Burlington Industries
Burlington and Greensboro, NC
Burlington and Greensboro, NC
In the early 1920s, Burlington, North Carolina was looking for a knight on a white horse to come to town and
pick up the pieces left behind as the Holt family lost interest in the city’s textile mills. The town fathers
offered a $250,000 loan underwritten by the Chamber of Commerce to anyone who would come to town
and revitalize the dieing textile plants. On November 1, 1923, Spencer Love agreed - the company
incorporated. The newly formed company consisted of 200 employees and one building situated in the
middle of a cornfield. Textile production was started even before the building's construction had been
completed. In 1924, after liquidating the Gastonia Cotton Manufacturing Company, Love moved the best of
his remaining equipment to Burlington and started over. Operations began on July 29, 1924
Initially, Burlington Mills manufactured several cotton products, including flag cloth, bunting, cotton scrims,
curtain and dress fabrics, and a type of diaper cloth called "birds eye". Unfortunately for the company,
however, many of these products were already becoming obsolete by the time manufacturing had begun. In
the meanwhile, a super salesman by the name of Harry Dalton was employed by American Viscose,
manufacturer of rayon. He believed in personal contact and traveled exhaustively by train, sometimes
spending six out of every seven nights on Pullmans to get the word and the product out to new customers.
Business for Love faltered for a short time, until out of desperation he began producing bedspread out of
American Viscose' rayon. Rayon was a relatively new fiber – many people called it "artificial silk" - and
Spencer hung his hat on the fiber. Success! A second mill opened in 1926 and by 1929, Burlington Mills
had a New York sales office. He had arrived. Consumers responded positively to this shiny new material,
and within a few years Burlington became a leader in the manufacture of rayon textiles. This success led to
the opening of a second mill in 1926, and the achievement of $1 million in sales the following year. A New
York sales office was opened in 1929.
In 1935, the company moved its headquarters from Burlington to Greensboro, North Carolina, in order to
have railway access to its operations in New York.
In 1937, Burlington consolidated its various operating units into 22 plants and was listed on the New York
Stock Exchange. Company revenues had risen to $25 million.
When World War II broke out, the company began producing items for the U.S. government. Its research
laboratories also were employed on various government projects, including one that investigated the use of
a new fiber, nylon, in making parachute cloth. This initial work provided the foundation upon which the
company developed several other uses for nylon-based textiles when the war ended.
Following the war, growth continued rapidly into the 1950s. Love bought the Cramerton Mills of Gastonia in
1946. Plants were often built with one wooden wall that could be taken down, moved, and erected again to
expand into available floor space. Burlington also acquired several competitors during this time, including
Pacific Mills and Klopman Mills of Asheboro and Ramseur, NC. William A. Klopman came as a part of the
package. As its diversification strategy began taking the firm beyond its original spinning and weaving
businesses, the company changed its name in 1955 to Burlington Industries.
In 1960, Burlington purchased James Lees & Sons, a Philadelphia-based carpet manufacturer. Two years
later, Burlington became the first textile firm to exceed $1 billion in sales. To this point, from its beginning in
1923, the company's growth was directed primarily by its founder, J. Spencer Love.
When Love died an untimely death of a heart attack on January 20, 1962, Burlington Industries was the
largest textile company in the world, and the 48th largest U.S.-based corporation. One that operated in 18
states and 7 foreign countries.
Charles F. Myers, Chairman 1962-1974
Charles F. Myers succeeded Love as president and changed the company's strategy to more effectively
manage increasing labor costs and foreign competition. Under Love, Burlington had provided fabric to other
apparel and home furnishings manufacturers. Myers undertook a new approach that directly targeted
consumers as the company's customers, and in 1972 Burlington introduced several products under its own
name, including towels, blankets, men's socks, women's hosiery, sheets, and draperies. There were also
acquisitions of non-textile businesses, development of a consumer advertising campaign, and a major
corporate reorganization. One of the acquisitions made during this time that of the Globe Furniture
Company in 1966, furthered the company's goals of getting closer to consumers and of finding new
avenues of growth. This became particularly important three years later when a Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) decree prohibited Burlington from purchasing any United States textile firms for ten years without prior
FTC approval.
