Unstoppable People - Denise Tamaz

Milliken’s Unstoppable People series highlights Milliken & Company associates who guide us to success and embody our values: integrity, excellence, innovation, sustainability, and people.

Unstoppable People: Denise Tamez

Denise Tamez has become a sustainability ambassador for Milliken’s Floor Covering Business—almost by happenstance.

As the San Diego Territory Account Manager, Denise is intimately familiar with Milliken’s breadth of flooring innovation. “My current role oversees sales in the San Diego area, and I cover all segments, including commercial, government, education, corporate, all senior living multifamily—pretty much any commercial flooring needs. But I would say in the last couple of years I've taken on a side role of sustainability.”

“My background is sustainability. I went to school for design and architecture, and when I was there, I became a LEED AP before I graduated. I was also heavily involved in the USGBC. Sustainability was big for me, but at least initially in my sales career, sustainability didn’t show up much in my day-to-day activities. I joined Milliken 10 years ago, and at least at that time, it wasn’t as big a factor for designers and architects. Then, all of a sudden, it just took off in the last couple of years.”

Milliken has always had a strong sustainability foundation—dating back to its first recycling policy set in the early 1900s—so when the floor covering business began to lead with a sustainability story, Denise found she was now a go-to resource for the sales team.

“Milliken’s rolled out a ton of sustainability initiatives over the last couple of years. I've taught our sales staff how to use those sustainability initiatives in our sales pitches to designers and architects. It’s been very relevant in our industry lately.” This is on top of day-to-day account work. “My daily routine is different each day, which is what I enjoy about it! I might present sustainability webinars like today, or I might be in front of customers, showing products to designers, stopping by dealers, making sure they have what they need to specify Milliken.”

When asked what she likes best about working with Milliken, Denise is quick to respond. “Milliken’s legacy is so rich, and I appreciate that. I get to talk about so much more than floor covering, and I think that's what makes my job as a rep so unique. All of Milliken's innovations, the sustainability behind those products, how long we have been around. No one else has a story like Milliken does.”

Denise is the definition of a Milliken ambassador—sharing her passion for sustainability both within Milliken and outside of it. "Obviously, I share a lot about Milliken with my customers, but it also comes in handy in so many other aspects of my life." She is active in a variety of industry organizations, including International Facility Managers Association (IFMA) and International Interior Design Association (IIDA). She also teaches sustainable design to third-year architect students as an adjunct professor for the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego.

Milliken’s rich sustainability legacy inspires Denise daily, but it isn’t the only thing she’s proud of. 

"One of the industry’s largest global design and architecture firms rolled out product sustainability standards this year. Milliken is a sustainability think tank and a long-term partner in so many ways, but this situation required quick action. We were able to flip our Thrive yarn in a matter of six weeks. With this, and all of our other sustainability accomplishments, we hit all three pillars of sustainability – healthy materials, low embodied carbon, and circularity – making our portfolio one of the best sustainable flooring products the design industry firm can offer in their resource libraries. That was amazing, and I was really proud of Milliken for doing that. We huddled together. We made it happen—thanks to our materials science expertise. All the years of innovation that Milliken has, made a difference. We were innovative, and we got this done.”

Want to join our team of #UnstoppablePeople? Visit our careers webpage to learn more about your next opportunity.

Do you know an Unstoppable Person you’d like to recognize? Nominate them at [email protected].