Posted March 29, 2017

 

By Steve Wong (Just4Wong@Gmail.com)
 

GRAY COURT, S.C. – If you’ve ever wondered where baby wipes come from, the answer in the months and years to come might be this South Carolina town.

 

Yes, the thin, soft, and moist disposable towelette you pull out of a tube or tub is actually a textile product. However, if you look closely, you won’t see a weave – because they aren’t woven fibers. They are “nonwoven spunlace,” a textile process where both natural and/or synthetic fibers are made into paper-thin webs using water as the main ingredient to bind the fibers together.

 

On March 23, after more than a year of site, building and employee preparation, the Turkey-based corporation Mogul opened its first American plant in Gray Court – Mogul South Carolina Nonwovens Corporation. The by-invitation event was held in the 91,0000-square-foot rehabbed building at 100 ISO Poly Parkway. With about 150 local, state, national and international guests on hand for tours and dedication, the spic-and-span and ready-to-roll factory debuted with inspiring speakers, both American and Turkish finger foods and colorful handmade scarves as swag.

 

The $17.6 million investment is scheduled to start production during the second quarter. It created 40 new jobs in Laurens County, and within two years, the corporation hopes to have 70 employees.

 

A company of personal values

 

The keynote speaker was Mogul President and primary shareholder Enver Kayali.

 

“Thank you for taking the time to visit the Mogul South Carolina Nonwoven Corporation facility in Gray Court,” he said, standing in front of a wall of white-wrapped bales of raw materials. “From its small beginnings in 1997, when founder Ekrem Kayali began business in Gaziantep, Turkey, the Group has grown to become a multinational manufacturing business with operations on three continents with four production facilities. Today, the Group is still family owned, which encourages the personal values of loyalty, integrity and commitment from our 600 employees located throughout the world.”

 

The board has always adopted the policy of reinvestment in its people and manufacturing equipment, and the Group supports customers on a global basis, Kayali added. Today, from existing manufacturing sites, Mogul delivers its products to more than 50 countries, he noted.

 

“One of the primary objectives of the initial investment in the U.S. is to be closer to our customers and markets, which allows us to reduce supply chain costs and better understand and react to market needs,” he said. “In Mogul, we pursue our businesses aggressively throughout all facets following the technological advancements and encourage all our employees to adopt entrepreneurial vision and relentless pursuit of growth. In the last 20 years, Mogul has built up partnerships with its U.S.-based customers by trusting, supporting and winning together.”

 

The new Gray Court plant is equipped with a world-class and highly efficient production line, a fully functional micro-laboratory and a professional team that represents a new chapter, according to Kayali. This new chapter is a small beginning of a long-term vision, he added.

 

“I wish to thank all Mogul employees for their contribution, commitment and loyalty, which are important to ensuring that we continue to enjoy strong working relationships with both our customers and suppliers,” he said.

 

Right mix of technology, talent

 

Other speakers included Darryl Fournier, president of Mogul South Carolina Nonwovens; Amy Thomson, director, International Strategy and Trade Division, S.C. Department of Commerce; Jeff Field, chairman of Laurens County Development; Joe Wood, chairman of the Laurens County Council; and John Carter, mayor of Gray Court.

 

“The key to our success is the right mix of technology and talent,” Fournier said.  “The ownership has invested in the facility to provide the right infrastructure to succeed, including a state-of-the-art spunlace line and micro lab. We have worked with local recruiters in the state to attract motivated and talented team members to make the product. On any good team there are many roles, all of which are important to deliver the desired product. Mogul South Carolina is committed to creating the atmosphere for each member of the team to understand and embrace their role, knowing their contributions are appreciated. We are one team serving our customers.”

 

Added Thomson on behalf of the State of South Carolina: "This company's investment in our state represents the best of both worlds – a company from Turkey, hiring South Carolina workers, that now has opportunities to sell its products from South Carolina to anywhere in the world. We are excited that Mogul chose to locate its first North American operation in South Carolina, and couldn't be more pleased with their commitment to the people of Gray Court. South Carolina welcomes Mogul as part of our state's family and wish them much success in the years ahead."

 

Guests view nonwovens processes

 

It was a bright and sunny day in Gray Court with the grand opening scheduled for two hours. Executive staff in suits and ties and operations staff in logoed gray pullover shirts were on hand to meet and greet. The logo for the South Carolina corporation is the word “MOGUL” in a simple sans-serif font reversed into a medium gray background. It is accented with Clemson orange, displaying the full name under the block. Using cross-cultural symbols, it incorporated a rendition of South Carolina’s state tree, the Palmetto, along with the Turkish crescent moon, which is similar to South Carolina’s crescent moon, just reflected.

 

After the opening remarks, guests toured the facility, where they saw the start-to-finish process of taking fluffy fibers and processing them into giant rolls of super thin web-like sheets, ready to be cut down for customers’ exact requirements.

 

The process starts with combining the proper fibers for the end product. Some might require cotton, other might require a synthetic, others might require a blend. The blend of fibers is then carded to get them all going in the desired direction. At this point, the product begins to take shape, looking like a web of paper going through a printing press. Using thousands of hair-size holes, water is used to fuse the fibers together. After removing the water, the dry web is inspected and spooled into a giant roll that can be cut down to a customer’s requirements.

 

Nonwoven textiles are not new to the industry or state, but it is a quickly gaining in demand. Some of the end-products that come from nonwovens include baby wipes, personal wipes, cleaning wipes, medical gowns, surgical masks, filters, diapers, feminine hygiene products, padding, batting and clothing.

 

Prior to being purchased by Mogul in 2015, the building has been empty for nearly 10 years, having last been used by Superior Nonwovens. The building came with 20 acres of land. During the past year, the site has been refinished and had machines installed for the corporation’s specific technology and use.

 

After the tours, the group enjoyed catered finger foods that included macaroni and cheese, chicken sliders, beef sliders, Lahmacun (Turkish pizza/flatbread with tomatoes, sweet bell peppers and Mediterranean spices), Sarimasakli (garlic yogurt sauce), Islim Kebabi (marinated chicken wrapped with eggplant slices) and Ispanakli Peynirli Gozleme (Turkish pancake with spinach and feta cheese). Unsweetened and sweet tea, along with water and lemon-infused water were available.

 

Before heading outside for a group photograph that was taken by a drone, the guests were given packaged handmade scarves imported from Turkey.