Milliken & Company Plants
New and Old
New and Old
This web site on textile history of companies and people is a hobby of mine. If you can add or correct,
please contact mock.gary@yahoo.com
Milliken & Co. announced on May 20, 2009 that it plans to sell its global Automotive Body Cloth division
to a management group in Greenville, SC. The new company will operate as: Autotex. Several mills will
be affected. Details are still unavailable. The sale includes: the Gayley plant in Marietta; Abbeville plant
in Abbeville; Cotton Blossom in Spartanburg, all in South Carolina; Avalon plant in Toccoa, Ga.; and
Autotex plant in Brazil, as well as support operations in the United Kingdom, Japan and China.
The company’s Sharon plant, located near Abbeville, SC, and employing 140 associates, will be closed.
Source: Carmichael International based on news reports.
Name Location Products
Abbeville 1895 Abbeville, SC Spun yarn, piece dye wool and synthetic blends
Alma Nichols, GA Carpet yarn spinning
Auto Lamination Spartanburg, SC Mfg. Coated fabrics for automotive, napery & outdoor fabrics
Avalon Toccoa, GA
Barnwell 1955-2009 Barnwell, SC
Bought from Amerotron 1963 Specialty uniforms and table linens dyeing & finish.
Belton Belton, SC From Amerotron 1963 Closed
Calumet LaGrange, GA Bought from Callaway Flocked fabrics and piece dyeing –closed and razed
Carson Nonwovens Plant 2009 from Western Nonwovens Carson, CA
Cedar Hill Jonesville, SC Weaving – greige goods
Clearfield Nonwovens Plant 2009 from Western Nonwovens Clearfield, Utah
Cotton Blossom Spartanburg, SC Warehouse and Pilot Mfg
Cushman Williamston, SC Texturing, twisting, winding
Cypress Blacksburg, SC Batch Specialty Chemical Operations
Darlington Manufacturing 1883 Darlington, SC Closed
DeFore Clemson, SC Automotive fabric / Weft Knitting 4 Closed and razed.
Dewey 1963 Inman, SC Specialty Organic chemicals
Drayton Spartanburg, SC Former Spartan Mills plant - Closed
Duncan M. Stewart LaGrange, GA Upholstery
Elm City LaGrange, GA Automotive fabrics
Enterprise Marietta, GA
Excelsior Union, SC Knitting and piece dyeing Closed 2003
Exeter purchased 1966 Exeter, NH closed prior to 1987
Gaffney Manufacturing 1892 Gaffney, SC Closed
Gayley Marietta, SC Automotive and elastics dyeing & finishing
Gerrish Milliken Pendleton, SC Water Jet Weaving – Automotive, outerwear, napery
Ralph Gillespie Union, SC Nonwovens closed 2003
Gilliland purchased 1965 Laurens, SC Knit fabrics – Specialty industrial and other businesses
Golden Valley Bostic, NC Knitting
Hartsville Hartsville, SC Closed
Hatch Columbus, NC Knitting and dyeing
Hillcrest-Sommer Simpsonville, SC flocked carpet for auto interiors
Hillside LaGrange, GA Carpet
Honea Path 1963 Honea Path, SC From Amerotron Closed
Humphrey Toccoa, GA
Johnston Johnston, SC Mfg. fabrics for apparel industries, active wear, uniforms, fine goods
Judson 1913 Greenville, SC Mfg. yarn packs & wraps
Kex LaGrange, GA Industrial rugs & wipes
Kingsley Thomaston, GA
Kingstree Kingstree, SC Winding & twisting
Live Oak LaGrange, GA Carpet square D&F burned 1995, rebuilt ASAP. Millitron carpet printing
Lockhart Lockhart, SC Cotton jersey knit -Closed
Machias Machias, ME woolen Closed
McCormick McCormick, SC Water Jet Weaving – outerwear, drapery, napery, automotive
Magnolia Blacksburg, SC Integrated fabric piece and continuous dyeing & finishing
Midway Union, SC Knit finishing (closed) & warehouse
Milliken Electronics Inman, SC (closed)
Milliken Research Spartanburg, SC Integrated research and pilot plant
Milliken Design LaGrange, GA Carpet design
Milliken Packaging Jonesville, SC
Monarch 1917-2009 Union, SC Mfg. yarn for auto, apparel and upholstery.
