ATMI OFFERS SUPPORT FOR WAR EFFORT AGAINST TERRORISMThe president of the textile industrys national trade association has notified the defense supply center in Philadelphia (DSCP) that the U.S. textile industry stands ready to do whatever is necessary to support anti-terrorist military activities. He also has urged companies to make plans now to meet any additional military textile needs. According to the DSCP, the textile industry provides more than 13,000 items for the military, ranging from uniforms and combat gear to shelter and protection from extremes of weather and chemical weapons. Through two world wars and the conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Panama and the Persian Gulf, the U.S. textile industry mobilized its resources to meet sharply increased demands of the military while continuing to supply civilian needs.In a letter to textile industry chief executive officers, Charles A. Hayes, president of the American Textile Mfrs. Institute (ATMI) said, “As our government evaluates the situation and decides on actions it will take, Ithought it prudent to urge each and every one of youregardless of the products you currently offerto immediately begin thinking of what your company can do if our nation calls on us for help.”He said ATMI has been in touch with DSCP and pledged the industrys cooperation in responding to the attack, and we have offered to work with them in any way we can should circumstances dictate that they need additional supplies of items currently produced or any new items that may be required. As part of its reorganization earlier this year, ATMI created a government textile procurement committee, under the chairmanship of Mike Kilkenny of Greenville Mills. That committee will be working closely with military procurement officials.At ATMIs 2001 annual meeting last March, Gen. Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the American textile industry has always been a “reliable partner of our nations military in times of peace and war.”In a related development, the Apparel Foundation immediately launched a program to provide apparel and footwear to victims and rescue workers. In New York City, there was a critical need for steel-toed footwear for fire fighters and clothing and blankets for other search and rescue workers. Many of those needs were quickly met by suppliers in the area, and the foundation is coordinating continuing offers of help from apparel and footwear manufacturers.October 2001
