113016_Blog114_Thanksgiving

The NCTO’s We Make Amazing rebranding campaign, which is slowly but surely changing perceptions of the industry among the media, lawmakers and the general populace. Notifications indicating that my social media posts containing the #WeMakeAmazing hashtag are retweeted, shared or liked (and there have been thousands). Industry members’ contributions to outfitting Team USA at this year’s Summer Olympics.

And, at the risk of omission, a few individual shout outs to:

The Poston twins, Charles (Klueber Lubrication) and Thomas (Daikin America), friends for life who have advocated and supported eTC and me from Day 1. Rick Carpenter (Conitex Sonoco), a.k.a. my “cub reporter,” whose advice and counsel is always appreciated. The ubiquitous Casey Strauch (IFAI), the hardest-working woman in our industry.

Along with these strong supporters: Clay Tyeryar (ATMA), Mike Viniconis, Jack Daniels (AATCC), Al Thomas (Frankl & Thomas), Scott Malcolm (Valdese Weavers), Scott Yates (PAF Sales), Fred Rankin (A.B. Carter), Rick Craig (A.B. Carter), Josh Davis (PA Group), Jay White (Morrison Textile Machinery), Will Motchar and Joe Okey (Navis Global), Markus Heinis (Genkinger), Harrell Ligon (Lang Ligon & Co.), Cyril Guerin (Picanol), Edmundo Duarte (EU Power Management Systems), Ludovic Pitrois (Staubli), Sam Buff (Gaston College), Jim Ciccone (Unifi), Meredith Boyd (Unifi), Mark Reese (Measured Solutions), Matt Llewellyn (Shima Seiki), Brenda Stamboulian (Jason Mills), Michael Lavroff (Jason Mills), Robert Neuschaefer (Jason Mills) and Dave and Benton Gardner (SPESA).

There are many, many more, but I’m about to run out of space – so please forgive me until next year. You know who you are, so don’t worry – you’re not on my naughty list.

Thank you all. Let’s keep putting the “zing” in amazing in 2017.

Posted November 30, 2016

The Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. gave me a little time to reflect on the things for which I’m grateful, personally and professionally. (That is, after the coma-inducing tryptophan from the turkey wore off.) Rumination certainly is good for the soul – especially when you count your blessings by the friends you have. And I’m happy to count many of you as friends, and overjoyed to be a part of this amazing industry.

A little contemplation served as a good reminder for all the things I’m thankful for this year, including:

The collaboration in which many of you are engaged to continue to move this industry forward. The innovation that keeps coming out of your R&D areas, often through the aforementioned collaboration. The determination I’m seeing to keep your companies and American textile and apparel manufacturing on an upward trajectory.

The terms “reshoring, backshoring, onshoring and insourcing” – similar terms that all relate to making things again on our home turf. The words “advanced manufacturing,” “local-for-local” and “factory of the future” – all becoming part of our everyday lexicon as we seek to reshore, backshore, onshore and insource. The phrases “made in America,” “disruptive technologies” and “hemispheric strategies” – music to my ears.

Having crossed paths with Roger Chastain, a giant voice and leader in our industry who left a similarly large footprint on it. George Abbott of Inman Mills, Steve Adams of Seydel, Preston Aldridge of Ford Trimble & Associations and Jim Chesnutt National Spinning Co. – just four of several career veterans who’ve spent more than half a century in an industry they love so much. (Ask them about their grandchildren – then pull up a chair and ask them about this industry.) Lillian Link of the Southern Textile Association (STA), Robin Haynes of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and Gloria Freeman of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) – the glue that holds their respective groups together, and have for more than three decades each.

The newfound emphasis on smart textiles – a small but innovative segment that promises big things for the future of wearable tech. The Revolutionary Fibers & Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute (RFT-MII), the new entity announced by the Department of Defense to support and foster the development of smart textiles. The Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) Alliance, the research and development consortium comprised of partners from industry, academia and state governments that is organizing and leading this effort.

Groundbreakings – something even seven years ago I thought I’d never cover again in this industry, but had the fortune to have do TWICE this year. Foreign direct investment (FDI), which is pouring into U.S. textiles from all over the world, including Japan, China, Canada and India. Good news items that cross the eTC transom – and 97.4 percent of it is good these days, a reversal of fortune from the early years of the millennium.

A hearty serving of gratitude