MillikenChemical Europe, a business unit of Spartanburg-based Milliken & Company’s Milliken Europe NV
subsidiary, has opened a microbiology laboratory at its technical center in Belgium. The new lab
will provide support and service to customers in Europe that utilize the company’s Alphasan® silver
inorganic antimicrobial technology, and also will support Alphasan-related research and development
projects.
The Milliken Europe Microbiology Laboratory will bring material and finished-part testing
capabilities in-house, whereas previously they were outsourced or were available only to customers
using the lab in Spartanburg. Customers ranging from compounders and masterbatch producers to
original equipment manufacturers in the textile, plastics and rubber sectors will be able to avail
themselves of the new lab’s services.
“This new resource forms part of our strategy to expand our service in Europe, reinforcing
Milliken’s commitment to prioritizing the needs of customers by providing quicker and more
efficient technical support,” said Elke De Clerck, Ph.D., technical services manager at the new
lab. “We are looking forward to the opportunities this closer cooperation will bring, in particular
with regard to exploring new application areas.”
The lab features inoculation and colony-counting facilities, incubators, safety cabinets,
sterilization autoclaves and microscopy services. Assisting De Clerck, who oversees testing and
interacts with customers and sales personnel, is a lab coordinator who organizes and performs daily
activities.
January/February 2007