Blog

Safety is a central pillar of our work at Milliken, both in our products and in our working environment. Fostering a culture of safety not only protects our associates, it leads to more stable communities—communities positively impacted by Milliken innovations.

With the changes the U.S.-based textiles industry has seen over the past century, Milliken knew our ability to thrive as a global innovations company depended on our ability to innovate practically on behalf of the markets and customers we served. Our innovations resonate within our industries because they are able to help solve everyday challenges. Many of Milliken’s leading innovations were developed as a way to solve a problem — using design as a key mechanism for an achievable outcome.

Over the course of 154 years, Milliken has built upon our initial textiles expertise to become a global manufacturer of textile, chemical and floor covering innovations with applications across a breadth of industries. Our thriving research and development capabilities enabled this diversification into new markets; yet Milliken’s commitment to the textiles industry remains as strong as ever. 

“Quality is not an act; it is a habit.” – Aristotle

On the forefront of our work as a modern manufacturer is the desire to solve everyday problems with innovative solutions that contribute to a better world. Millad® NX™ 8000 is one such product. A clarifying agent used to create UltraClear polypropylene, Millad NX 8000 prompts the marketplace to redefine how we all care for the environment through solutions that address key challenges in today’s plastics industry.  

This year saw a changing landscape at Milliken, an ever-evolving path toward growth and continuous innovation. We celebrated 60 years at the Roger Milliken Center, trained local vocational high school students in partnership with OSHA and explored the evolving definition of sustainability to further safety within our communities, and concluded the year with an R&D 100 Merit Award. 

The holidays find many of us baking in the kitchen, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to creatively integrate the concepts of STEAM education, or science, technology, engineering, art and math, into holiday festivities with children. Every day at the Milliken Guest House, Executive Chef Matt Ryan creates new recipes for guests at our global headquarters. Discover the role innovation plays within his kitchen, why the holiday season brings out his imaginative side, and a favorite cookie recipe for you and your family to enjoy. 

Lining the avenue adjacent to our Floor Covering Design Center and purposefully nestled amongst other groves of trees are the Shawnee Brave Bald Cypress trees. These stately specimens stand proudly along their taller neighbors, underpinning the Milliken Arboretum in an unassuming yet ever-present manner.

For more than 50 years, the R&D 100 Awards have served as one of the most prestigious honors for innovations that are moving the needle within their respective industries. Milliken is humbled to have received a number of R&D 100 Awards over the past several years for revolutionary protective textiles to improved wound-care dressings. This year, we are honored once more to receive a Special Recognition R&D 100 Merit Award for innovation in green technology for Breathe by Milliken™ – the first plant-based, fluorine-free natural and polyester fiber performance fabrics for the home.

The ever-changing Princeton Sentry Ginkgo tree, with its woody attributes and ornamental appearance, has proudly stood in the Milliken Arboretum since the 1990s, a decade where sustainability came into greater focus for the world, and for Milliken. “Green” reminds us of many things, from sustainable building practices to the lush coloring of more than 3,000 green noble trees. No matter its context, green signifies meaningful environmental contributions and intentional growth here at Milliken, which we continue today through both our products and processes. Our goal in doing so is simple: to protect and build a better world for future generations. Discover how the 1990s served as a springboard for expanding Milliken’s almost century-long commitment to sustainability.