Randy Kohlman Elected to Strategic Scientific Advisory Board

On May 26, 2022, Dr. Randy Kohlman was elected to the Strategic Scientific Advisory Board (SSAB) of the Nonwovens Institute (NWI) at North Carolina State University.

Dr. Kohlman received his Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Physics from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.  He continued his education by completing a doctoral degree in Physics from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and shortly after, attained a postdoctoral role at Los Alamos National Labs with the initial goal of becoming a university professor. After being introduced to Milliken & Company’s wide range of products, Randy saw an opportunity to apply science to a diverse customer offering. This led him to explore industrial research and in 1998, he began his 24+ year career with the manufacturing company serving in diverse R&D roles across Milliken’s woven, knit and nonwoven departments.  He has co-invented multiple US patents, including several related to nonwovens.

Dr. Kohlman is currently Research Manager focusing upon nonwoven technologies and is located at the historic Roger Milliken Center which is Milliken & Company’s global headquarters in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA.  He leads his research team to explore how Milliken can develop expertise in technologies and materials that drive the industry forward.  Additionally, Randy takes an active role in the Milliken safety process which aspires to establish best practices to ensure the safety and health of every associate, leading to improved morale and increased productivity across the organization.

Randy is married, a father to three children, volunteers frequently with his church, and enjoys staying active by hiking or playing tennis.  With the shared value of developing tomorrow’s leaders, Randy looks forward to pairing his expertise from Milliken & Company with that of NWI’s to make a lasting difference.

The Strategic Scientific Advisory Board manages the Nonwovens Institute’s project portfolio to reflect the long-term research interests of the Institute and its member companies.  The board strives to create a balanced research portfolio and to develop a depth of technical knowledge.  Key current efforts include:

• Definition of technical vision as well as challenges and knowledge gaps for the Institute,
• Portfolio management to ensure balance across the Institute’s five research thrust areas (Materials, Extrusion, Engineered Structures, Modeling, and Sustainability), and
• Assuring that the resulting portfolio of program and results enables industry value creation.

NWI is the world’s first accredited academic program for the interdisciplinary field of engineered fabrics. Based at the Centennial Campus of NC State University in Raleigh, NWI is an innovative global partnership between industry, government, and academia. NWI has over 45 member companies / organizations spanning the breadth of the Nonwovens value chain.  https://thenonwovensinstitute.com

Drawing on more than 155 years of award-winning research and development, the Textile Business of American-based Milliken & Company offers a diverse portfolio of technical textiles serving a broad range of global markets, including apparel, automotive and transportation, building and infrastructure, hospitality, industrial, military, decor, and protective workwear. Focused on enhancing the performance, heightening the protection, and advancing the sustainability of fabrics, Milliken manufactures superior solutions and develops leading innovations that add value to everyday life. textiles.milliken.com/