Milliken & Co. is an innovation company that produces textiles, chemicals, fabrics, plastics, composites and floor coverings started in 1865 announced its plans to end operations at its Judson plant first purchased by Deering Milliken in 1927. The Judson plant in Greeville produces yarn used in other manufacturing locations to make fabric which employes 200 people.

The private, multinational company based in Spartanburg said that it's closing the Greenville plant to reposition manufacturing assets and modernize operations to remain competitive in new and fast-growing markets. Existing operations will be consolidated with other Milliken facilities.

The company will start winding down operations and expected to officially close in October. Operations at the Greenville facility will shift to company locations in Jonesville and Gainesville, Georgia.

Milliken spokeswoman Barbara Haaksma said that corporate leaders spent the day Wednesday at the Greenville plant meeting with staff. The company plans to give Judson associates priority consideration and first right of refusal at other company locations in Laurens, Union and Anderson counties.

Milliken's website advertised 28 positions available today, some located in New York, Indiana, Louisiana, Arizona, Georgia and Canada. In addition to the jobs that are posted externally, The Company have positions that are posted internally to the companyl.

The Company would typically like to fill jobs from within, before they get posted externally. Their goal is to place a majority of the 200 associates who wish to continue to work for Milliken after the phase-out.

Milliken with 39 manufacturing facilities located in the U.S., U.K., Belgium, France and China, and with other sales and service operations throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, Milliken's nearly 7,000 associates work to create entirely new customer experiences, build for the future and create products that do good for the world.

Milliken operates 17 locations in the Upstate and nine in Georgia and has no plans to pull out of the region. Between Georgia and South Carolina, the company employs 3,475 people, roughly half the company's workers in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Company-wide, Milliken owns more than 5,000 patents, roughly 40 percent inside the United States.