While much of the attention was on Gov. Brian Kemp’s visit, Milliken was also highlighted for a portion of Tuesday’s Early Bird Breakfast at Del’avant Event Center.

Ed Haroski, the Vice President of Human Resources for the Floor Covering Division of Milliken & Company, talked about the company’s history in LaGrange. Milliken was first founded in 1865 and currently has more than 7,000 associates with plants and offices across 13 countries. The company has been headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina since 1956.

Locally, the company has 1,200 employees in Troup County and six different locations.

“Over the last 20 years, we’ve had massive capital investment — tens of millions of dollars,” Haroski said.

“We are investing here in Troup County.”

Milliken has chemicals, textiles and flooring divisions and was named to Forbes’ list of America’s Best Midsized Employers in 2019.

“A U.S. consumer may engage with a product made by Milliken, or contains Milliken content, up to 50 times a day,” Haroski said.

In Troup County, Milliken manufactures air bags for automobiles, materials used in luggage and concrete cloth, among many other items. The company also manufactures colorings for polyurethane, specialty silicones for electronic devices, performance and protective textiles, flame resistant fabric used by first responders and flooring options such as rugs and carpet tile.