Masterlooms, Inc. Champions Efforts To Eradicate Child Labor

Furniture World Magazine

Recognized as one of the leaders in the international hand-woven rug manufacturing industry, Nasser Rahmanan, Founder and President of Masterlooms, Inc., announced that his company will underwrite a Rugmark School for 200 children in the town of Bhadohi, India. Mr. Rahmanan, a board member of Rugmark Foundation - USA since its inception in 1994, believes that "ethical employment practices in the hand-woven carpet industry are necessary in order to abolish child labor and ensure the future success of the industry." Rugmark Foundation - USA is part of The Rugmark Foundation, an international, non-profit program whose goals are to combat the use of child labor in rug-making in South Asia, and ultimately break the cycle of poverty by moving children out of factories and into schools. Among the key aspects of the program are the on-site monitoring of production facilities, and the certification of manufacturers who do not utilize child labor. Carpets produced only in those certified facilities may bear a Rugmark label, thereby assuring consumers that the carpets meet child labor-free requirements. The Rugmark Foundation, with locations in Germany, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and the U.S., recruits carpet producers and manufacturers to make or sell carpets that are free of child labor, and encourages producers to employ adults at the legal minimum wage. "By choosing to support Rugmark, we [Masterlooms] are taking the initiative to change Third World work practices, which is a very important and sensitive issue," explained Rahmanan. "Placing the Rugmark label along with our own Masterlooms' medallion, conveys to our customers that we support initiatives that will eventually stamp out illegal child labor in India," he continued. "My colleagues [importers and manufacturers] who are Rugmark licensees, donate a percentage of the price of their carpets to Rugmark, and those funds are transferred to UNICEF to underwrite educational, health and vocational training programs for the children within the Rugmark initiative." Plans also call for Masterlooms to sponsor a second school in the same region, which will provide 200 young workers with an education and help them learn new skills. Headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey, Masterlooms is a leading, international manufacturer of Indian and Nepalese rugs. Masterlooms' decorative rug collections offer an array of distinctive designs that incorporate a palette of colors made from biodegradable dyes. Founded by Nasser Rahmanan and his wife Sheila in 1987, this family-owned and operated business has grown to become one of America's leading hand-woven area rug manufacturers.