Textile Insight

textileinsight.com March/April 2019 ~ Textile Insight • 19 F rom micro-batch entrepreneurs to mainstream producers, domestic textile companies are usher- ing in new manufacturing models and re-shoring efforts to succeed in today's competitive landscape. If that sounds easy, think again. The reality is that challenges abound. A recent survey conducted by the National Manufacturers Association (NAM) asked members to rank the biggest challenges they currently face and respondents checked off 10 different factors! That's a lot of challenges not even counting the minor hoops manufacturers jump through on any given day. Challenges that ranked high in the NAM Manufacturers Outlook Survey (Q4 2018) included trade uncertainties, increased raw material costs and attracting and retaining a quality workforce. We posed a similar question to textile execs about corporate chal- lenges and what it takes to succeed in manufacturing these days. Comments revealed some similarity with NAM members, but also identified consumer expectation of high quality and new development, nimble operations responsive to a fast paced market and a focus on sustainability. In other words, execs outlined a contemporary check- list allowing for a well-balanced production model characterized by a spirit of innovation, collaboration and investment in efficiencies. Call it the New Agenda. Prioritizing Fast & New "It's not that is more difficult; it's just more challenging than ever," says Steve Perry, president of Darlington Fabrics, a Rhode Island-based firm that specializes in high-performance warp-knit elastic fabrics for apparel, medical and specialty end uses. "To be a manufacturer and give the ultimate customer what they want – which is differentiation – and do it with the backdrop of cost effectiveness, operational efficiency and innovation is challenging," Perry explains. "Expectations now are leveled up and new and fast is what is expected." He mentions for example that the expectation of new development is now two weeks, not three months. "If you say 'months' to a company like Nike, they'll say 'next,'" comments Perry. Efficiency is key to be able to compete globally, according to Perry, who cites strides in efficiency in knitting for instance, with new knit- ters providing increased speed. On the other hand, dyeing is not about speed, but what the market wants in terms of fashion colors, and offering smaller lots and more flexibility. Perry believes that these days "you look for a small edge, and those are tougher to find," but you have to innovate and find new markets. For Darlington that's been health care and consumer product market. With two manufacturing facilities in the USA, Darlington can knit, dye and finish warp-knits in Tricot, Raschel, Satin, Power Net and Mesh constructions. To bring newness to their product these days it takes collabora- tion. Perry states, "We are working with companies that in the past we considered competitors. Now we collaborate and work together more on the local level. This mindset didn't exist five years ago." Efforting Revitalization in Sewn Goods "Challenges are opportunities," says Will Duncan, executive director, SEAMS Association. Duncan, who took the position at the NC-based organization about 18 months ago, and has 30+ years of industry expe- rience, reports that as a whole the textile sector is doing pretty well and members are very busy. Non-apparel is also doing well; technical textiles are doing very well, and manufacturing is good. SEAMS has served as the voice of the U.S. sewn products industry for over 50 years. SEAMS members comprise textiles providers, con- tract manufacturers, brands, vertical retailers and their suppliers and service providers to collectively represent the complete concept-to- consumer supply chain. Duncan defines his role at SEAMS as re-vitalizing the sewn prod- ucts industry domestically. "The Black Box for revitalization is not Meeting Market Expectations with Speed, Flexibility and On-the-Mark Innovation. THE MODERN MAKE

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