Posted July 25, 2017

 

BURLINGTON, N.C. – Clarence Douglas "Doug" Blanchard, former CEO and owner of Spectrum Dyed Yarns, died June 29, 2017 in Greensboro, N.C. He was 83.

 

Blanchard graduated from the College of Textiles at N.C. State University in 1955, where he was a member of the Golden Chain Honor Society. Upon graduation, he immediately began working at Burlington Industries. Within a year of employment, he was offered a Spencer Love Scholarship to attend Harvard Business School, where he obtained an MBA in 1958.

After graduation, he returned to Burlington Industries as president of Burlington Throwing Company. In the mid ’60s, he became CEO of Blanchard Yarn Company until its closing.

 

He served as CEO and owner of Spectrum Dyed Yarns, a package dyer of textile yarns for the knitting and weaving industries, from 1972 until its closed in 2008.

Blanchard was an Honorary Member of the N.C. Textile Foundation and he established an endowed merit scholarship fund for the foundation through Spectrum Dyed Yarns. This scholarship is for students at the College of Textiles at N.C. State University majoring in textile chemistry.

 

A service will be held at Pine Hill Cemetery (columbarium) in Burlington, N.C., on August 5 at 11 a.m.

 

Gifts in memory of C. Douglas Blanchard can be made to the Spectrum Endowed Scholarship, College of Textiles, N.C. State.

Checks should be made to the NC Textile Foundation and sent to N.C. Textile Foundation, 1020 Main Campus Dr. Raleigh, NC 27606, or by visiting www.https://textiles.ncsu.edu/giving.

Memorials may also be made to the American Heart Association.

 

To read the full obituary, please click here.

Doug Blanchard

Ex-Burlington exec

Blanchard owned two former textile suppliers