IKEA Opens 1st Swedwood Factory in United States as Virginia Governor and Local Officials Welcome New Facility, Jobs
DANVILLE, Va.--(Business Wire)--
Swedwood, the industrial group within IKEA, the world's leading
home furnishings retailer, today opened its first factory in the
United States in Danville, Virginia. The 10:30 a.m. ceremony included
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, local government officials, and
Swedwood and IKEA representatives, as well as the raising of the U.S.,
Swedish and Virginia flags, and a traditional Swedish log-sawing
ceremony, which brings good luck to a new home.
The 930,000 square-foot Swedwood furniture manufacturing facility
was built on 209 acres in Cane Creek Centre, a joint industrial park
for the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County (approximately 50
miles north of Greensboro, NC). The factory is the Swedish company's
first furniture production location in the United States, and will
produce a variety of wood-based IKEA products such as EXPEDIT
bookshelves, LACK coffee and side tables, and BESTA modular
entertainment systems. Nearly 200 coworkers now have joined the
IKEA/Swedwood family.
"We appreciate the support we have received by Danville,
Pittsylvania County and the Commonwealth of Virginia," said Bengt
Danielsson, North American president of Swedwood. "The Swedwood
coworker family in Danville is thrilled about contributing to the
state and local economies and about producing IKEA home furnishings
right here in the U.S. that are sold at affordable prices to IKEA
customers throughout North America."
"IKEA is proud to be bringing some of Swedwood's overseas
manufacturing to the United States," added Pernille Lopez, North
American president of IKEA. "We are pleased that, especially in this
uncertain economic time, IKEA both can plan for the future needs of
its growing number of stores and also invest in Virginia's furniture
manufacturing industry."
In addition to Governor Kaine's keynote, brief remarks were given
by Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Coy Harville,
Danville City Manager Jerry Gwaltney and Swedwood International's
Chairman of the Board Bruno Winborg. Honorary flag-raisers included
Danville Mayor Sherman M. Saunders for the U.S. flag, IKEA Woodbridge
(Virginia) coworker Wendy Rogers for the Swedish flag, Pittsylvania
County Supervisor James Snead for the Virginia flag, and Pittsylvania
County Administrator Dan Sleeper for the Swedwood flag. A contribution
also will be presented to the Danville-Pittsylvania County chapter of
Habitat for Humanity.
Founded in 1991 as an IKEA subsidiary, Swedwood is an industrial
group of companies whose primary function is to manufacture and
distribute furniture. Swedwood today has evolved into an IKEA supplier
with advanced production facilities of its own, including more than 45
production units and offices in twelve countries on three continents,
and a staff of more than 16,000. (There also are 1,300 other suppliers
in 54 countries to IKEA globally.)
There currently are more than 275 IKEA stores in 36 countries,
including 34 in the U.S. and 11 in Canada. Other new stores in North
America will open in: Brooklyn, NY; Charlotte, NC; Somerville, MA; and
Tampa, FL. IKEA also has seven distribution centers in North America,
with a northwestern distribution center opening later this year in
Tacoma, WA.
Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered a wide range
of home furnishings and accessories of good design and function, at
low prices so the majority of the people can afford them. IKEA has
been ranked in FORTUNE's annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list
(three years in a row), Working Mother magazine's annual list of "100
Best Companies for Working Mothers" (four years in a row) and Training
magazine's annual "Top 100" ranking of companies that excel at human
capital development (five years in a row). IKEA incorporates
environmentally friendly and socially responsible efforts into
day-to-day business, and continually supports initiatives that benefit
causes such as children and the environment. For more information
about Swedwood and IKEA, please go to www.Swedwood.com and
www.IKEA-USA.com.
for IKEA
Joseph Roth, U.S. Public Affairs
(610) 834-0180, x. 6500
Copyright Business Wire 2008
