Specialty Fabrics Review January 2020 - 45

Eventually she was back at company
headquarters, participating in the 2002
asset sale of the ribbon business and
helping to transition the business focus to
high-performance narrow fabrics for the
fire and safety industry, fall protection,
outdoor, military, load management,
aerospace, static dissipation, e-textile and
composite markets.
In 2012 Denise Offray became the
owner, a responsibility she doesn't take
lightly. "I have a healthy respect for the
opportunity I was given," she notes. "Yes,
my father had confidence in me, but now
it's up to me to hang on to it and make it
grow for the next generation."
NEW PRODUCTS,
NEW PERFORMANCE
LeAnne Flack was studying business
economics and French at Wofford
College in Spartanburg, S.C., 23
years ago when she landed a summer
internship at Milliken & Company, a
global manufacturer of performance and
protective textiles. The program gave Flack
exposure to several businesses within
Milliken, and when she was hired as a

process specialist later that year, she was
tasked with looking for ways to reduce
yarn waste in the warping process at
the plant in Abbeville, S.C. "I liked the
hands-on aspect of working in the plant
and ended up staying in manufacturing for
almost ten years, eventually having a team
of engineers report to me," Flack says.
Her next stop was business
development, where she helped build the
business case to support the creation of a
new fiberglass-free, recyclable product,
EnviroPanel®, in 2006 (the patent includes
her name). More recently, Flack led the
development of Breathe by Milliken™,
making the case for developing textiles
for the residential market that combine
sustainability and performance. She
worked with a Milliken chemist, Dr. Emily
Michaels, to commercialize them.
"The way we use our furniture today
is different than the past-we eat on
our couches and have dogs that jump
on them, so upholstery needs to be able
to resist stains and be cleanable," Flack
explains. "As consumers get more and
more educated, they will also demand that
the fabrics are sustainable and responsibly

Denise Offray is a fourth-generation owner
and CEO of Otex Specialty Narrow Fabrics®.

I have a healthy respect
for the opportunity I
was given. Yes, my
father had confidence
in me, but now it's up
to me to hang on to it
and make it grow for
the next generation.
DENISE OFFRAY

ONE ON ONE

L

eAnne Flack is paying it forward by leading one of Milliken's
mentoring groups, which meets monthly to offer support
and discuss issues. She also does one-on-one coaching with
young women on the manufacturing side. A recent discussion
centered on how to balance work and home, especially in the
age of 24/7 accessibility, but what Flack thinks really trips
women up is their reluctance to self-promote and support each
other. "We as women often have a hard time talking about our
accomplishments and successes and promoting our abilities
and what we bring to the table," she says.

Marketing
manager LeAnne
Flack has had a
diverse 23-year
career at Milliken
& Company and
encourages women
in the industry to
engage in more
self-promotion to
succeed.

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