
In the hills of Northwest Georgia at Mohawk Group’s Light Lab Design Center, associates representing the nearby Fiddleheads Garden Center will be planting a variety of vegetables and herbs in three different raised-bed gardens that Light Lab employees will get to tend and enjoy. Mohawk Group has partnered with the locally-owned business to help enhance the campus, while also supplying materials for a special employee potting activity. The newly potted plants, intended for each team members’ respective workspace, will not only breathe additional life into the Light Lab, but also help contribute to cleaner air within the facility.
As the home of Mohawk Group’s commercial product and design teams, the building features inspiring views of the nearby mountains and surrounding community, while also showcasing beautiful installations of the company’s latest floorscapes. The Light Lab was the first facility in the Southeast to receive Living Building Challenge petal certification from the International Living Future Institute. The Light Lab also holds a WELL Health-Safety Rating from the International WELL Building Institute.
In addition to the special events planned for the carpet tile plant and product design hub, employees at the Virgil Drive (Dalton) and Duvall Road (Chatsworth) plants will be gifted with seeds and pots to take home to grow and cultivate various plants and vegetables.
“This year our observances will not only be an opportunity to celebrate what Mohawk Group has accomplished but also the many associates, teams, segments and departments that are responsible for bringing these efforts to fruition,” Maynard added. “We celebrate our culture of innovation and are grateful to our employees and customers who make this kind of meaningful work something we enjoy returning to every day.”