Know Your Company — Bedspread Mill
BEDSPREAD GREIGE MILL with Karastan Rug Mill in right background.
The Bedspread Greige Mill,
with the Bedspread Finishing
Mill, comprises the largest
woven bedspread operation in
ihe world. The division starts
with the raw material and turns
out the finished, packaged
product (cutting, sewing,
warehousing, shipping and order
and billing operations are
performed at the Bedspread
Finishing Mill at a different
location in Eden).
The Bedspread Greige Mill is
completely air conditioned and
operates some of the most
modern equipment in the
industry, particularly in the
weaving and yarn preparation
processes. Its automated
dyehouse is among the most
modern to be found anywhere.
The looms include cam, dobby,
and Jacquard box looms, the
latter capable of weaving
bedspreads in multiple colors.
Draperies to match are woven
on the same machines.
Among the mill’s best known
products are high quality, loop-
pile colonial type bedspreads,
highly styled printed
bedspreads, beautiful matelasse
bedspreads and draperies.
The Bedspread Greige Mill
grew out of a bedspread
operation conducted by
Marshall Field & Company in
Zion, 111, in 1917 and earlier.
Since that mill was far removed
from the sources of supply of
raw materials and employees,
Marshall Field & Company
decided to move the equipment
to Leaksville (now Eden) and
thereby consolidate its textile
manufacturing activities in
North Carolina and Virginia.
A site was selected on the Dan
River consisting of 247 acres
fronting on the river for over a
mile. This acreage together with
land already owned by Marshall
F^ield & Company was sufficient
for both the mill site and the
employees homes that were to
be built.
As the first manufacturing
processes were not done at Zion,
the move to Eden made possible
the operation of a complete unit
including opening, carding,
spinning, weaving and finishing.
The building was completed in
1917 and consisted of 156,998
square feet. Fifty-two looms
were moved from Zion and 124
more were bought. The mill had
10,300 spinning spindles and
other necessary equipment.
There were 257 employees.
Today the Bedspread Greige
Mill consists of 288,306 square
feet, 13,848 spinning spindles and
290 looms. The mill normally
provides employment for ap
proximately 550 persons.
A number of additions have
been built to the original mill as
the need for more space arose.
New machinery has been
installed from time to time and
the existing equipment
modernized for greater
efficiency.
In 1937, looms and spinning
frames that had been operated
in the old Athena Mill in what
was called the “Bedspread Mill
No. 2” were moved to the main
“Bedspread Mill No. 1.” A one-
bay addition was built onto the
carding and spinning section.
The bleaching and finishing
operations were moved to what
is now the Blanket Finishing
Mill.
An addition was built to the
winding and spooling section in
1945 and additional equipment
was installed. In 1952, the mill
began changing over looms to
make colonial type bedspreads.
Sixty-six additional looms were
purchased in 1956. Additional
dyeing equipment was installed
in 1956 and 1961.
In 1962, the opening and
picking was modernized, the
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HENRY FAGGE, Fixer, LELIA HOLT, Schweiter'
Tender — Quilling Department.
JAMfciS HAIRSTON, Opener TenHor • t-»
Operator, Opening and Picking Dept Dept., WILLIE MOYER, Lift Truck
LUCILLE SIMPSON, Inspector, Inspecting
the mill