WASHINGTON — August 2, 2019 — NCTO Board member and President and CEO of Auburn Manufacturing Inc. Kathie Leonard was appointed to serve as the U.S. textile industry representative on the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) 2019 Advisory Committee.
Auburn Manufacturing Inc. is a woman-owned manufacturer based in Mechanic Falls, Maine, producing heat-and fire-resistant textiles used worldwide by industries like ship building/repair, foundries, mining, aerospace, power generation and many other heat-intensive industries.
Leonard started the company in 1979 and over the past 40 years has worked tirelessly to build Auburn Manufacturing into a leader in its field, turning 1.5 million pounds of fiber per year into over 2 million yards of fabric.
On both the state and national level, Leonard lends her voice to issues affecting the textile industry, ranging from global trade policy to regulatory issues.
In her role on the Bank’s Advisory Committee, she will provide recommendations on export financing products to the Ex-Im Board of Directors and the Bank’s President.
“Kathie is such a tremendous asset to our industry,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas. “We are pleased the Ex-Im Board has selected Kathie to serve on its Advisory Committee. She will be the voice of the industry at the table and help support the U.S. textile industry, which has seen a significant increase in its exports, particularly to the Western Hemisphere.”
Leonard said: “I’m very pleased to be appointed to EX-IM’s Advisory Committee. As a small U.S. textile manufacturer, we know first-hand how important EX-IM’s financing program is to building sustainable sales relationships around the world.”
“I look forward to being able to provide feedback to the Board on behalf of the textile industry and the small business sector.”
NCTO is a Washington-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.
- U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.
- The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.
- U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.
- Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.
Posted August 2, 2019
Source: National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)
