| |||||
 |
Karastan in the Carolinas
It was fascinating to see thousands of yards of beautiful carpet being woven on approximately one dozen massive automated looms. These looms are so technologically advanced they practically run themselves. Besides threading the loom at the start of a run and removing rolls at completion, no employees need to oversee these machines. However, there is a concentration of employees at the various quality control stations where literally every inch, both front and back, of every carpet produced is scrutinized for even the slightest imperfection, and when found, is efficiently remedied. One of the advantages of Karastan's woven carpet (as compared to other commercial carpet that is tufted), is that the construction of the weave provides a lifecycle that is three times longer-21 years as compared to seven. The longer lifecycle, along with the use of 30% less fiber than tufted makes it environmentally friendly. After our tour we
retired to the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa nestled in the Blue Ridge
Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina. Built in 1913 from local granite
stone, it has served as a luxury resort. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author
of "The Great Gatsby" enjoyed extended stays here in the 1930's.
The lobby boasts a fireplace large enough to walk in with an elevator
built into its one side. The spa is considered one of the world's finest.
The next morning before returning home, we visited the impressive 250-room Biltmore Estate in Asheville built in 1895. Home to George W. Vanderbilt, it was designed by the acclaimed architect, Richard Morris Hunt who modeled it after 16th century chateaux. The 125,00 acres of grounds were designed by America's first landscape architect and creator of New York City's Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted. As America's largest residence, it is still privately owned, although not occupied, by George's grandson. Both the chateau and the gardens have been magnificently maintained -- an absolutely sumptuous feast for the eyes. Many thanks to Anne
Morrison, the Karastan representative, for coordinating the tour and
educating us so well!
|
||||
What do a 110-year
old chateau, a 92-year old frequent haunt of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and
a 180-year old carpet mill have in common? They are all places I was
fortunate to visit on a recent business trip to the Carolinas. As guests
of Karastan Commercial Carpet, a division of The Mohawk Group, one of
our financial services clients and myself were treated to a tour of
Karastan's mill in Landrum, South Carolina.
