A History of Tufted Rugs

Prototype. Chapter text drafted from the research notes and not yet checked at the archives. Images awaiting permission are marked.

Card-Monroe Corp. (CMC)

Card-Monroe Corp. (CMC)

Company · not yet checked at the source · Image permission pending

Made by
Charles Monroe and Lewis Card Jr.; joined by Lewis Card Sr. and Roy Card
Date
founded 1981 (as Charles Monroe Company); Card-Monroe 1983
Place
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Held by
Card-Monroe Corp. (CMC)
Themes
Tools & equipment, Machine tufting & Dalton

Cite this source

Charles Monroe and Lewis Card Jr.; joined by Lewis Card Sr. and Roy Card. “Card-Monroe Corp. (CMC),” founded 1981 (as Charles Monroe Company); Card-Monroe 1983. Card-Monroe Corp. (CMC). cardmonroe.com/about-us.

Research notes

Company history: roots in the Cobble brothers' 1930s bedspread machinery; Roy Card and Lewis Card Sr., the Cobbles' nephews, started at Cobble in the 1940s (an obituary says Lewis joined in 1939). Charles Monroe Company was founded in 1981 by Charles Monroe and Lewis Card Jr.; it became Card-Monroe in 1983 when Lewis and Roy Card invested. Milestones: 300th machine 1987, Command Performance 1989, Infinity 2002, ColorPoint 2009, Tailored Loop 2019, Hollow Needle 2023; says 2,500+ machines in 38 countries. The Card brothers hold 100+ tufting patents; Lewis Sr. died in 2017 aged 96. Why it matters: a major current US builder of broadloom tufting machines and the carrier of the Cobble–Card family line (see pat-us2935037a, pat-us2975736a). Dates: 1981 (company, Textile Excellence) agrees; milestone counts are company figures. Other pages with images: https://www.cardmonroe.com/innovation · https://www.cardmonroe.com/machines Independent sources: https://floordaily.net/?p=25974 · https://www.utc.edu/gary-w-rollins-college-of-business/news-and-events/entrepreneurship-hall-of-fame/2010 · https://textileexcellence.com/single-news/5676/card-monroe-corp-the-undisputed-world-leader-in-tufting-technology Research note (Oct 2026): facts taken from search-result summaries; the pages themselves weren't opened. Check the cited pages before quoting.