Milliken Expands Yarn Production With North Carolina Plant Acquisition

Milliken & Company has acquired one of the Frontier yarn plants in Mayodan, N.C., from Gildan Activewear Inc.

The purchase of the plant expands its open-end yarn production for its protective fabrics, workwear, government and defense, industrial, and napery textile business units, said Milliken, an innovative manufacturer for the textile, chemical, floor covering and healthcare industries.

"Investing in this plant enhances the agility of Milliken's textile business and shores up our supply chain in the U.S. to benefit our customers," Milliken president and CEO Halsey Cook said. "Guided by integrity and excellence in all we do, this move bolsters our supply chains to enhance customer service."

The Frontier Spinning Plant #3, which Milliken said will be renamed the Two Rivers Plant in a nod to its "dedicated team and the community it serves," headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C. The facility will become a spinning hub for the company, with multiple Milliken textile plants throughout the Southeast sourcing yarn from the Two Rivers Plant.

"Adding this plant to the Milliken manufacturing footprint helps us meet current production needs and offers additional capacity for future growth," said Kevin Brown, senior vice president of global operations for Milliken's textile business. "The expansion helps us create a resilient supply chain that offers consistency and surety for both our product lines and customers."

A purchase price was not disclosed. Milliken was represented by legal advisor Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson Robinson P.A.

Last month, Milliken said it will phase out operations at its Longleaf Plant, located in Sylvania, Ga., and transition all production lines to the expanded and modernized Magnolia Plant, located in Blacksburg, S.C. This decision positions Milliken for additional growth in its "Westex: A Milliken Brand" flame-resistant textiles and workwear business units by maximizing production capabilities at the Magnolia Plant.

Miliken said it will retain and maintain the Longleaf property for the foreseeable future. The phase-out timeline includes offering continued employment opportunities at other Milliken locations to the approximately 260 Longleaf Plant associates. For those who do not want to transfer, the company has engaged local staffing partners to help connect workers with competitive jobs in the immediate area.

Milliken hold thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses. With brands such as Polartec and Westex, Milliken's textile unit has 26 manufacturing facilities across the globe and a wide breadth of capabilities and technologies.

This included finishing, dyeing, processing, fabric formation and composite formation. Fiber types include polyester, nylon, fiberglass, aramids and polypropylene as well as cotton, wool and rayon, while yarns include filament, monofilament, multifilament, bi-component, spun and tape slit film.

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