From Central Asia to America: Building global carpet empire in a new market

The US market is often described as an arena where only the most resilient companies survive. It is a space where global brands, local manufacturers, and new entrants compete head-on — all seeking not just entry, but long-term presence. How can a company adapt to the expectations of a local audience while competing with producers from across the world?

Over the past few years, this challenge has been successfully navigated by Said Khakimov, Director of Production, Marketing, and Sales at SAG — one of the world’s largest carpet manufacturers — and a recipient of the international Globee Awards in the Business Leader of the Year category. Under his leadership, the company significantly increased production volumes: from approximately 12 million square meters of carpets annually in 2020 to 15 million square meters by the end of 2024. Notably, SAG became the first company in the industry to introduce recycled PET bottles as raw material for carpet production. As Said confirms, other manufacturers have since begun adopting this approach, with some companies even purchasing recycled plastic material directly from SAG.

SAG carpets are supplied to ten countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and China. Since 2019, the company has also been actively expanding its presence in the US market.

Before entering the United States, Said conducted independent market research, studying carpet assortments in New York retail stores. He observed that home textile trends tend to reach the US market with a delay of several years. This insight created an opportunity to introduce new products to American consumers and occupy a distinct niche.

The company chose to introduce Uzbek-made carpets to customers through its own retail stores. SAG’s first locations opened in states with large CIS diaspora communities — New York, Ohio, and Philadelphia. Over time, the audience expanded: SAG carpets became known not only among immigrants, but also among Americans and customers from diverse backgrounds.

“Carpets are a product that requires a very specific approach to promotion — standard social media marketing simply doesn’t work here. From my own experience, I’ve seen that personal interaction and word-of-mouth recommendations are far more effective than any form of advertising. That’s why we build our business around direct contact: customers come to our stores, see the products with their own eyes, assess the quality, and make a purchase decision. Every client has different requirements and preferences, and we strive to take them into account as much as possible,” says Said Khakimov.

In addition to hands-on work with customers, Said closely follows global trends and is developing the company’s online sales channel. In particular, SAG is exploring entry onto the Amazon platform. The company is currently developing three carpet collections specifically designed for online sales.

“We view entry into Amazon as a pilot, but strategically important step in scaling the business. We understand that competition on the platform is extremely intense — many manufacturers use online marketplaces as their primary gateway to the US market. At the same time, in other countries we have already achieved meaningful results, including reducing carpet delivery times to as little as three days,” Said Khakimov notes. “To reach a comparable level of service in the US, we plan to restructure our production and logistics processes and establish our own warehouse infrastructure in one of the states.”

Another avenue for expanding market presence is collaboration with major US retailers. At present, Said is in negotiations with Costco — one of the largest wholesale retail chains — as well as The Home Depot, a leading home improvement retailer. “If we begin working with Costco, we could grow tenfold within the first year. If we enter Amazon, I very much hope that sales volumes will increase nearly twentyfold annually. The potential is truly enormous,” the entrepreneur emphasises.

The development of the B2B segment remains a separate strategic focus. SAG products are showcased at international trade exhibitions, and negotiations are underway with large corporate clients. For example, the company is discussing cooperation with a hotel chain with which it already has successful experience in other countries.

“To establish a strong position in the US market, it’s not enough to focus on a single channel — flexibility is essential. You need to test new approaches and fully leverage all market opportunities in order to secure a foothold and grow sustainably,” Said notes.

Said Khakimov’s deep expertise and the significance of his work in export development were recently underscored by his participation in an international roundtable with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, alongside executives from leading US companies and investment funds. The discussion focused on prospects for business cooperation between the two countries.

At present, Said Khakimov continues to systematically expand SAG’s operations in the US market. The company is currently preparing to open its fourth retail location — this time in Texas.

By Elizaveta Poroshina