| Mount Vernon Mills

Corporate Citizens

One of Mount Vernon Mills' guiding business philosophies is that the interests of the stockholders, the employees, and the communities - of which each plant is a part - are equal. Because of this, no one interest is any more important than any other in the total company equation. It is therefore incumbent upon all to work together in harmony, because each is so closely tied.

It is through this framework and company spirit that the R.B. Pamplin Corporation and its subsidiaries have generously donated numerous buildings, helped build schools, and given contributions to each of the local communities that are home to Mount Vernon Mills' operations.

In 1981, Mount Vernon Mills donated the historic Columbia Mills Complex to the State of South Carolina to house the State Museum. 1986 heralded a substantial gift which was given by R.B. Pamplin to Virginia Tech, endowing the R.B. Pamplin School of Business. In 1996, the small town of Trion, GA received funds from Mount Vernon Mills to help build a new modern school for the children there.

New Prospects

The fabric that makes up the Mount Vernon family is unique. Each employee plays a vital role in contributing to the company's success. When their jobs are performed well, the process becomes more efficient. The more efficient the process, the more the company is able to meet the goals of the shareholders as well as its collective responsibilities to the communities where plants are located.

Mount Vernon Mills has been in continuous operation for over 150+ years, with a widely diverse range of products, services and capabilities. it is one of the most dynamic companies in the textile industry, with a corporate commitment to reinvestment. Through technological advances, Mount Vernon Mills has been able to change and adapt to the growing threat of foreign competition.

Our Mission

Our Mission.

Satisfying our customers. We will be the supplier of choice by our customers; the employer of choice by our co-workers and our communities; and the investment of choice by our owners.

Our Foundation.

Traditional values of fairness and integrity. We will be a model of integrity and excellence for business and industry. Team work is our way of life.

Our Commitment.

To our customers, the 3,000 members of our family and the 13 communities where our plants are located. We will pursue excellence in all we do. Our traditions of citizenship and service will demonstrate our care for the people and environment around us.

Our Vision.

Ongoing capital investment in world-class capabilities for today's and tomorrow's success. We must be financially successful to prosper as co-workers and as a corporation.

We believe in balanced growth and strongly urge our customers and suppliers to form market partnership programs. We want to be viewed as fair, tough, and somewhat unpredictable by our competitors. We take pride in our profitmaking performance and return on assets employed.

Setting Sail...History of Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon traces its origin to the Jones Falls area in what is now Baltimore, Maryland. Several flour or grist mills were built there around 1810, and by the 1830s, many of the mills were being converted into cotton duck manufacturing operations. One such mill, when it was converted in 1847, was named “Mount Vernon Mill No. 1.” This mill, together with several others in the area, would soon become the Mount Vernon Company, a leading maker of quality cotton duck cloth for sails for clipper ships and canvas cloth for tents..

The early years of Mount Vernon provided at least one interesting historical footnote. Fabrics made by the Company’s mill in Baltimore were sewn into tents used by the Union Army in the Civil War. At the same time, the Tallassee, Alabama facility, which became part of Mount Vernon in 1900, produced cloth for uniforms and carbine rifles for the Confederate Army.

Beginning around the turn of the 20^th century, Mount Vernon endured a series of acquisitions, combinations and divestitures, as the Company and its cotton duck competitors pushed and shoved for influence in the market. The Company finally reorganized in 1915 as Mount Vernon-Woodbury Mills. The name was changed to Mount Vernon Mills, Inc. in 1956. The Company remained primarily a cotton duck and canvas manufacturer into the 1940s when it began manufacturing blended fabrics with cotton and man-made yarns. Net sales in 1946 were about $34 million. By the 1960s, the product line had expanded to include such items as dryer felts used by paper manufacturers, fabrics for industrial and commercial conveyor belts, heavyweight apparel fabrics, and yarn for upholstery fabrics.

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The Pamplin Family

In 1982, R.B. Pamplin Corporation purchased Mount Vernon Mills. Since that time, as chairman and CEO, Dr. Pamplin has overseen investment of more than $840 million in capital improvements, and grown revenues through enhanced internal operations and additional acquisitions. Sales have grown from $84 million in 1983 to over $500 million today.

During the same period, Mount Vernon has kept a firm handle on manufacturing, selling, and administrative costs, leading to arguably one of the strongest balance sheets in the textile industry. In the United States, it is the second largest privately owned textile company, the third largest producer of denim, and the only vertically integrated pocketing manufacturer.