Myers, who became Chairman of Burlington in 1968, engineered a controversial internal restructuring that
altered traditional organizational functions, such as marketing and research, and redeployed them into
vertically integrated businesses. The company's New York-based executives--along with Ely R. Callaway,
who succeeded Myers as Burlington's president in 1968--desired a more centralized operation, while
Greensboro-based executives favored Myers' decentralized, divisional structure. In 1973, those who
preferred the divisional structure forced Callaway to resign.
Callaway had been charged with running the day-to-day operations of the company, while Myers tended to
finances. Callaway had been largely responsible for the company's belated entry into double-knit fabrics,
after the popularity of knitwear had seriously begun to reduce the company's sales volume in traditional
woven fabrics. Because of this, Callaway's departure was a loss to the company. Fortunately, Horace C.
Jones, the former president of the company’s Lees Carpets division, succeeded him as president. Jones
ensured that Callaway's work to enter the knitted fabric market was continued. Although faced with rising
costs for raw materials that were in short supply, Burlington quickly retooled its worsted fabric production
facilities to take advantage of the growing trend toward knit and stretch fabrics. This move resulted in
Burlington's recovery.
Erwin Mills merged with Burlington Industries in 1970. In 1986, Burlington sold the factory to J.P. Stevens &
Co., which closed the mill.
Also contributing to the company's recovery were U.S. trade agreements in 1971 with four Asian countries
that served to reduce import volume. The devaluation of the dollar abroad also helped American business
by giving U.S. goods a price advantage. During this time, the company increased its emphasis on the home
furnishings line, which had begun to be marketed under the Burlington House name. In 1973, Burlington
ventured into the lighting area with its acquisition of Westwood Industries.
Horace C. Jones 1974-1976
Internally, the struggle for power continued. Following Myers' retirement in 1974, Horace C. Jones was
appointed chairman and CEO, and four executive vice-presidents competed to succeed Jones as
president. William A. Klopman, son of Klopman Mills' founder, was chosen for the job. Unfortunately, the
recovery that was seen during Jones' presidency was short-lived. By the beginning of 1974, Burlington
faced deepening shortages of raw material, fuel, and labor. These setbacks, combined with an inflationary
economy, threatened consumer spending for apparel and home furnishings. Demand for double-knit
apparel fabrics weakened across the US because the material tended to snag. Luckily, strong sales
overseas in other areas enabled the company to finally realize a positive return on its ten-year-old
investment in its European operations.
William A. Klopman 1976-1986
In 1976, William A. Klopman was appointed Burlington chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, domestic
sales finally rebounded in 1977, due largely to gains in the home furnishings and industrial products area.
Burlington changed its apparel products. The company shifted production away from heavyweight woven
fabrics into more lightweight textured products, introduced a new washable polyester and wool blend called
"Burlana," and expanded the manufacture of denim apparel fabrics, which were growing in popularity.
Burlington entered the 1980s with an eye on its critical foreign operations. It gradually strengthened its
financial position overseas by restructuring its French businesses and by selling its German worsted
apparel fabric subsidiary. The company's continued emphasis on capital spending, however, met with
mixed reviews. Analysts argued that Burlington's object of becoming a low-cost producer supported by
technologically superior plants and long manufacturing runs prevented the company from making
necessary changes flexibly and quickly enough to keep pace with trends in fashion and consumer demand.
Klopman also was criticized for his impersonal and aggressive management style, incorrect product line
decisions, and for creating trade friction between the United States and the Peoples' Republic of China, as
he lobbied hard for limits on Chinese imports. Nevertheless, in 1981 Burlington became the first textile firm
to surpass $3 billion in sales.
