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“I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others.” – Thomas A. Edison

At Milliken, we take Mr. Edison’s words to heart every time we set out to create and innovate. We also like to take it one step further, by considering not only the service it might give others, but the service it might give our planet as well.

Since interning with Milliken in 1990, Dawn has utilized her keen eye for design and color, and her technical understanding of the science of performance textiles, to create fabrics spanning a range of industries. She spent time in women’s wear, automotive textiles, commercial table linens, before moving to residential and commercial interiors, where she focuses her time today.

More than 250,000 manufacturing firms, employing a workforce of 12.3 million workers, contributed $2.18 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2016. It is a staggering figure showcasing the manufacturing capabilities in our country.

At Milliken, we are a community of innovators. Stemming from meaningful design and forward thinking, our company addresses issues of today for the good of tomorrow. Milliken products, patents, and technology serve as the underpinning of daily life – as a U.S. consumer, you may interact with Milliken innovations up to 50 times a day without even knowing it.

Last fall, we challenged Milliken associates to take part in our annual Corporate Impact Campaign, a campaign designed to offer meaningful ways to support our local Spartanburg community through four Strategic Community Impact Organizations. All four organizations have missions aligning with Milliken & Company’s core values of vibrant culture, health and safety, and quality education, and each associate could direct donations to the organization he or she identified with most.

The focus on STEAM education is incredibly important in building the next generation of innovators. Careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are growing in need. Adding the Arts in the STEM equation to equal STEAM introduces a new level of creativity and perspective for problem solving – something we champion at Milliken to design meaningful innovations that ‘do good.’ In our own experience, melding diverse disciplines can result in creativity never before possible.

Every day, we surround ourselves with products and materials that can influence our lives in ways seen and unseen. While it can be easy to see how their tangible experiences can enhance our every day, such as the comfort of cushion-backed carpet, more intangible attributes, like a PVC-free construction, can be less obvious yet are equally as important.

Soul food, Spartanburg, and success - all a part of the story of the innovative Spartanburg-native chef, Pamela Strobel. Affectionately known as Princess Pamela, Milliken is joining community partners to celebrate her delicious recipes as one of the sponsors of an upcoming authentic cookbook luncheon this Tuesday, May 23, 2017, at Spartanburg’s Hub City Farmer’s Market.

At Milliken, we invest in more than just our innovations. From our perspective, ‘doing good’ means directly impacting the communities where our associates live and work for the better.

As the weather improves and we book our calendars with outdoor activities, these five Milliken innovations are making spring activities, from school field trips to long-weekend road trips, more accessible, colorful, and environmentally conscious.