Textile Insight

textileinsight.com Fall 2023 ~ Textile Insight • 51 and distribution buildings by installing new cooling units, in addition to advancing sustainable practices having just announced a three-year clean energy agreement with REI, a Nester brand partner for over 20 years. "Purchasing clean energy to make our electricity consumption 100 percent re- newable sends a strong message to our employees, customers, suppliers, investors and local community about our priorities," says Kelly Nester, CEO, Nester Hosiery. "We're acknowledging our impact and— with the help of REI—investing in a more sustainable operation." Alongside the co-op's agreement with Sol Systems, the partnership provides REI and Nester Hosiery with over 11,000 renewable energy credits (RECs) per year, all sourced from recently built solar in North Carolina. "Extremes in climate escalate the urgency to be proactive with sustainable measures," says Nester. "We've had a Nester sustainability manager for a decade, whose role continues to evolve, but hopefully not to the extent that there will be a need for a climate chief." Based in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China, Dry- Tex, with vertically integrated production, specializes in a broad range of technical and innovatively engineered lightweight laminated and coated materials. Andy Dong, president, Dry-Tex presents, explains, "Two of our newest facilities were built in the past 10 years—one in 2013 and the other in 2018—and we tried to ensure smart, responsible designs at all points. ey have roofs covered in solar panels, and sunlight provides the bulk of our power. On hot summer days, we utilize efficient industrial fans, which aid in the added comfort of our staff. We always provide cold drinks for our staff, and of course, we have a medical station to ensure the safety of everyone working in our buildings. Furthermore, our facilities are all built with reinforced concrete, comple- mented by state-of-the-art drainage systems, so we can avoid flooding on rainy days and continue operating seamlessly." Managing heat is also a priority at Milliken facilities. "It's a fact that workers will get hotter if they do a highly laborious task. If you can automate that, you can take away some of that labor and place those workers in other roles that are less labor-intensive," states Kevin Brown, VP Operations. "While we don't have a specific 'heat decreasing' automation project in one of our plants, one project that would fit with this insight is a robotics program that picks up products, can autonomously transport them, and correctly stack them on a palette for shipping. is is one of the more labor-intensive jobs in our plants, with employees responsible for this type of transport walking up to 11 miles daily." "Being in New Hampshire we rarely have days when our facility is unbearable without air conditioning, but we do deal with extreme cold, snow and blizzards in the winter," comments Lawson Glidden, president, Minus33, maker of high-quality merino wool apparel and accessories. "As a result, we need to use additional energy to keep the mill warm enough when we experience cold snaps. Flooding is also a concern and something that luckily we haven't had to deal with. But we've seen firsthand in some of the communities nearby and in our neighboring state of Vermont the destruction that it can cause. We have been evaluating our situation and working on preparative measures." Keystone, based in Taiwan, is a 3M mill partner that prides itself on ESG initiatives, explains Shelley Yu, Keystone general manager. "When it comes to the social and governance aspects of our operation, our staff is the top priority. We don't just follow all Taiwan-based employee health and safety standards; we abide by best prac- tices established by the most responsible workplaces across the globe. In short, the wellness of our staff and our planet are of utmost importance to us." n "We don't just follow all Taiwan-based employee health and safety standards; we abide by best practices established by the most responsible workplaces across the globe. In short, the wellness of our staff and our planet are of utmost importance to us." SHELLEY YU, KEYSTONE "Our facilities are all built with reinforced concrete, complemented by state-of- the-art drainage systems, so we can avoid flooding on rainy days and continue operating seamlessly." ANDY DONG, DRY-TEX "Extremes in climate escalate the urgency to be proactive with sustainable measures." KELLY NESTER, NESTER HOSIERY

• Cover