Mike Shelton, President and CEO of Valdese Weavers, announced Blake Millinor’s appointment as President today at the company’s headquarters in Valdese, North Carolina. Shelton will continue to serve as CEO of the company. Millinor will assume CEO responsibilities when Shelton steps down later this year from his leadership role at Valdese Weavers that he has held for the past 25 years.
“Blake and I have worked together at Valdese Weavers for the past two decades.” said Shelton. “He is uniquely qualified to lead Valdese Weavers into our next chapter(s), and carry forward our long standing track record of achievement and success competing in the global textile industry. He is a highly respected industry veteran and will be very effective leading all aspects of our business. His proven leadership coupled with his applied experience in sales and marketing, brand development, global supply chain management, and operations makes Blake the perfect person to lead Valdese Weavers now and into the future.”
Millinor started his career with Valdese Weavers in 2001 and has served as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of the company since 2014. Millinor was a key contributor in the planning and execution of multiple business acquisitions and positioning Valdese Weavers as a leader in the performance fabric market. Millinor is eager to begin his role as President and says, “I am proud to have been a part of the history of growth we have experienced and am very excited for what the future holds. As an ESOP company, my focus is continuing to deliver value to our customers and the employee-owners of Valdese Weavers.”
Shelton added, “It has been an honor and a privilege for me to lead Valdese Weavers as our President and CEO. We have grown five-fold since I joined the company in 1989. Further, we have doubled our size during the period of globalization that decimated our segment of the domestic textile industry. Most of the great decorative fabric mills in the United States, and many around the world, that we competed with since the 1990’s have since disappeared. Yet, we have not only survived, but have found a way to indeed thrive. This has only been possible because of our customers, who have seen value in our products and services consistently over the years as we continually re-invented our company, striving to better meet their needs. And equally important, the dedication, commitment, and loyalty of our ESOP associates at Valdese Weavers has created our success, inspired by the vision of our talented leadership team. For this I am extremely grateful, and incredibly proud!”
