Textiles & Apparel

Textiles & Apparel Resources

The focus of this page is to provide brief descriptions and links to key industry, government and educational resources available on the Information Technology industry in general and specifically in North Carolina.

Industry Associations
  1. American Association of Textile Colorists & Chemists (AATCC): AATCC is a not-for-profit association that provides test method development, quality control materials and professional networking for thousands of members in 60 countries throughout the world. AATCC is located in Research Triangle Park, NC.
  2. Association of the Nonwovens Fabric Industry (INDA): an international member-based organization supporting the entire nonwoven industry value chain. INDA’s headquarters are located in Cary, NC.
  3. Cotton Inc: responsible for research and promotion of the cotton industry; headquartered in Cary, NC.
  4. National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO): A U.S. lobbying group representing the interests of the entire US textile sector from fibers to finished products, and from machinery manufacturers to power suppliers. This website contains news articles, links and data on job losses and plant closings in the US. NCTO’s headquarters are located in Gastonia, NC.
  5. Southern Textile Association (STA): a nonprofit organization for individuals in the textile and related industries with a common interest in all phases of textile manufacturing in Southern USA. STA is located in Gastonia, NC.
  6. For a complete list, see Trade & Professional Organizations

Education & Training
  1. NC State University, College of Textiles (COT): the COT is the largest textile college in the world and offers bachelors through doctoral degrees in all areas of the textile industry including design, management, marketing, research and engineering. The COT also offers a range of extension services and testing labs. It is located in Raleigh, NC.
  2. Hosiery Technology Center (HTC): this Catawba Valley Community College-based center offers testing labs and educational programs related to knitted textiles and products such as socks and hosiery. HTC is located in Hickory, NC.
  3. Textile Technology Center (TTC): this center is located at Gaston Community College and provides testing and trial production labs for fiber, yarn and fabric. The center also regularly offers a Textiles 101 course for those interested in learning more about the basics of the textile industry and production. The TTC is located in Belmont, NC.

Government Resources
  1. NC Department of Commerce, International Trade Department, Textiles: Raleigh, NC

Web-based Resources
  1. NC Textile Connect: an information portal with data on companies located in North Carolina throughout the textile value chain with additional information on local to global supporting organizations, publications and events. This website was designed by Stacey Frederick, the project manager of the NCGE project, and uses a similar value chain-based format as the NCGE website. The site was launched in 2007 at the NC State College of Textiles with support from the NC Department of Commerce.
  2. Nonwovens Industry: a monthly US publication on the global nonwovens industry, it follows industry trends and issues, conducts market surveys and technology updates and tracks the latest nonwovens news around the globe.
  3. Textile Outlook International: published by Textiles Intelligence six times a year, this publication provides an independent and worldwide perspective on the textiles and apparel industries. Topics include: world textile and apparel trade and production trends; profiles of textile and apparel companies and countries around the world; business opportunities in the global market place; political implications and information on trade blocs, tariffs and quotas; and innovations and technological developments in the industry.
  4. Textile World: from fiber to fabric, this publication includes news, features and buyers' guides, job listings, equipment-for-sale postings and event listings.

Books, Reports & Articles
  1. Newton, Robert. (Producer). (2013). "Still Standing: the Real Story of the NC Textile Industry" [Documentary]. Chapel Hill, NC.
  2. Frederick, Stacey. (2010). "Development and Application of a Value Chain Research Approach to Understand and Evaluate Competitiveness in the Textile Value Chain: the NC Textile Industry." PhD Dissertation, NC State University: Raleigh, NC.
  3. Frederick, Stacey. (2007). "Textile Connect: Connecting the North Carolina Textile Complex" Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management (JTATM), 5(4).
  4. Frederick, et al. (2007). "A Descriptive Analysis of NC Textile Complex: 2006". JTATM, 5(4).
  5. DeMarchi, V., DiMaria, E. and S. Frederick. (2007). "North Carolina’s Textile and Apparel Industry: Recent Survey Results." JTATM, 5(4).
  6. Cagle, Christy. (2006). "Improving the Competitiveness of North Carolina Textile Manufacturers with E-business Initiatives." PhD Dissertation, NC State University: Raleigh, NC.
  7. NC Business History. (2006). Textiles. NC.
  8. For additional resources see "NC Research": www.nctextileconnect.com/research.cfm