In 1984, Burlington acknowledged the necessity of broadening its product mix and targeting specialized,
high-margin designer niches. The company introduced a lighter-weight crinkled denim fabric and designer
bedding. Just two years later, Burlington decided to place greater emphasis upon its industrial textiles area,
and sold the designer bed-linen lines, along with the rest of its bedding and bath textiles division, to J.P.
Stevens & Co.
Frank S. Greenberg 1986-1994
Upon Klopman’s retirement in 1986, Frank S. Greenberg became Chairman and CEO. Greenberg came to
the company in 1959 when Burlington purchased Charm Tred Mills, a carpet firm owned by Greenberg's
father. Like his predecessors, Greenberg rose through divisional ranks into the executive suite, beginning
as the president of the rug division and later serving as company president. Soon, the company began
fighting a takeover attempt by Dominion Textile Inc., Canada's largest textile producer. Many analysts felt
that Burlington's prior reluctance to exit the apparel-fabrics business when lower-priced imports began
flooding the market had reduced company profits and made Burlington vulnerable to such an attack from
outside the firm. Dominion, looking for a way to rejuvenate its own sales in a stagnant Canadian market,
viewed Burlington's denim fabric unit as an attractive acquisition.
Burlington was able to thwart the Dominion takeover through a leveraged buyout that took the company
private. Through an employee stock ownership plan, Burlington's employees became its primary owners.
To reduce the significant amount of debt incurred, the company began selling key assets, such as its
industrial products segment, while also eliminating 1,200 employee positions and slicing operating
expenses to the bare bone. Within one year, Burlington retired 45 percent of its buyout debt through severe
reductions in overhead spending, capitalizing on a favorable market for its divested assets, and strong
apparel fabric sales. Burlington won the battle with Dominion but eventually, the-mortally wounded
company would suffer beyond imagination and lose the war.
In late 1987, Burlington Industries sold the apparel fabrics portion of its Burlington Blended Fabrics division
and the Burlington Prints division for about $150 million. A group consisting of Citicorp Venture Capital Ltd.
and the management of the divisions acquired the operations. The group also assumed certain liabilities
and allowed Burlington to retain an 18 percent interest in the new company, to be called Galey & Lord.
Operating in the early 1990s as a much leaner organization than in the past, Burlington Industries faced
continuing challenges in matching market demand with its manufacturing capabilities and expertise.
Burlington's newly streamlined operation and its proven ability to get out from under a massive debt load
had given the firm increased flexibility, which enabled the company to explore new trends in textile products.
By that point in time, Burlington had positioned itself as the world's largest jacquard weaving manufacturer
for upholstery, draperies, mattress coverings, and bedroom linens. Furthermore, its Area Rugs division was
the United States' leader, and was experimenting with new patterned color systems as a means of offering
customers a broader variety.
One notable change in the early 1990s occurred when Burlington re-entered the public arena with an open
stock offering in 1992. With this change, the positive alterations that had taken place when the company
operated privately became very evident, as Burlington was immediately able to capitalize on new industry
trends. Most importantly, the company was fully able to develop and market new and different products in
order to capture consumer interest and set itself apart from the competition. Not only was new product
development increased, but so also was Burlington's speed of service to both retailers and customers. It
was clear that the company's restructuring efforts after the leveraged buyout in 1987 were finally paying off.
A surge in new housing in the United States during 1994 heightened demand for residential carpeting, even
further helping Burlington regain its standing as one of the country's largest and most successful textile
businesses. To meet the demand, many of Burlington's plants began running 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. Meanwhile, the company continued to invest millions in new product development throughout 1994
and 1995, while virtually extinguishing the remaining debt load left over from the previous years.
George W. Henderson III 1995-2003
At that time, Burlington was searching for attractive acquisition candidates that would diversify its product
offerings, while also complementing the items it presently produced. In January 1995, Burlington made the
decision to purchase Bacova Guild, Ltd., a company that was the market leader in printed accent rugs and
mats. The Bacova Guild joined the Burlington House Area Rugs division, which was already the market
leader in dyed bath and area rugs, and together the two operations helped Burlington control those
segments of the floor covering market.
