(Yicai Global) June 7 -- Milliken’s Asia floor coverings business is still on an upward path as the commercial carpet maker’s supply chain was not disrupted by the pandemic because of its ‘In Asia, For Asia’ strategy, according to its regional head.

The company’s commitment to Asia has paid off after Covid-19 broke out, Allison Cui, vice president and general manager of Milliken Floors Asia, said in an interview with Yicai Global.

Headquartered in United States with Shanghai as the Asia headquarter, the floor coverings division of Milliken has a manufacturing base in Zhangjiagang, a city in China’s Jiangsu province, about one and a half hours north of Shanghai. The factory was among the first to get back to work in February last year.

As demand began to surge the following May 2020, Milliken was able to respond to customers’ needs quickly, Cui said. It even developed a line of carpets with directional arrows and two-meter social distancing signs.

Milliken, whose China clients include internet giants Alibaba Group Holding, Tencent Holdings, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and Shanghai Pudong Airport, exhibited this year for the first time at Design Shanghai, a design show held between June 3 and 6.

“Our participation in the event also reflects our commitment to the Asian market,” Cui said.

Cui was optimistic about Milliken’s Asian floor coverings business. “The Asian region was the growth engine of not only the floor covering business, but also the whole business group,” she said. Its “significance cannot be underestimated, with its rapid development and rising demand.”

Milliken’s devotion to technology and sustainable development is also in line with current trends. For example, the use of PrintWorks® technology and WellBAC™ backing solution can help achieve “customization” and meet customers’ special needs.

Excerpts from the interview with Cui are below.

Yicai Global: How has Milliken’s floor covering business in Asia been after Covid-19 broke out? Have you encountered any logistics difficulties?

Allison Cui: It was quite challenging coming to China from the United States, or from China to the United States for many companies during the pandemic. However, we are proud that we were not troubled by global supply chain problems, as a result of our long-term commitment to the Asian market and our ‘In Asia, For Asia’ strategy.

Based in Shanghai, Milliken’s floor covering business has a manufacturing facility in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, which made it possible to respond swiftly to Covid-19. Our Zhangjiagang factory was among the first to resume working last February. As customers’ demand begin to rise in May, we were able to follow up immediately.

For example, Milliken designed and developed a series of carpets with arrows or two-meter signs to keep people alert of epidemic prevention during the Covid-19 pandemic.

YG: What’s the role of the Asian market for Milliken?

AC: The Asian region was the growth engine of not only the floor covering business, but also the whole business group. Asian market’s significance cannot be underestimated with its rapid development and rising demand. Our carpet business’ participation in the premier design event Design Shanghai also reflects our commitment in Asia.

YG: How does Milliken use new technologies to empower the business and the entire industry?

AC: We developed the PrintWorks® technology and WellBAC™ backing solution to help Chinese customers achieve “customization” and meet their special needs.

The PrintWorks® technology can give a lot of flexibility that the traditional carpet manufactory cannot provide, especially in customization. It allows clients to realize any design scale and color combination. Patterns can be integrated across the floor without any visual disruption or complicated installation methods due to this technology. Milliken’s carpets can help enterprises in various industries to present brand value and company culture so that a worker can have a sense of identity with the company culture once entering the office.

WellBAC™ backing solution is Milliken’s unique backing solution for commercial users. It offers improved ergonomics and is particularly beneficial with sit-stand workstations. The cushion layer under our carpets is made of recycled cushion foam, which helps up to 24 percent on underfoot comfort, not to mention helping to reduce noise by 90 percent through its acoustic properties.

YG: The public has higher requirements for carpet safety. How does Milliken provide customers with sustainable solutions?

AC: Sustainability, material safety and VOC are of increasing concern among customers, and they have also become a national strategy.

Milliken has reached an aggressive carbon emission target by localizing value chain, procurement and production in China. 

Milliken’s carpet products are all third party-certified and Red-list free products, which reaches the highest standard of Declare. All Milliken’s Asia products have third party-verified Declare Red-List Free labels.

Milliken is one of 1^st carpet manufacturers that has met this highest standard in the flooring industry.