Posted July 20, 2016

After many years of reporting on U.S. textile industry closures, contractions and crises, I never imagined, until the last couple of years at least, that I’d again see what I saw Wednesday – the grand opening of a mammoth textile manufacturing plant on American soil. And neither did Morgan Miller, the New York-based chairman emeritus of National Spinning Co., which officially unveiled its 92,000-square-foot Carolina Nonwovens facility in Maiden, N.C.

“I never thought in my lifetime that we would build another mill, so this is such a thrill for me,” Miller, whose family has been involved in the National Spinning business for decades, told me after the event.

In the early 2000s, Washington, N.C.-based National Spinning, like many of its industry brethren, was forced to close several plants just to survive. So you may have a good idea how Miller felt Wednesday as he heard platitudes from N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory, National Spinning Chairman and CEO Jim Chesnutt and local officials during the ceremony.

“The opportunity to build another mill is one of the most exciting things to happen to me in years and years,” Miller said. “I’m so grateful to the leadership in the company and to all of our wonderful associates for making this possible.”

McCrory, a longtime friend of Chesnutt, called the opening another example of the “Carolina Comeback.” Though not as alliterative, I’d like to refer to it as another example of the “Textile Comeback,” because what I witnessed Wednesday proves what all of you who ply our trade in this industry know – that you’re growing again. You’re a leaner, meaner, more viable and valuable, innovative production sector that refused to die when many had you on life support.

In his remarks, McCrory recognized the resurgence of manufacturing and its importance to the state and nation.

“Just three years ago, Catawba County’s unemployment rate was over 11 percent,” he said. “I’m pleased to report today that you’re at about 4.5 percent, and it’s because of manufacturing. A lot of people gave up on manufacturing in our state and in our country during the past decade, but we should never give up on manufacturing. Manufacturing, along with agriculture, is the heart of North Carolina. I’m proud to say that. It’s not always high tech or biotech – although manufacturing is very high tech these days. Manufacturing – where you make things, where you build things, where you innovate things – that is the strength of America.”

Like many in the U.S. textile industry this century, National Spinning Co. had to diversify its product line and customer base in order to survive. One of the decisions it made to expand its reach came in 2012, when the yarn production company acquired Carolina Nonwovens. Nonwovens, of course, is a unique textile sector altogether, but its growth potential is tremendous – and National certainly recognized that.