Spartanburg-based Milliken & Company has begun to reduce its workforce company-wide in response
to the current economic downturn. The company employs just under 9,000 people across 47 locations
worldwide, and will lay off approximately 650 of those associates.
“We have done everything we could to avoid arriving at this point, such as temporary
stop-offs and rotating people out at our various manufacturing locations on a weekly basis, but at
some point in time you have to bring some stability to your core workforce,” said Richard Dillard,
director of public affairs, Milliken. “It is a gut-wrenching process to have to tell some of your
good, loyal, hard working people that, through no fault of their own, you have no work available
for them.”
Milliken is counseling the affected associates individually. According to Dillard, though the
company is financially strong and well-positioned to weather the current economic crisis, it had to
adjust its workforce to remain competitive.
March 3, 2009