New Holland Gainesville, GA Former Spartan Mills plant
Newton named for Russell B. Newton 1965 Hartwell, GA Broad woven
Orlando Nonwoven plant 2009 From Western Nonwovens Orlando, FL
Ottaray Union, SC Closed
Pacolet Mills Pacolet, SC Closed
Peerless Belton, SC Closed
Excelsior Pendleton 1948- Pendleton, SC Integrated piece dye & finish of specialty fabrics
Pine Mountain Pine Mountain, GA Industrial fabrics
Red Springs 1963 Red Springs, NC Woolen plant bought from Amerotron. (Closed)
Robbins 1963 Robbins, NC Woolen plant bought from Amerotron (closed – burned Aug. 17, 2008) (3)
Rutherfordton, Rutherfordton, NC woolen Closed 1960s.
Saluda 1966 Saluda, SC Closed 2003
Sauget Nonwovens Plant 2009 from Western Nonwovens Sauget, IL
Sharon Abbeville, SC Mfg. Automotive, retail, other decorative fabrics
Alan B. Sibley 1965 Lavonia, GA
Saint George Plant, From Western Nonwovens Saint George Utah
Stearns Stearns, KY American Bag plant opened 1992 closed 2004
Sycamore Clinton, SC Warehousing, Distribution, Maintenance for Milliken transportation fleet
Tetra Pak Whitestone, SC Mfg. coated / laminated materials for packing
Unity LaGrange, GA
Valway LaGrange, GA
Winfield Winfield, TN American Bag plant closed 2005
International:
Belgium
Dierman Mill Purchased 1965
Milliken Chemical, Ghent, Belgium Mfgers of plastics colorants.
China
Zhangjiagang Economic Development Zone, Jiangshu Province. Modular carpet plant - open 2008
England
Lodgemore Mill, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK Woolen specialty products (billiard cloth, tennis ball fabric, etc)
Wellington purchased 1963 sold to internal group 2011
Modular carpet and Millitron Plant
France
Milliken France, St. Alba. Mfg of polyester filament yarn
Roisel and outside Privas, France
Japan
Milliken Modular Carpet and Millitron
Sources:
1. http://www.llr.state.sc.us/Labor/scovp/PDF/VPPContactlist.pdf Accessed July 25, 2008.
2. Personal recollection, Gary Mock.
3. Various news sources: prnews& wire Aug. 19, 2008.
4. http://www.sccommerce.com/docdirectory/ResearchFolder/Automotive-Related%20Companies%20in%
20South%20Carolina%202008.pdf Accessed November 21, 2008
5. Autotex spinoff. News reports and press release May 20, 2009.
Page Copyright Gary N. Mock 2008-2011
please contact mock.gary@yahoo.com
Milliken & Co. announced on May 20, 2009 that it plans to sell its global Automotive Body Cloth division
to a management group in Greenville, SC. The new company will operate as: Autotex. Several mills will
be affected. Details are still unavailable. The sale includes: the Gayley plant in Marietta; Abbeville plant
in Abbeville; Cotton Blossom in Spartanburg, all in South Carolina; Avalon plant in Toccoa, Ga.; and
Autotex plant in Brazil, as well as support operations in the United Kingdom, Japan and China.
The company’s Sharon plant, located near Abbeville, SC, and employing 140 associates, will be closed.
Source: Carmichael International based on news reports.
Name Location Products
Abbeville 1895 Abbeville, SC Spun yarn, piece dye wool and synthetic blends
Alma Nichols, GA Carpet yarn spinning
Auto Lamination Spartanburg, SC Mfg. Coated fabrics for automotive, napery & outdoor fabrics
Avalon Toccoa, GA
Barnwell 1955-2009 Barnwell, SC
Bought from Amerotron 1963 Specialty uniforms and table linens dyeing & finish.
Belton Belton, SC From Amerotron 1963 Closed
Calumet LaGrange, GA Bought from Callaway Flocked fabrics and piece dyeing –closed and razed
Carson Nonwovens Plant 2009 from Western Nonwovens Carson, CA
Cedar Hill Jonesville, SC Weaving – greige goods
Clearfield Nonwovens Plant 2009 from Western Nonwovens Clearfield, Utah
Cotton Blossom Spartanburg, SC Warehouse and Pilot Mfg
Cushman Williamston, SC Texturing, twisting, winding
Cypress Blacksburg, SC Batch Specialty Chemical Operations
Darlington Manufacturing 1883 Darlington, SC Closed
DeFore Clemson, SC Automotive fabric / Weft Knitting 4 Closed and razed.
