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HIGH POINT — Kuka Home is expanding its manufacturing footprint in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, with the purchase of 90 acres to construct four upholstery and mattress production facilities to keep up with demand in the North American market.

The company has been producing upholstered furniture, accent chairs and upholstered beds near Monterrey, Mexico, in facilities totaling 350,000 square feet, and mattresses in a 250,000-square-foot facility for almost two years.

Kuka Home’s new facility will total 2.3 million square feet, and plans are in the works to begin shipping motion and stationary upholstery from the facility in Q1 of 2023. A second phase of building at the site will include a showroom, research and development center and a state-of-the-art testing lab.

“With high ocean freight costs and raw material shortages showing no sign of easing, we felt it was imperative to increase our production capacity in Mexico, expanding our capabilities beyond our current upholstery and mattress facilities in Monterrey,” said Matt Harrison, president of Kuka Home North America.

“The shortened, four- to six-week average lead times we’re achieving from Mexico for stock and special orders enables our customers an alternative to the long lead times with other manufacturers. The expansion also will further enhance the efficiency of our supply chain, as our vertically-integrated structure allows us to control everything from raw material purchase to design, development, manufacturing and distribution,” he said.

In addition to its current facilities in Mexico, Kuka Home has five facilities in China and two in Vietnam.

According to the company, the new campus is approximately two hours from the Texas border, making it easy for customers to review samples and production. The facilities will be equipped with efficient production lines, offices and a cafeteria for employees.

“In addition to the equipment and buildings, Kuka Home has invested in our people, with Spanish-Mandarin speaking management from the corporate office and equally bilingual local management who have accelerated our growth in the region by teaching and training years of knowledge and technique very quickly,” said Michael Carter, vice president of sales for Kuka’s mattress division. “A bilingual management team has resulted in first-class efficiency, systems, and product in our Monterrey facility for over a year and will continue with the Nuevo Leon plant.”

The company’s current Mexico upholstery factory has been focused on producing core Kuka fabric stationary sofas, sectionals, accent chairs and upholstered beds, along with OEM projects. “With the addition of the new facility, we will be able to add leather and motion seating to the assortment,” said Harrison.

Kuka Home offers a full range of comfort and support options for both memory foam and innerspring mattresses out of the current Mexico mattress facility, and now will be able to ramp up additional production. “We pour all of our foam and produce our pocket spring units in Monterrey, shortening production lead times and allowing for better quality control,” Carter said.

Jean Marie Layton is senior editor for upholstery at Furniture Today. A design and furniture aficionado, she has worked as a writer/editor in industry and non-profits, in academic administration and in retail furniture sales. She pursued a master’s degree in the history of design at Parsons/Cooper-Hewitt and has a BA in history from Mount Holyoke College and an MA in liberal arts from Stanford University. Reach out to Jean Marie with your story ideas, tips and more at jlayton@furnituretoday.com

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