CHENNAI, India – Office furniture giant Haworth plans to invest $10 million in a second India manufacturing plant, bringing its total space in the country to 113,000 square feet.
While Haworth’s current India facility manufactures product for the domestic Indian market, the new and adjacent facility will export to other markets.
“The decision to expand our operations in Chennai stems from our commitment to meeting the growing demands of our customers and seizing new opportunities in the market,” said Henning Figge, president of Haworth International. “The increasing demand for our products, coupled with the region’s strategic significance as an industrial hub, makes Chennai the perfect location for our new factory. The manufacturing facility will play a pivotal role in crafting products destined for export to North America and Europe.”
According to The Hindu Business Line, the move marks a pivot in the company’s plans, as last year it said it had no plans to export products, citing the “huge” Indian market.
India is now the third-largest market for the office furniture maker, trailing the U.S. and France. China was recently surpassed by India.
“The new factory will significantly contribute towards production of collaborative products as also high-end ergonomic seatings including the development of an agile portfolio of products enabling us to serve a wider customer base and meet diverse market needs,” said Praveen Rawal, vice president of sales of Haworth APAC. “This expansion aligns with our commitment to continue to deliver excellence across various sectors where we are eager to make a curious lasting impact.”