Spartan Dyers was founded in 1988 by Alphonse G. Kelada (1933 – 2018) and Nabila R. Kelada
The company is the result of his:
- Love for the art of package dyeing.
- Commitment to quality.
- Solid relationships built with associates, customers, and suppliers over decades.
After earning his Master’s Degree in Chemistry, he began his career in textiles in Egypt where he worked in mercerization of cotton yarns. Package dyeing became his passion after he spent several years in Switzerland and Germany learning the fundamentals from the global leaders in the field.
During the 1970s, he served as General Manager of Dominion Textiles’ Mount Royal Dyehouse in Montreal, Canada. When the company expanded into the United States with its acquisition of Linn-Corriher, he was given the task of managing the Corlin Dyehouse in Landis, North Carolina. It was during this time that he caught a glimpse of his dream to one day own his own dyehouse in the Carolinas.
After several years of planning, preparation, and unwavering support from his wife Nabila Kelada, his dream became a reality when he founded Spartan Dyers in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
In 1996, he was joined by his son George Kelada who holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University and an M.B.A. from Queens University of Charlotte’s McColl School of Business. While at Clemson, George worked at the Gayley Plant Division of Milliken & Co. through the cooperative education program where his main focus was evaluating textile color measurement systems. In 1997, Alphonse Kelada’s daughter Dahlia Kelada Kerr joined the company after earning her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina. She now manages the accounting office along with Nabila Kelada.
In November 1997, Spartan Dyers acquired the Pharr Yarns Sterling Plant in Belmont, NC and closed the operation in Spartanburg. This move quadrupled capacity and gained the company access to markets that were once out of reach. The years since have been marked by steady growth fueled by the same three pillars listed above and a team of loyal associates.