Ernesta Deepens Rug Industry Expertise with Senior Leadership Hire and Operational Expansion to Cartersville, GA

NEW YORK, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernesta (ernesta.com), a new direct-to-consumer rug company, is excited to announce today the hiring of a new senior leader, Mike Ross, as Head of Production and the opening of a warehouse facility in Georgia. These developments mark significant progress in supporting custom rug fabrication for consumers across the country.

Mike Ross brings 25 years of leadership experience to Ernesta from some of the largest flooring companies in the world. His successful track record of developing and implementing supply chain management strategies and providing end-to-end leadership in fast-paced environments has made him a key figure in the flooring industry. Prior to joining Ernesta, Ross served as VP of Customer Experience for Mohawk Industries, where he led customer service, claims, technical service, accounts receivable, and credit/collection teams in support of the strategic business units after previously working at Shaw Floors within the strategic supply chain team. Ross holds a BS in Operations Management/Logistics from Auburn University.

The 110,000 square-foot warehouse is located in Cartersville, GA and could employ as many as 50 people by the end of the year. The region is widely recognized as the US hub of the carpet and rug manufacturing industry, responsible for producing the vast majority of the domestic supply, and providing Ernesta with access to a pool of highly skilled and knowledgeable talent. Carterville's proximity to major markets, domestic transportation infrastructure, international container ports, and raw material suppliers, also makes it an ideal location for the manufacturing facility.

"We are thrilled to announce this significant step in our progress towards becoming the premier designer-quality, custom-sized rug brand in the industry," said John Foley, CEO at Ernesta. "With the addition of Mike Ross to our team and the expansion into this new warehouse facility, we are deepening our rug industry experience and investing in our in-house operational capabilities in order to better serve our customers."

Ernesta was founded in November 2022 by a team including John Foley, Hisao Kushi, and Yony Feng, the co-founders of Peloton. The company has successfully raised $25 million in a Series A funding round, led by Addition, with participation from True Ventures and other investors. Ernesta aims to expand the custom category of the multibillion-dollar domestic rug market by offering a thoughtfully curated selection of rugs that can be cut to fit exact spaces, for residential buyers. The global carpet and rug market is projected to reach $120 billion by 2031, and Ernesta is well-positioned to capitalize on this growth opportunity with its new team in place. ¹Ernesta, which can be found at ernesta.com, intends to launch to U.S. consumers later in 2023. The company plans to offer a wide variety of materials and options for custom rugs at an accessible price range, as well as bespoke delivery in certain key markets.

About Ernesta
Ernesta is on a mission to bring gorgeous, design-focused custom rugs to homes and places of gathering through an enjoyable, frictionless, and affordable experience. At the same price as a store-bought standard-sized rug, a custom-cut rug from Ernesta will not only be a better fit, but also a better buying experience. We believe that high-quality custom design shouldn't be out of reach for consumers and aim to address this need in the multi-billion dollar global rug industry.

¹Source: Global Carpets and Rugs Market 2022 – 2030, Custom Market Insights, July 2022

SOURCE Ernesta