Near the end of the century, Burlington was operating over 45 different manufacturing plants throughout the
United States and Mexico. As it already enjoyed a standing as the United States' largest apparel fabrics
manufacturer, Burlington continued to increase its export volume to further expand its yearly sales. The
company entered into a joint venture in 1995 with Mafatlal Industries, Ltd. of India to make and sell denim
products in India and other parts of Asia. Burlington decided to sell its struggling knit fabrics division in
1996. Also aiding in Burlington's heightened potential for further growth was the passage of the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which helped Mexico and the Caribbean become extremely
important sources of apparel items. Burlington had operated out of Mexico for half a century, and an
increase in demand and production there was a benefit. 1995.
The company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2001. Its assets were acquired by
International Textile Group (ITG) out of bankruptcy in late 2003. The Lees Carpet division was sold to
Mohawk Industries as part of the deal. With only 500 employees remaining, the company moved out of its
well known headquarters building on Friendly Avenue in October 2004. ITG continues to operate the
companies Burlington WorldWide Apparel and Burlington House Interior Fabrics.
References:
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/14/Burlington-Industries-Inc.html Spring, 1995. Accessed
January 20, 2008
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEED9123BF936A15751C1A961948260 Dec 25,
1987. Accessed January 20, 2008
http://www.answers.com/topic/galey-lord-inc?cat=biz-fin Galey & Lord Accessed January 20, 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington_Industries Accessed January 20, 2008
State of North Carolina historical markers, Burlington, NC
If you would like to contribute information, contact: mock.gary@yahoo.com
pick up the pieces left behind as the Holt family lost interest in the city’s textile mills. The town fathers
offered a $250,000 loan underwritten by the Chamber of Commerce to anyone who would come to town
and revitalize the dieing textile plants. On November 1, 1923, Spencer Love agreed - the company
incorporated. The newly formed company consisted of 200 employees and one building situated in the
middle of a cornfield. Textile production was started even before the building's construction had been
completed. In 1924, after liquidating the Gastonia Cotton Manufacturing Company, Love moved the best of
his remaining equipment to Burlington and started over. Operations began on July 29, 1924
Initially, Burlington Mills manufactured several cotton products, including flag cloth, bunting, cotton scrims,
curtain and dress fabrics, and a type of diaper cloth called "birds eye". Unfortunately for the company,
however, many of these products were already becoming obsolete by the time manufacturing had begun. In
the meanwhile, a super salesman by the name of Harry Dalton was employed by American Viscose,
manufacturer of rayon. He believed in personal contact and traveled exhaustively by train, sometimes
spending six out of every seven nights on Pullmans to get the word and the product out to new customers.
Business for Love faltered for a short time, until out of desperation he began producing bedspread out of
American Viscose' rayon. Rayon was a relatively new fiber – many people called it "artificial silk" - and
Spencer hung his hat on the fiber. Success! A second mill opened in 1926 and by 1929, Burlington Mills
had a New York sales office. He had arrived. Consumers responded positively to this shiny new material,
and within a few years Burlington became a leader in the manufacture of rayon textiles. This success led to
the opening of a second mill in 1926, and the achievement of $1 million in sales the following year. A New
York sales office was opened in 1929.
In 1935, the company moved its headquarters from Burlington to Greensboro, North Carolina, in order to
have railway access to its operations in New York.
In 1937, Burlington consolidated its various operating units into 22 plants and was listed on the New York
Stock Exchange. Company revenues had risen to $25 million.
When World War II broke out, the company began producing items for the U.S. government. Its research
laboratories also were employed on various government projects, including one that investigated the use of
a new fiber, nylon, in making parachute cloth. This initial work provided the foundation upon which the
company developed several other uses for nylon-based textiles when the war ended.
