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Textile Industry Under the Microscope Nationwide

In the upcoming clash between No. 10 NC State and No. 5 Clemson, both universities will participate in a unique contest where top-ranked teams face off. This event underscores the groundbreaking advancements in textile research, production, and education made by these institutions.

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In the upcoming evening game, No. 10 NC State and No. 5 Clemson square off, marking NC State's...
In the upcoming evening game, No. 10 NC State and No. 5 Clemson square off, marking NC State's initial appearance in a competition featuring two top-tier teams. The event spotlights the groundbreaking advancements these institutions have made in the realms of textile research, production, and education.

Textile Industry Under the Microscope Nationwide

Back in the '70s, the mighty textile industry that had kept North and South Carolina humming for decades took a couple of hefty hits. On March 2, 1979, Hollywood threw its hat into the ring, releasing Martin Ritt's Norma Rae, a fictionalized account of Crystal Lee Sutton's real-life battle for union rights in the J.P. Stevens clothing mill in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.

The film, starring Sally Field, garnered 7 Academy Award nominations, with Field taking home the statue for Best Actress. The story, set in notoriously anti-union North Carolina, told of Sutton, a single mom making $2.65 an hour, who led her co-workers to join the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union.

In 1980, the Charlotte Observer pushed the boundaries, investigating the textile industry in both states for high incidences of byssinosis - an asthma-like disease linked to cotton dust inhalation. coined the 'brown lung disease.' The series, titled "Brown Lung: A Case of Deadly Neglect," exposed the industry's blatant disregard for worker health and safety, leading to a Pulitzer Prize win for the newspaper.

The textile industry wanted a revival, but not in the way they envisioned. The North and South Carolina Textile Manufacturers Association came up with a zany idea—the Textile Bowl, a regular-season college football game pitting NC State and Clemson every year. Involving 2 universities known for their textile programs, the idea seemed to give the industry a much-needed positive publicity boost.

By the 1980s, however, the textile industry began its inevitable decline as Asian manufacturers undercut domestic prices with low-cost goods and depressed labor costs. Textile manufacturing plants in Upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina started shutting down, leaving hundreds of workers out of jobs. The passage of free trade agreements in 1988 and 1994 accelerated the decline, and the Fieldcrest-Cannon plant in Kannapolis closed in 2003, leaving 5,000 employees jobless overnight.

In 2004, NC State joined forces with UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, and other research institutions to create the North Carolina Research Campus to study human health through nutrition and safer, healthier food production. Thriving on a 350-acre site, this research park has become a global hub for healthcare innovation.

NC State's Wilson College of Textiles has emerged as the country's premier institution for textile research, education, and innovation. With more than 1,000 degree-seeking students annually, the college has led the way in restoring the once-dominant industry through advanced technology.

Research efforts at the college focus on finding more environmentally sustainable dyeing techniques, developing safer shelters for firefighters, and a myriad of other applications. A. Blanton Godfrey, former dean of NC State's College of Textiles, famously stated in 2012, "Norma Rae would have trouble getting a job [at a textile plant]. But if she wants to sit at a computer terminal and program the reboot, that's different. It's a very different world."

The 2007-09 Great Recession seemed to extend the textile industry's gloom, with Clemson even shutting down its textile school. However, a resurgence in domestic interest in textiles, prompted by rising transportation costs, tariffs, and the "Made in America" movement by big-box retailers, has helped revive the industry.

In recent years, NC State has formed partnerships with local community colleges to train the next generation of textile manufacturing professionals. The college even collaborates with the Central American Technological University in Honduras to develop textile programs for Central American students.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilson College pivoted to help companies increase production of personal protective equipment (PPE). Today, North Carolina's 600-plus textile and nonwoven manufacturing plants export $2 billion in goods and products annually, setting a national benchmark.

This post was originally published in NC State News.

In 1979, the inaugural Textile Bowl took place between NC State and Clemson, with NC State jumping out to an early lead. Despite Clemson rallying and winning 17-7, the annual event has fostered cooperation in the worlds of textile research, education, and outreach, contributing significantly to the industry's revival in both states.

In the late '80s, the textile industry faced tumultuous times as globalization ramped up. Key factors in the industry's revival included technological innovation, structural changes, and government support. Universities like NC State and Clemson played a crucial role by providing essential research, education, and partnership opportunities that helped the textile industry face these challenges and adapt to the changing landscape.

  1. scholarships were offered for undergraduate and graduate students in the field of textiles at NC State and Clemson universities.
  2. Technology innovation, such as advanced dyeing techniques and fire-resistant material development, became a focus for research in the textile industry.
  3. The textile industry news on safety concerns led to stricter quality control measures in manufacturing plants.
  4. Internships were created in textile labs to provide students with practical experience and industry exposure.
  5. Sustainability became a key concern in the textile industry, sparking research into eco-friendly textile manufacturing practices.
  6. The North Carolina Research Campus, a partnership between universities, focused on research in human health, including safer food production and textile production.
  7. The decline in the textile industry led to the closing of several manufacturing plants in North and South Carolina, creating job losses and financial struggles.
  8. Despite the decline, the "Made in America" movement and rising transportation costs have helped revive the domestic textile industry.
  9. The textile industry's collaboration with local community colleges has been crucial in training the next generation of textile manufacturing professionals.
  10. NC State's Wilson College of Textiles has formed partnerships with international institutions like the Central American Technological University in Honduras to expand textile education.
  11. During the COVID-19 pandemic, NC State's Wilson College worked with industries to increase production of personal protective equipment (PPE), demonstrating the importance of a strong textile industry in meeting national needs.

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