WASHINGTON — May 23, 2012 — William L. Jasper, chairman of the Board and CEO of Unifi, Inc. located
in Greensboro, NC was elected to serve a second term as chairman during NCTO’s ninth annual meeting
held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC last week.
Bill Jasper was named Chairman of Unifi’s Board in February 2011 and has served as Unifi’s
CEO and member of Unifi’s Board of Directors and the Company’s Executive Committee since September
2007. Prior to his role as chairman, he served as president and CEO, vice president of sales and
general manager of the polyester segment. He joined the company with the purchase of Kinston
polyester POY assets from INVISTA in September 2004. Prior to joining Unifi, Mr. Jasper was the
director of INVISTA’s DACRON® polyester filament business. Before working at INVISTA, he held
various management positions in operations, technology, sales and business for DuPont since 1980.
James C. Self III, president and COO of Greenwood Mills located in Greenwood, SC, was elected
to a second term of vice chairman of NCTO.
Elected to the NCTO Board of Directors during the various Council meetings were the
following:
Fabric and Home Furnishings Council – Norman Chapman of Inman Mills; Jerry Cook of
Hanesbrands Inc.; Allen Gant of Glen Raven, Inc.; Carlisle Hamrick of Hamrick Mills; David Hastings
of Mount Vernon Mills; and Smyth McKissick of Alice Manufacturing Co.
Fiber Council – Donald Burich of INVISTA, John Freeman of NanYa Plastics, and
James Netzel of DAK Americas
Yarn Council – Bill Carstarphen of Pharr Yarns, LLC; James Chesnutt of National
Spinning Company; Trey Hodges of Swift Spinning; Peter Iliopoulos of Gildan; Gilbert Patrick of
Patrick Yarn Mills, Inc.; and Robin Perkins of Frontier Spinning Mills
Industry Support Council – Joni Davis of Duke Energy, Ludovic Petrois of Staubli,
and Bob Sage of Oerlikon Textile
After being elected chairman, Jasper’s first order of business was to announce appointments
to the following offices of NCTO: president and CEO – Cass Johnson, NCTO; secretary – Mike Hubbard,
NCTO; and treasurer – David Hastings, Mount Vernon Mills. He also announced chairmen for the
following NCTO program committees: Cotton – Andy Warlick, Parkdale; Government Procurement – Steve
Hundgen of Glen Raven Technical Fabrics; Regulatory & Standards – Jim Booterbaugh, National
Spinning Company; and Trade & Economic Policy – Allen Gant, Glen Raven, Inc.
The National Council of Textile Organizations, headquartered in Washington, DC with an office
in Gastonia, NC, is the national trade association representing the entire spectrum of the textile
sector. Domestically focused to ensure a prosperous future for the U.S. textile sector and globally
positioned to work effectively with our international allies, NCTO is on the front lines meeting
the challenges of the 21st Century for the industry.
KEY FACTS ABOUT THE U.S. TEXTILE INDUSTRY
- The U.S. textile shipments totaled $53.3 billion in 2011.
- The U.S. textile industry is one of the largest manufacturing employers in the United States,
the overall textile sector – from textile fibers to apparel – employed over 390,000 workers in
2011. - Textile companies employed 238,000 workers.
- U.S. government statistics estimate that one textile job in this country supports three other
jobs. - The U.S. textile industry is the third largest exporter of textile products in the world.
Exports in 2010 grew 13.4 percent to more than $17 billion in 2011. Total textile and apparel
exports were a record $22.4 billion. - Nearly two-thirds of U.S. textile exports during 2011 went to our Western Hemisphere free trade
partners. The U.S. textile industry exported to more than 170 countries, with 22 countries buying
more than $100 million a year. - The U.S. textile industry supplies more than 8,000 different textile products per year to the
U.S. military. - The U.S. is the world leader in textile research and development, with private textile
companies and universities developing new textile materials, constructions, product capabilities,
and functions for textiles that go far beyond basic wearing apparel. - The U.S. textile industry invested more than $16.5 billion in new plants and equipment from
2001 to 2010. And recently producers have opened new fiber, yarn and recycling facilities to
convert textile waste to new textile uses and resins. - The U.S. textile industry has increased productivity by 45 percent over the last 10 years,
making textiles one of the top industries among all industrial sectors in productivity
increases. - In 2011, textile workers on average earned 151% more than clothing store workers ($575 per week
vs. $229) and received health care and pension benefits.
Posted on May 24, 2012
Source: NCTO
