Last week, Kari Davis with J+J Invision was kind enough to take the BPA interior designers on a tour of their carpet manufacturing facilities in Dalton, Georgia.
The trip began in Chattanooga with a glass blowing class at iGNiS Glass Studio, some spare time for a self-guided walking tour, and a fabulous dinner at Easy Bistro & Bar downtown. We stayed at The Bluff View Inn which was conveniently located to the Hunter Museum of American Art (seen behind us), the glass bridge shown above, and the pedestrian foot bridge that crosses the Tennessee River. In just an hour we were able to explore all of these things and soak up some sunshine along the way!
The next morning we made the short drive to Dalton where we spent the day learning the ins-and-outs of carpet production from the design team's studio (we even got a sneak peek of future designs!) to the packaging and distribution of the modular tiles. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures on-site but promise we looked really good in our neon vests and headsets.
The mill tours are beneficial to both suppliers and specifiers because they provide a chance for interaction and discussion on future trends and needs in the industry. We were grateful for the good company, cuisine and experiences this trip had to offer!
"Then I realized.. Adventures are the best way to learn." - Author Unknown
