eTextileCommunications.com

An unprecedented year of uncertainty and consternation resulted in a business plunge for some and an uptick for others as the coronavirus struck the world and continues to linger into the young year. Many U.S. textile, apparel and cut-and-sew companies and their suppliers are approaching 2021 with cautious optimism as the COVID-19 vaccine and herd immunity promise a return to some semblance of normalcy.

In our annual Review & Forecast report, a cross-section of companies in those sectors respond to an eTC questionnaire about how business fared in 2020 and how prospects are looking as the new year kicks into gear. Participants are listed in alphabetical order.

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TS Designs among this week’s pitstops on the textile infobahn

Probably like many of you, I jumped on my Jetsons-level (virtual) flying car through cyberspace this week and hovered over a few textile-related webinars – about four-and-a-half hours’ worth. Subject matter experts from all corners of our industry and several corners of the country and the world imparted nuggets of knowledge and enough meaningful information to fill comprehensive textile textbooks.

One of the pitstops I made on my trek through the woven, knitted and meltblown web of virtuality covered all of those topics. The event was hosted by Burlington, N.C.-based TS Designs, which is putting on monthly Zooms to update interested parties on an important, admirable project it has undertaken through its brand, Solid State Clothing. As part of its mission to be traceable, transparent and local, the company is introducing the people behind each step of the process.

This week, tthe TS/Solid State team stopped by the yarn-spinning link in its supply chain this week to host “The Harvest: A Gathering of Conversations for the Future of Cotton.” Representing partner Parkdale was Andy Long, vice president of sales and marketing at Parkdale’s SpunLab Division.

Newly retired Gloria Freeman kept SCMA gears turning for 43 years

Gloria Freeman, one of the most visible behind-the-scenes’ gear-turners in the manufacturing industry in South Carolina, retired on December 31 after 43 years of service to the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA).

Freeman is well known in the state’s manufacturing industry, particularly in the textile sector. Friends and colleagues offered numerous memories and well wishes for her when she announced that she was calling it a career.

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THANK YOU!

American Textile Worker celebrated for answering PPE call during crisis

This year, your industry – our industry – heeded the call and rallied around the PPE shortage to help fight the spread of coronavirus. Many of our companies pivoted production into materials for PPE, others volunteered to offer inputs for these products. You connected, conversed and collaborated to find the best path forward. You discovered that strangers in your midst – and even competitors – had some of the answers as you sought solutions, learned best practices and identified the direst needs of those on the frontlines. You formed supply chains virtually overnight, which allowed you to turn and churn in an impressive and unprecedented timespan.

And none of you could have done so without your most important asset: your employees. They agreed to come to work with a dangerous virus lurking. They agreed to learn new methods and new products. They agreed to come forth and do their part to help others, their fellowman.

As such, by demonstrating the true spirit of what our industry is all about by stepping up BIG TIME to address the dire shortage of PPE when our citizens needed it most, the American Textile Worker has been named eTextileCommunications.com’s 2020 Industry Champion. These individuals have proven the resilience, flexibility and aptitude that we always knew existed by pivoting, in many instances, to produce this critical gear for our health staff, first responders and the general populace.

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Zima Corporation offering agent/representative opportunities

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eTextileCommunications featured in Greenville Business Magazine. Click here to read.

Zima Corporation offering agent/representative opportunities

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Click here to check out the page. To submit information or get rates, please contact us here.