Cartersville-Bartow County
Economic Development

P.O. Box 2224
Cartersville, GA 30120
Phone: 770.607.1199

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Aquafil USA celebrates 16 years in Cartersville

May 30, 2015

Aquafil USA held its “Sweet 16” celebration on Friday, recognizing the opening of its second facility in Cartersville and 16 total years in operation.

Guests of honor at the event included Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp and Italian Ambassador to the United States Claudio Bisogniero. Aquafil USA, which manufactures carpet fibers and synthetic polymers for the residential, commercial and automotive sectors, is currently the largest Italian-based company with operations inside the state. Though Aquafil opened its first facility in Italy in 1969, it did not have a presence in the U.S. until 1999, when current president Franco Rossi traveled over to help start up the USA division. As a featured speaker at the celebration, Rossi indicated that the long-term success of the company has been greater than originally expected.

“It means a lot ot me. I came here 16 years ago and Aquafil was a company made out of three people,” he said. “Not even (in) my wildest dreams I would ever say 16 years after I would be having this event...it’s a dream which became reality. And I’m so grateful to the town of Cartersville, to the state of Georgia, to what they have become for me.”

Rossi said he had originally expected to be in the U.S. for a few months, possibly even a few years. But he had no idea he would still be here over a decade and a half later. That is at least in part due to the locale of Cartersville, Rossi explained. The closeness to metro Atlanta, along with the availability of the I-75 corridor and the presence of carpet-producing Dalton nearby, has made for an ideal situation that has fostered Aquafil USA’s growth. Kemp echoed Rossi’s sentiment, stating that the company has had a successful relationship not only with Cartersville but with the state of Georgia as a whole.

“I think it’s safe to say that the relationship between Aquafil and Georgia has been outstanding and a great success,” Kemp said while addressing the crowd at the company’s U.S. headquarters on Aquafil Drive. The other facility recently opened just off of Highway 113. “Aquafil’s not only a key player for job growth in north Georgia, they’re a key player in the carpet industry that literally thrives not only in this region but all over the state. And anyone who has run a business large or small knows you do not achieve success without hard work and commitment to innovation.”

Aquafil has certainly cemented its presence in the Cartersville area over the last several years. But will it keep growing?

“I think so,” said Rossi. “We are already planning for some smaller expansion compared to what we have done in 2014 and 15. But by the end of this year, we’ll have some additional equipment installed in this facility, which means a few more jobs.”

In this case, “a few” probably means 10 to 20. Rossi pointed out that the company’s headquarters still has 100,000 square feet of buildable area near the back, which he hopes will one day be used for a vertical back integration making their own pallets. The press release stated that last year, the headquarters was expanded to introduce new technology that can process used carpet and generate feedstock destined for the company’s ECONYL Regeneration System in Ljubljana, Slovenia. ECONYL is the only nylon 6 polymer made from 100 percent regenerated material with a minimum of 50 percent post-consumer.

Article by Brandon Davis with Daily Tribune News

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