Mattress manufacturer MLily USA officially opened its U.S. headquarters here as it positions itself for growth.

The 10,000-square-foot facility will serve as the company’s “command center” for the rapid growth it envisions in its future, officials said.

“We’re making a significant investment here to grow our business in the United States, and our Knoxville location will be a pivotal part of our growth,” said James Ni, chairman and CEO of China-based Healthcare Co. Ltd., the parent company of MLily USA. “The Knoxville location affords us the ability to seamlessly manage our operations here in the states. Our business model is working, and the combination of our new plant and the headquarters will lead to even greater success in the U.S. market. The city and surrounding area offer a strong, capable workforce and an appealing place to live.”

MLily USA recently opened a 650,000-square-foot factory and distribution center on 150 acres in Winnsboro, S.C. The factory will manufacture the company’s mattress lines sold throughout the country by home furnishings and sleep retailers.

The new headquarters will house MLily’s order processing, marketing, product development and training departments, as well as a corporate-owned retail store designed as a test lab for new designs.

Currently the headquarters and retail operation employ 12 people. Plans call for doubling that number by the end of the year.

The retail showroom offers the company’s broad line of mattresses and gives it immediate insight into consumer preferences and needs, information that is then used by the product development team to design mattresses for its retail partners, officials said.

“We are very excited to open our U.S. headquarters in Knoxville,” said Stephen Chen, recently named president of MLily USA. “This is a wonderfully diverse economy with a dynamic workforce that we believe will help us continue to grow our domestic business.”