Following the war, growth continued rapidly into the 1950s. Love bought the Cramerton Mills of Gastonia in
1946. Plants were often built with one wooden wall that could be taken down, moved, and erected again to
expand into available floor space. Burlington also acquired several competitors during this time, including
Pacific Mills and Klopman Mills of Asheboro and Ramseur, NC. William A. Klopman came as a part of the
package. As its diversification strategy began taking the firm beyond its original spinning and weaving
businesses, the company changed its name in 1955 to Burlington Industries.
In 1960, Burlington purchased James Lees & Sons, a Philadelphia-based carpet manufacturer. Two years
later, Burlington became the first textile firm to exceed $1 billion in sales. To this point, from its beginning in
1923, the company's growth was directed primarily by its founder, J. Spencer Love.
When Love died an untimely death of a heart attack on January 20, 1962, Burlington Industries was the
largest textile company in the world, and the 48th largest U.S.-based corporation. One that operated in 18
states and 7 foreign countries.
Charles F. Myers, Chairman 1962-1974
Charles F. Myers succeeded Love as president and changed the company's strategy to more effectively
manage increasing labor costs and foreign competition. Under Love, Burlington had provided fabric to other
apparel and home furnishings manufacturers. Myers undertook a new approach that directly targeted
consumers as the company's customers, and in 1972 Burlington introduced several products under its own
name, including towels, blankets, men's socks, women's hosiery, sheets, and draperies. There were also
acquisitions of non-textile businesses, development of a consumer advertising campaign, and a major
corporate reorganization. One of the acquisitions made during this time that of the Globe Furniture
Company in 1966, furthered the company's goals of getting closer to consumers and of finding new
avenues of growth. This became particularly important three years later when a Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) decree prohibited Burlington from purchasing any United States textile firms for ten years without prior
FTC approval.
Myers, who became Chairman of Burlington in 1968, engineered a controversial internal restructuring that
altered traditional organizational functions, such as marketing and research, and redeployed them into
vertically integrated businesses. The company's New York-based executives--along with Ely R. Callaway,
who succeeded Myers as Burlington's president in 1968--desired a more centralized operation, while
Greensboro-based executives favored Myers' decentralized, divisional structure. In 1973, those who
preferred the divisional structure forced Callaway to resign.
Callaway had been charged with running the day-to-day operations of the company, while Myers tended to
finances. Callaway had been largely responsible for the company's belated entry into double-knit fabrics,
after the popularity of knitwear had seriously begun to reduce the company's sales volume in traditional
woven fabrics. Because of this, Callaway's departure was a loss to the company. Fortunately, Horace C.
Jones, the former president of the company’s Lees Carpets division, succeeded him as president. Jones
ensured that Callaway's work to enter the knitted fabric market was continued. Although faced with rising
costs for raw materials that were in short supply, Burlington quickly retooled its worsted fabric production
facilities to take advantage of the growing trend toward knit and stretch fabrics. This move resulted in
Burlington's recovery.
Erwin Mills merged with Burlington Industries in 1970. In 1986, Burlington sold the factory to J.P. Stevens &
Co., which closed the mill.
Also contributing to the company's recovery were U.S. trade agreements in 1971 with four Asian countries
that served to reduce import volume. The devaluation of the dollar abroad also helped American business
by giving U.S. goods a price advantage. During this time, the company increased its emphasis on the home
furnishings line, which had begun to be marketed under the Burlington House name. In 1973, Burlington
ventured into the lighting area with its acquisition of Westwood Industries.
Horace C. Jones 1974-1976
Internally, the struggle for power continued. Following Myers' retirement in 1974, Horace C. Jones was
appointed chairman and CEO, and four executive vice-presidents competed to succeed Jones as
president. William A. Klopman, son of Klopman Mills' founder, was chosen for the job. Unfortunately, the
recovery that was seen during Jones' presidency was short-lived. By the beginning of 1974, Burlington
faced deepening shortages of raw material, fuel, and labor. These setbacks, combined with an inflationary
economy, threatened consumer spending for apparel and home furnishings. Demand for double-knit
apparel fabrics weakened across the US because the material tended to snag. Luckily, strong sales
overseas in other areas enabled the company to finally realize a positive return on its ten-year-old
investment in its European operations.
