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From Home Furnishing Business

CR Laine Completes Plant Expansion

February 21, 2014  by in Product, Upholstery   

The six-month construction project--CR Laine's seventh expansion since its founding in 1958--was motivated by the need to match increasing consumer demands and subsequent company growth.

CR Laine has added more than 50 new positions over the past year; and partnered with Catawba Valley Community College in a furniture industry apprenticeship program, which allows students to learn the craft of upholstery through a combination of classes and work-study on the manufacturing floor. CR Laine currently has two students enrolled in the program under scholarship with the promise of a full-time position after completing the course.
 
In addition to creating jobs, CR Laine’s growth has benefited other companies in the area.

“From lumber, to steel, foam, and fabric; we want to support domestic suppliers and source as much as we can locally,” said President Warren Frye.
 
The additional space will increase efficiency and promote lean manufacturing practices at the plant, as well as help facilitate faster delivery of products to customers. The expansion has allowed for approximately 30,000 square feet of increased manufacturing space, as well as a 21,000-square-foot warehouse. The old warehouse has been converted into additional manufacturing space.

“The added space will enable the realignment of work flow throughout the manufacturing process allowing us to efficiently produce more product,” said Cindy Fulbright, plant manager at CR Laine.
 
In an effort to minimize CR Laine’s environmental footprint during construction, contractors were asked to be very conscientious of waste and raw materials. Approximately one acre of land was cleared for the expansion project. The trees that were harvested have been redirected to a local sawmill. Asphalt from the lower east parking lot was broken up, removed, and redirected to a local rock quarry to be ground up and recycled for gravel. The new building has been fitted with low-wattage, energy efficient light fixtures and bulbs as part of CR Laine’s energy conservation efforts. CR Laine has been Sustainable by Design registered since 2008.
 
“With the dedication of our wonderful team, we will continue to grow and to be the go-to upholstery source that our customers have come to expect," said Owner Sonny Roseman. "There is no limit to what we can achieve by working together.”