A ladder display showcases popular Karastan's Spice Market designs now made in Turkey.
LAS VEGAS – Karastan has curtailed production of area rugs in the U.S. and at the winter 2025 edition of Las Vegas Market, retailers and designers are seeing the results of its shift to rug manufacturing in Turkey and India.
The company has been easing into the move to overseas rug production since losing its proprietary relationship with its former yarn suppler. “A lot of what we have been doing is already from Turkey and India,” said Jake Sweeters, Karastan’s regional VP – North East. “We still make a ton of rug pads and a ton of door mats in the U.S. from the Mohawk Home side. But Karastan is going to start doing a lot more importing.”
Indeed, the Karastan team is working on converting its best-selling collections which used a proprietary yarn system (most notably the Spice Market collection) to production in Turkey.
“We are partnering with a mill in Turkey that is converting one of their looms specifically to make our Spice Market rugs. We’ve already had prototypes, and they look exactly like our U.S. production.
“We had an issue with our yarn source so instead of importing yarn and bringing it here at a cost, we’re just going to produce over there. The new rugs have the same hand, density, and colors. And we’re working with reliable mills in Turkey that we’re already dealing with.”
The new Spice Market rugs at market for example, while no longer using Karastan’s once proprietary yarn, are made from polyester with the same characteristics to make the change in production seamless for customers. “We are doing the designs and qualities we were doing, but we didn’t want to lose them. So the big pivot is to make them overseas.”
Momento, now woven in Turkey, has been a top seller in Karastan’s imported lineup. Shown, Sentimental
Sweeters said that 90 percent of Mohawk Home products will still be produced in the U.S. And the new Karastan Black program from the broadloom division, which is debuting at the winter Surfaces show this week, will offer flooring dealers an extensive choice of cut and sew custom rugs.
Currently Karastan Rugs designers are working on new area rug color banks and new constructions as well as new collections as well as redesigning top existing collections for production in Turkey.
“There will be a lot of new things coming out. Within the next 3-6 months the new direction will be evident. Customers will see a sprinkling in April, but definitely the transition will be showcased in the fall. We have lot of irons in the fire. The shift was a surprise to some customers, but they see the transition will be smooth, and that it makes more sense to shift gears.
A top-selling collection from Karastan is DIvina which is machine-woven in Turkey. Pictured is the Celestial design,
the collection favorite.
Currently Karastan has 24 import collection and has an office in Turkey which the design and product development teams have been working from. “Now we want the mill in Turkey to make collections like Spice Market, and to add new designs to those collections. We are looking at sales to determine which other collections formerly made in the U.S. will be made for import. It’s an easy transition,” Sweeters said.
Solitude from Karastan is machine woven of soft polyester in high/low pile. Shown, Pandosia