William A. Klopman 1976-1986
In 1976, William A. Klopman was appointed Burlington chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, domestic
sales finally rebounded in 1977, due largely to gains in the home furnishings and industrial products area.
Burlington changed its apparel products. The company shifted production away from heavyweight woven
fabrics into more lightweight textured products, introduced a new washable polyester and wool blend called
"Burlana," and expanded the manufacture of denim apparel fabrics, which were growing in popularity.
Burlington entered the 1980s with an eye on its critical foreign operations. It gradually strengthened its
financial position overseas by restructuring its French businesses and by selling its German worsted
apparel fabric subsidiary. The company's continued emphasis on capital spending, however, met with
mixed reviews. Analysts argued that Burlington's object of becoming a low-cost producer supported by
technologically superior plants and long manufacturing runs prevented the company from making
necessary changes flexibly and quickly enough to keep pace with trends in fashion and consumer demand.
Klopman also was criticized for his impersonal and aggressive management style, incorrect product line
decisions, and for creating trade friction between the United States and the Peoples' Republic of China, as
he lobbied hard for limits on Chinese imports. Nevertheless, in 1981 Burlington became the first textile firm
to surpass $3 billion in sales.
In 1984, Burlington acknowledged the necessity of broadening its product mix and targeting specialized,
high-margin designer niches. The company introduced a lighter-weight crinkled denim fabric and designer
bedding. Just two years later, Burlington decided to place greater emphasis upon its industrial textiles area,
and sold the designer bed-linen lines, along with the rest of its bedding and bath textiles division, to J.P.
Stevens & Co.
Frank S. Greenberg 1986-1994
Upon Klopman’s retirement in 1986, Frank S. Greenberg became Chairman and CEO. Greenberg came to
the company in 1959 when Burlington purchased Charm Tred Mills, a carpet firm owned by Greenberg's
father. Like his predecessors, Greenberg rose through divisional ranks into the executive suite, beginning
as the president of the rug division and later serving as company president. Soon, the company began
fighting a takeover attempt by Dominion Textile Inc., Canada's largest textile producer. Many analysts felt
that Burlington's prior reluctance to exit the apparel-fabrics business when lower-priced imports began
flooding the market had reduced company profits and made Burlington vulnerable to such an attack from
outside the firm. Dominion, looking for a way to rejuvenate its own sales in a stagnant Canadian market,
viewed Burlington's denim fabric unit as an attractive acquisition.
Burlington was able to thwart the Dominion takeover through a leveraged buyout that took the company
private. Through an employee stock ownership plan, Burlington's employees became its primary owners.
To reduce the significant amount of debt incurred, the company began selling key assets, such as its
industrial products segment, while also eliminating 1,200 employee positions and slicing operating
expenses to the bare bone. Within one year, Burlington retired 45 percent of its buyout debt through severe
reductions in overhead spending, capitalizing on a favorable market for its divested assets, and strong
apparel fabric sales. Burlington won the battle with Dominion but eventually, the-mortally wounded
company would suffer beyond imagination and lose the war.
In late 1987, Burlington Industries sold the apparel fabrics portion of its Burlington Blended Fabrics division
and the Burlington Prints division for about $150 million. A group consisting of Citicorp Venture Capital Ltd.
and the management of the divisions acquired the operations. The group also assumed certain liabilities
and allowed Burlington to retain an 18 percent interest in the new company, to be called Galey & Lord.
Operating in the early 1990s as a much leaner organization than in the past, Burlington Industries faced
continuing challenges in matching market demand with its manufacturing capabilities and expertise.
Burlington's newly streamlined operation and its proven ability to get out from under a massive debt load
had given the firm increased flexibility, which enabled the company to explore new trends in textile products.
