American Textile Co. (ATC) Duquesne, Pa.-based manufacturer of mattress and pillow protectors, bed pillows and mattress pads seeing the increasing consumer demand for its products has decided to expand its Tifton, Ga., manufacturing and distribution facility by more than 182,000 square feet. Also access to a skilled workforce and strong county support are the key factors in choosing to expand at Tifton.

According to the company, it has seen increasing consumer demand for its specialty bedding products as evidenced by a reported 15-percent annual growth and that growth is well ahead of plan at the Tifton operation, which produces and distributes millions of bed pillows annually.

ATC opened the 218,000-square-foot state-of-the-art Tifton facility in April 2011 and currently employs 100 people at that location. Their expansion so soon after opening is fueled in part by consumer demand for their AllerEase allergen barrier and EvenTemp temperature regulation bedding products, but also by the positive business climate they have seen in Tifton, said Lance Ruttenberg, president and CEO, ATC.

The company recently hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at the facility, which was attended by representatives from the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce, Tifton Mayor Jamie Cater Jr. and County Commission Chairman Grady Thompson. The ceremony kicked off an expansion that will bring its total space to over 400,000 square feet and double the workforce over the next five years. The expansion is scheduled to be completed this spring.

ATC’s domestic operations are based out of Duquesne, PA, Salt Lake City, UT, Dallas, TX and Tifton, GA. Internationally, they have operations in Central America and Asia.