The Roger Milliken Center, Spartanburg, S.C.-based MillikenandCompanys corporate headquarters, has
become the companys 46th VPP STAR Site. The designation is awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) through the
S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Palmetto VPP. The VPP program recognizes
companies that surpass normal safety requirements to meet and exceed OSHA standards. Since Milliken
began participating in the program in 1992, 45 of its manufacturing locations have been given the
VPP STAR Site designation.This is tremendous recognition, said Roger Milliken, chairman and CEO. It
is a tribute to every associate in our company, because every associate knows that they have
ownership of the safety process. [VPP] is not a management program.The VPP program has been
tremendously successful in helping our company establish an uncompromising safety and health
process, said Richard Dillard, director, public affairs, Milliken and Co. What better gift can you
give your associates and the community, than a safe working environmentMilliken has the most VPP
STAR sites of any company in South Carolina (28 of a total of 35) and also tops the list in every
other state where it operates, according to Wayne Punch, director, safety and health. It is second
nationwide only to International Paper.Janet Nixon, Palmetto STAR VPP coordinator, points to
Milliken when other companies complain that the VPP standards are set too high. [Millikens] record
speaks for itself, she said. They are one of our strongest advocates for the program.Remarking on
the attainment of VPP STAR Site status for the companys headquarters, Punch said, It has been quite
a challenge. This is our largest facility, and that just makes success that much sweeter.
November 2000
