Spartanburg, SC, January 10, 2006--Milliken & Company ranks as the 38th best company in Fortune Magazine's annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" listing.
The list and related stories appears in the January 23 issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands January 16, and at www.fortune.com on January 9. Milliken is the only South Carolina-based company to make the list. Additionally, Milliken ranks 15th among mid-sized companies.
"It is no secret that the best companies are made up of the best people--and we are certainly blessed in that regard," stated Dr. Ashley Allen, president and CEO of Milliken. "Milliken associates have worked together to build a great place to work, and I am glad we can all be recognized as the thirty-eighth best company in America," continued Allen.
Despite the benefits that companies on the list offer employees, globalization has made it harder for even the best of them to treat employees well. "The good news is that some companies are doing it anyway," says Fortune senior editor-at-large Geoffrey Colvin in his introduction to the list. "Extraordinary by definition, America's 100 Best Companies to Work For have pushed their employee-pleasing ways further than ever in the past year, blazing a trail for all organizations wanting to thrive in today's economic world."
Regarding Milliken, the Fortune web site answers the profile question of, "What makes it so great?" with the following: Employees have great affection for CEO Roger Milliken, whose family founded this textile company in 1865. "Thankfully, someone in this country cares about the American worker and what he stands for," said one employee.
Milliken has long been a fierce advocate for preserving American jobs. The Company has faced tough Asian competition in recent years as part of the embattled textile industry.
Milliken also evokes pride in other ways. "It is easy to take pride in a company that promotes environmental stewardship and safety to the degree that Milliken does," stated Richard Dillard, director of public affairs. The Company landfills less than 1% of its waste--a result of stringent recycling efforts, and touts an accident incident rate of only .55 compared with the textile industry average of 4.0, and to 6.6 for all U.S. industries.
