March 24, 2024 at 9:50 a.m.
Glen Raven Hosts U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai
(Contributed Photo)
U.S Trade Rep. Katherine Tai visited Burlington-based mill chain Glen Raven on Friday.
Kristi EllisAccording to Kristi Ellis, the vice president of communications for the National Council of Textile Organizations (or NCTO), Tai was in Burlington for an important visit to the company’s state-of-the-art yarn-spinning manufacturing facility and headquarters for its Sunbrella flagship brand, also in Burlington, followed by an industry supply-chain roundtable.
Tai’s visit co-incided with her group’s federal register notice for public input to inform the Biden administration’s development of trade and investment policy initiatives related to a domestic supply-chain resilience plan. The Office of the United States Trade Representative has highlighted domestic textiles as a critical part of the global supply chain. The textile sector, which includes yarns, fabrics, apparel and other finished goods, will be part of its fact-finding investigation into shaping policy tools that could be deployed to enhance supply-chain resilience. For these sectors, the office is requesting input on policies that are currently working well (and those that aren’t) in advancing domestic supply chains, according to Glen Raven Chief Executive Officer Leib Oehmig.
Leib OehmigOehmig said that he and his company were very honored to host Tai at their Sunbrella headquarters.
This, he added, helps “to demonstrate how the right trade policies can help bolster domestic manufacturing facilities such as ours, facilitate employment and lead to the expansion and growth of this vital manufacturing sector. We are appreciative of (the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s) review of the strategic textile sector as it diligently examines and shapes policies that will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the entire U.S. textile industry.
“During our tour,” Oehmig continued, “we highlighted the importance of Glen Raven’s contribution to our local communities and to the overall U.S. economy, whilst also underscoring the need for strong trade policies to maintain a vibrant domestic supply chain. Our industry has been navigating severe economic and global trade headwinds over the past several months.”
Oehmig reiterated his sincere appreciation of Tai’s commitment to gaining first-hand insight into the challenges confronting the textile industry in the global trade arena and continuing more dialogue.
NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas also thanked Tai for her visit.
Kim Glas“We believe (the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s) development of supply-chain resilience policies is a strong step in the right direction for helping secure the U.S. textile supply chain into the future,” said Glas.
Founded in 1880, Glen Raven is a family-owned company. In both Carolinas, it operates five manufacturing facilities that employ some 2,500 people, including a joint venture with the Shawmut Corporation. To meet customer demand, Glen Raven is currently in the process of a $250 million multi-phase expansion of its American facilities and infrastructure.
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