By that point in time, Burlington had positioned itself as the world's largest jacquard weaving manufacturer
for upholstery, draperies, mattress coverings, and bedroom linens. Furthermore, its Area Rugs division was
the United States' leader, and was experimenting with new patterned color systems as a means of offering
customers a broader variety.
One notable change in the early 1990s occurred when Burlington re-entered the public arena with an open
stock offering in 1992. With this change, the positive alterations that had taken place when the company
operated privately became very evident, as Burlington was immediately able to capitalize on new industry
trends. Most importantly, the company was fully able to develop and market new and different products in
order to capture consumer interest and set itself apart from the competition. Not only was new product
development increased, but so also was Burlington's speed of service to both retailers and customers. It
was clear that the company's restructuring efforts after the leveraged buyout in 1987 were finally paying off.
A surge in new housing in the United States during 1994 heightened demand for residential carpeting, even
further helping Burlington regain its standing as one of the country's largest and most successful textile
businesses. To meet the demand, many of Burlington's plants began running 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. Meanwhile, the company continued to invest millions in new product development throughout 1994
and 1995, while virtually extinguishing the remaining debt load left over from the previous years.
George W. Henderson III 1995-2003
At that time, Burlington was searching for attractive acquisition candidates that would diversify its product
offerings, while also complementing the items it presently produced. In January 1995, Burlington made the
decision to purchase Bacova Guild, Ltd., a company that was the market leader in printed accent rugs and
mats. The Bacova Guild joined the Burlington House Area Rugs division, which was already the market
leader in dyed bath and area rugs, and together the two operations helped Burlington control those
segments of the floor covering market.
Near the end of the century, Burlington was operating over 45 different manufacturing plants throughout the
United States and Mexico. As it already enjoyed a standing as the United States' largest apparel fabrics
manufacturer, Burlington continued to increase its export volume to further expand its yearly sales. The
company entered into a joint venture in 1995 with Mafatlal Industries, Ltd. of India to make and sell denim
products in India and other parts of Asia. Burlington decided to sell its struggling knit fabrics division in
1996. Also aiding in Burlington's heightened potential for further growth was the passage of the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which helped Mexico and the Caribbean become extremely
important sources of apparel items. Burlington had operated out of Mexico for half a century, and an
increase in demand and production there was a benefit. 1995.
The company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2001. Its assets were acquired by
International Textile Group (ITG) out of bankruptcy in late 2003. The Lees Carpet division was sold to
Mohawk Industries as part of the deal. With only 500 employees remaining, the company moved out of its
well known headquarters building on Friendly Avenue in October 2004. ITG continues to operate the
companies Burlington WorldWide Apparel and Burlington House Interior Fabrics.
References:
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/14/Burlington-Industries-Inc.html Spring, 1995. Accessed
January 20, 2008
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEED9123BF936A15751C1A961948260 Dec 25,
1987. Accessed January 20, 2008
http://www.answers.com/topic/galey-lord-inc?cat=biz-fin Galey & Lord Accessed January 20, 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington_Industries Accessed January 20, 2008
State of North Carolina historical markers, Burlington, NC
If you would like to contribute information, contact: mock.gary@yahoo.com
Left: Pioneer Plant
First Burlington Industries Plant July
29, 1924
Right: First office building
Images: UNC Image Collection and
State of NC Archives.
First Burlington Industries Plant July
29, 1924
Right: First office building
Images: UNC Image Collection and
State of NC Archives.
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Left: The Pioneer Plant was recognised
by the State of North Carolina in early
2008. This marker was placed on
Graham Street in Burlington.
Photo: Gary Mock
by the State of North Carolina in early
2008. This marker was placed on
Graham Street in Burlington.
Photo: Gary Mock
Right: Offices survive at
the Pioneer Plant site.
July 2008
Photos: Gary Mock
the Pioneer Plant site.
July 2008
Photos: Gary Mock
Left: One lone trailer acts as a
watchman guarding the old Pioneer
site
watchman guarding the old Pioneer
site