About Us

The History of Mills Manufacturing Corporation

Mills Manufacturing Corporation is a prime defense contractor for the United States Government and an approved manufacturer of personnel parachute assemblies and related equipment, in accordance with General Specification for Parachutes, Personnel, MIL-DTL-6645. We are listed in the US Government Qualified Products List, QPL-6645-26 dated July 31, 1998. We are an ISO9001:2000 registered company.

Mills was founded in 1935 in New York City by Ernest A. Mills. The Company moved to Asheville, North Carolina in 1952 and since that time, has been devoted entirely to the manufacture of military parachutes and related components.

The 150,000+ square foot manufacturing complex houses a highly experienced management, technical and production staff with extensive knowledge and proven successful performance in all aspects of military parachute production. Mills currently has a customer base that includes all branches of the United States Military and over 65 foreign countries.

Miltex and Mills are centrally located on the East Coast and can arrange cost effective ground, air or ocean delivery to customers around the world.

Mills Manufacturing Corporation performs all work associated with the manufacture, inspection, testing, and packaging of parachutes except for the purchase orders for raw materials such as webbing, cloth, and hardware. Our primary supplier of nylon cord is Miltex Industries. Miltex is a division of Mills Manufacturing Corporation. No part of the manufacturing process is subcontracted to others.

Above: The Early Days of Production at Mills Manufacturing