Back in the depths of the Great Recession, much of Georgia’s slowing economy was caused by the collapse of the housing market. In metro Atlanta, houses sat unfinished in the middle of subdivision pipe farms as demand for new homes dropped. But the recession also had a tremendous effect in northwest Georgia’s flooring industry, where the demand for carpets, rugs, and other flooring products slowed to a stop.
Almost ten years from the start of the recession, the industry is rebounding. The latest evidence is the third expansion of a Mohawk Industries vinyl flooring plant that will add 200 new jobs in Dalton. According to a press release, the expansion will be in full operation by the end of 2016.
The announcement coincided with a push on social media by Governor Deal touting the state’s job gains since he took office in 2011. He made this statement on Facebook:
Georgia has seen the creation of 511,200 private sector jobs since I took office in January 2011. That’s more than half a million jobs in just over five years. Our initiatives have made Georgia the No. 1 state in which to do business, and many companies have responded by moving to the state or expanding existing Georgia-based operations. These new jobs support families across the state who are now more financially secure than they were half a decade ago. Success takes teamwork and hard work, and I am proud of our state’s commitment to providing stable, meaningful jobs for our citizens.
The Governor also took to Twitter to brag about the state’s job growth.
Our pro-jobs, pro-biz climate has helped foster more than 511,200 jobs since 2011. #gapol pic.twitter.com/YcJp0goQZC
— Governor Nathan Deal (@GovernorDeal) April 21, 2016