Page 83 - History-of-flooringLR

Key dates: Following the purchase of the Beech Hill Plant in Wigan, the first
1865 Milliken founded in USA Millitron carpet tile (using Milliken’s patented digital dye technology)
1968 Milliken acquires Calloway Mills, was printed in the UK in 1986, which makes 2022 the 36th year
entering the carpet business Milliken has made carpet tiles in the UK. The last UK site Milliken
purchased was the Middleton Plant in 1997 where protective flooring
1973 Milliken creates Millitron: the first, large-scale and entryway products are now produced.
digital printer for carpet, revolutionising the
flooring industry Today the floor covering market in Europe, the Middle East, India and
Early 1980s Milliken develops carpet tiles with Africa is serviced from Milliken’s design and manufacturing facility in
cushion backing the north west of England. From its UK bases nearly 600 people are
employed and not just in the manufacturing process itself; Milliken
1986 Milliken sets up UK carpet production at the employs and develops designers, technicians, admin staff, finance
Beech Hill plant in Wigan, UK teams and much more. The company is known for its highly ethical
1986 The first Millitron carpet tile (using Milliken’s approach to its employees, suppliers and customers and has an
patented digital dye technology) was excellent track record of maintaining staff – many of whom have
printed in the UK worked for Milliken in the UK for 30 plus years.
2001 Milliken establishes Clerkenwell
Design Showroom
2005 Milliken introduces TractionBack adhesive
free installation system
2017 Milliken establishes Paris Design Showroom
2021 Milliken celebrates 35 years of carpet
production in the UK
2021 Achieves WELL Certification from the
International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)
at the highest (Platinum) level for Milliken’s
London showroom; the first showroom in the
UK to achieve this certification
2021 Launches M/Pact, making all Milliken’s carpet,
LVT and entrance flooring tiles Carbon
Neutral everywhere in the world
2022 Milliken was named one of the World’s Most
Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute
for the sixteenth year running

The Milliken story begins back in 1865 when Seth M Milliken, operator More than flooring
of a general store in Minot, Maine, partnered with William Deering to Milliken works hard to give something back and has created many
open Deering Milliken – a woollen fabric distributor and sales agent initiatives to support its own staff, communities and the environment:

for textile mills in Portland, Maine. By 1879 Milliken’s headquarters • Milliken runs the ‘One Vision’ programme where all associates
move to its first location in New York City. take part in events to help and support the local community.
• Milliken partners with Healthy Seas (an international initiative
that recovers the abandoned fishing nets that pollute our seas and
coasts).
• In 2022 for the fourth year running Milliken partnered with
Loughborough University on a project to design carpet tile
concepts using Milliken’s proprietary Millitron patterning
technology. Milliken designers work closely with the students and
the relationships they have built and the encouragement given
demonstrate Milliken’s passion and dedication to supporting new
talent.
• Milliken makes free counselling services available to all its
employees.

Alison Kitchingman, Milliken’s director of design and marketing for
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, summarises: ‘We are exceptionally
proud of where Milliken has come from and where it is today: from its
humble beginnings as a general store to a leading flooring designer and
manufacturer. From our factory in Wigan to our showrooms and
offices around the world, we feel honoured to continue to create
exceptional, award-winning floor coverings: as functional and
sustainable as they are inspiring and original. Milliken is committed to
making a positive impact on health, well-being and the environment by
creating products that not only meet the needs of a space but enhance
In 1901 Milliken develops its first recycling policy, establishing the the performance of the people in it.’
company’s commitment to sustainability-focused manufacturing. By
1920 Gerrish Milliken Senior is named as president, succeeding his 01942 612 777
father, and ushering in the second generation of family leadership of carpetenquiries@milliken.com
the company. https://floors.milliken.com

The History of Flooring 83