Seahawk shifting some production to Mexico

Furniture Today Staff 

Furniture Today, January 20, 2014

 

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Seahawk Designs said it will begin manufacturing some of its newest products at two state-of-the-art manufacturing centers in Tecate, Mexico, shifting production from China. The company has already started to produce its Jewel and Synergy Collection of sleep systems from the new sites.

Seahawk said it would be using two manufacturing centers, a 45,000-square-foot furniture plant with more than 100 employees, and a 20,000-square-foot plant that specializes in upholstery. The move will result in faster delivery times, the ability for greater customization of product and a location closer to the company's research and development center in Southern California, the company said.

"I am impressed with the growing quality of production in Mexico and numerous cost and production efficiencies because it is closer to our customers and corporate headquarters," said Seahawk Designs CEO William Jahn. "By manufacturing just across the border, it opens a whole new world of design, customization and delivery options for clients. We were blessed to have found a manufacturing partner who had run plants in the United States and really understands the importance of quality and service. They have a highly skilled and well-trained workforce and they have done a wonderful job over the past few months as we have tested their abilities on beta projects."

According to Jahn, Seahawk will continue to manufacture in China, particularly some of its velocity products, but plans to reallocate more of its high-end and skilled work to the Mexico location.

"China is losing its competitive position on some products because their costs are going up," he said. "But more importantly, the distance and time-to-delivery makes it a challenge to change designs and customize product more quickly. Mexico is so close and it makes it so much easier to do this on the same continent."