by KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Healthcare Co. Ltd., the China-based parent company of mattress producer Mlily USA, has signed a lease for a 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Rock Hill, S.C., its second in the state.
The new plant, expected to open by the end of next month, will produce MLily-branded products and, when fully operational, will employ about 150 people. The move, the company said, is part of a strategy to expand U.S. production to keep pace with the growing demand for its foam and hybrid mattresses, adjustable bases, pillows and other sleep accessories.
“We are in the midst of a tremendous period of sales growth,” said Mlily President Stephen Chen. “Last year, our company set a record for U.S. sales, and our goal is to double our revenue in each of the next three years. The new facility in South Carolina will strengthen our identity as a viable resource for U.S. consumers, who are increasingly interested in buying made-in-America products, and will bolster our ability to ship quickly to our customers and provide best-in-class customer service.”
From the Rock Hill facility, the company can deliver to East Coast customers, especially those located in major metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Cincinnati and Knoxville, Chen said. As a suburb of Charlotte, N.C., Rock Hill also is “a huge population center, which gives us access to a strong and capable workforce.”
In 2019, the company opened a 650,000-square-foot facility in Winnsboro, S.C., its first U.S. factory, which manufactures products for its private-label customers. That plant employs 250 people. Between both South Carolina plants, the copany will have nearly 1 million square feet of production space and employ 400 in the state.
Earlier this year, Mlily opened a 644,000-square-foot plant in Goodyear, Ariz., which will employ 250 people when fully operational..
The company said its ultimate goal is for all plants to be vertically integrated, producing all of the materials and components that go into each of its products. “With everything that’s been going on lately with regard to limited raw materials and supply shortages, we want to limit our dependence on outside suppliers as much as possible,” Chen said.
