BI Domestics Division

Burlington Domestics Division: Gerald Bradley

The Postex Plant, Post, Texas was started by C.W. Post, the founder of the city of Post, Texas and the Post Cereal Company.  In 1946, Ely & Walker purchased the plant from the Post Estate and operated it along with plants in Sherman, Texas and Calhoun Falls, South Carolina.  These three plants were purchased by Burlington Industries in 1955 and called the B.I. Cotton Mills.  In the early 1960’s, the Postex Plant built the Hallmark Plant for cutting and sewing sheets and pillowcases at Memphis, Texas.  Burlington purchased the old West Cotton Mills, West, Texas about 1966.  The duck manufacturing was relocated from Sherman to West, Texas, still a part of the Cotton Mills Division.  This plant was closed in 1968.  In the 1970’s, Burlington purchased the Erwin Mills.  The Big Mill, No. 1 & No. 4, were sheeting mills in West Durham, North Carolina so it was operated as a part of the Cotton Mills Division.   The Pearl Cotton Mill or Mill No. 5 also in West Durham was closed in December 1968. The division was then renamed Burlington Domestics and operated as a part of the Burlington House Division.  In the early 1970’s, Burlington built an additional sheet and pillowcase plant at Rocky Mount, Virginia.  That plant operated as a part of the Domestics Division and reported to the division president in Greenville, South Carolina.  In the mid-1970’s, the division office was moved to Greensboro.  The West Durham plant was converted into a weave plant and finishing was moved to a plant in Brookneal, Virginia.  A new Cut and Sew plant was moved to Burlington, North Carolina.  Ultimately all of these plants were sold to other companies or closed.

As an interesting side note, read about Ely & Walker and the man who purchased the Postex Plant.

Contributed by Gerald Bradley, Centerville, GA.