Dewey 1963 Inman, SC Specialty Organic chemicals
Drayton Spartanburg, SC Former Spartan Mills plant - Closed
Duncan M. Stewart LaGrange, GA Upholstery
Elm City LaGrange, GA Automotive fabrics
Enterprise Marietta, GA
Excelsior Union, SC Knitting and piece dyeing Closed 2003
Exeter purchased 1966 Exeter, NH closed prior to 1987
Gaffney Manufacturing 1892 Gaffney, SC Closed
Gayley Marietta, SC Automotive and elastics dyeing & finishing
Gerrish Milliken Pendleton, SC Water Jet Weaving – Automotive, outerwear, napery
Ralph Gillespie Union, SC Nonwovens closed 2003
Gilliland purchased 1965 Laurens, SC Knit fabrics – Specialty industrial and other businesses
Golden Valley Bostic, NC Knitting
Hartsville Hartsville, SC Closed
Hatch Columbus, NC Knitting and dyeing
Hillcrest-Sommer Simpsonville, SC flocked carpet for auto interiors
Hillside LaGrange, GA Carpet
Honea Path 1963 Honea Path, SC From Amerotron Closed
Humphrey Toccoa, GA
Johnston Johnston, SC Mfg. fabrics for apparel industries, active wear, uniforms, fine goods
Judson 1913 Greenville, SC Mfg. yarn packs & wraps
Kex LaGrange, GA Industrial rugs & wipes
Kingsley Thomaston, GA
Kingstree Kingstree, SC Winding & twisting
Live Oak LaGrange, GA Carpet square D&F burned 1995, rebuilt ASAP. Millitron carpet printing
Lockhart Lockhart, SC Cotton jersey knit -Closed
Machias Machias, ME woolen Closed
McCormick McCormick, SC Water Jet Weaving – outerwear, drapery, napery, automotive
Magnolia Blacksburg, SC Integrated fabric piece and continuous dyeing & finishing
Midway Union, SC Knit finishing (closed) & warehouse
Milliken Electronics Inman, SC (closed)
Milliken Research Spartanburg, SC Integrated research and pilot plant
Milliken Design LaGrange, GA Carpet design
Milliken Packaging Jonesville, SC
Monarch 1917-2009 Union, SC Mfg. yarn for auto, apparel and upholstery.
New Holland Gainesville, GA Former Spartan Mills plant
Newton named for Russell B. Newton 1965 Hartwell, GA Broad woven
Orlando Nonwoven plant 2009 From Western Nonwovens Orlando, FL
Ottaray Union, SC Closed
Pacolet Mills Pacolet, SC Closed
Peerless Belton, SC Closed
Excelsior Pendleton 1948- Pendleton, SC Integrated piece dye & finish of specialty fabrics
Pine Mountain Pine Mountain, GA Industrial fabrics
Red Springs 1963 Red Springs, NC Woolen plant bought from Amerotron. (Closed)
Robbins 1963 Robbins, NC Woolen plant bought from Amerotron (closed – burned Aug. 17, 2008) (3)
Rutherfordton, Rutherfordton, NC woolen Closed 1960s.
Saluda 1966 Saluda, SC Closed 2003
Sauget Nonwovens Plant 2009 from Western Nonwovens Sauget, IL
Sharon Abbeville, SC Mfg. Automotive, retail, other decorative fabrics
Alan B. Sibley 1965 Lavonia, GA
Saint George Plant, From Western Nonwovens Saint George Utah
Stearns Stearns, KY American Bag plant opened 1992 closed 2004
Sycamore Clinton, SC Warehousing, Distribution, Maintenance for Milliken transportation fleet
Tetra Pak Whitestone, SC Mfg. coated / laminated materials for packing
Unity LaGrange, GA
Valway LaGrange, GA
Winfield Winfield, TN American Bag plant closed 2005
International:
Belgium
Dierman Mill Purchased 1965
Milliken Chemical, Ghent, Belgium Mfgers of plastics colorants.
China
Zhangjiagang Economic Development Zone, Jiangshu Province. Modular carpet plant - open 2008
England
Lodgemore Mill, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK Woolen specialty products (billiard cloth, tennis ball fabric, etc)
Wellington purchased 1963 sold to internal group 2011
Modular carpet and Millitron Plant
France
Milliken France, St. Alba. Mfg of polyester filament yarn
Roisel and outside Privas, France
Japan
Milliken Modular Carpet and Millitron
Sources:
1. http://www.llr.state.sc.us/Labor/scovp/PDF/VPPContactlist.pdf Accessed July 25, 2008.
2. Personal recollection, Gary Mock.
3. Various news sources: prnews& wire Aug. 19, 2008.
4. http://www.sccommerce.com/docdirectory/ResearchFolder/Automotive-Related%20Companies%20in%
20South%20Carolina%202008.pdf Accessed November 21, 2008
5. Autotex spinoff. News reports and press release May 20, 2009.
Page Copyright Gary N. Mock 2008-2011