Spartanburg company recognized among the world’s ‘most ethical’

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Diversified global manufacturer Milliken & Co. is included on the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies list curated by Ethisphere, an organization that works to define and advance the standards of ethical business practices.

This annual recognition highlights organizations with an “exemplary commitment to business integrity through robust ethics, compliance and governance programs,” according to a news release. Milliken is one of only six honorees to make the list every year since the award was first created in 2007.

“At Milliken, we are committed to making a positive impact on people and the world around us,” Milliken President and CEO Halsey Cook said in the release. “This honor affirms that how we conduct business matters just as much as what we accomplish, and we’re proud to be recognized again this year.”

Guided by its core values and the ever-changing landscape of the communities it serves, Milliken undertook an extensive project in 2023 to better understand the needs and desires of its associate base, the Spartanburg-headquartered company said in the release. Milliken then formalized its commitment to Team Milliken with the launch of its Associate Promise, a commitment to building a better future by fostering a culture rooted in trust, intentional inclusion and diversity, and empowerment, the release said, with Milliken’s Associate Promise echoing elements of the company’s overarching ethics and compliance program that strives to purposefully impact the world through a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

“By acting with integrity and transparency, we continue our commitment to maintaining our ethical enterprise,” Kasel Knight, senior vice president and general counsel, said in the release. Knight also is head of sustainability at Milliken. “From the way we treat our associates to the way we engage in the market, we act for humankind in everything we do.”

The World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere‘s proprietary Ethics Quotient, an extensive questionnaire that requires companies to provide more than 240 proof points on their culture of ethics, environmental, social and governance practices, ethics and compliance program, diversity, equity and inclusion, and initiatives that support a strong value chain. In 2024, 136 honorees were recognized, spanning 20 countries and 44 industries, the release said.

“Year after year, we see Milliken exhibit a best-in-class culture of ethics and integrity,” added Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere’s chief strategy officer and executive chair, said in the release. “Not only is this team demonstrating a strong ethical mindset, Milliken is committed to continually improving their ethics and compliance practices. We congratulate Milliken on its 18^th year as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.”