Partnering Together in Sustainability: A Message from Mohawk's Chairman & CEO

Mohawk continues to be in our strongest financial position in company history, generating record levels of revenue and income for the past two years. This is important and beneficial not only to our shareholders, but also for every stakeholder we touch in the course of doing business. This gets to the heart of our sustainable business strategy.

That strategy begins with the shareholder and works backward. Our ultimate purpose is to maximize shareholder returns. From that goal, our social license to operate follows. To generate the best returns, we have to satisfy customers. To satisfy customers, we need a high-performing organization, which requires attracting the best talent. To do so, we must cultivate a workplace of choice, which inherently is one committed to strong corporate citizenship. Thanks to our financial strength, we’re in a position to re-invest in our people and the communities from where we draw our talent and with whom we share natural resources. It’s a strategy that continually leverages one strength to feed another strength and works for the overall greater good.

Reinvestment in our business is a priority and ensures continued growth. In 2017, that investment topped more than $900 million. Many of those dollars fuel expansion into new markets, while others go toward areas such as product innovation that often result in greater use of more sustainable inputs and promote healthier living and working environments.

We continue to run our operations in a decentralized fashion, placing the majority of decisions in the hands of the management teams closest to the market. This includes decisions regarding our environmental footprint and social impact. Experts at our manufacturing facilities know better than anyone where we have room to improve, and they are leading the way in driving operational efficiencies that lower our emissions and resource use. Likewise, people who live in the communities we serve are best positioned to identify where Mohawk can make a difference. Our employee volunteerism and giving approach reflect this understanding.

Though Mohawk is the largest flooring manufacturer in the world today, we possess a relatively small share of a fragmented, global market. And for that reason, even with the success of recent years, we can confidently say, “we’re only halfway there” in realizing our long-term business potential. And that sentiment – of always looking to achieve more – certainly holds true for commitment to environmental and social responsibilities.

Mohawk’s 2017 Sustainability Report is available exclusively online at MohawkSustainability.com.