SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — September 24, 2018 — Rockline Industries — a manufacturer of consumer, health care, industrial and institutional wet wipes — has donated more than 3,000 cases of supplies to Hurricane Florence relief efforts. The products were offered to help provide comfort and make household cleanup and personal cleanliness easier after widespread flooding and storm-related damage.

The company facilitated donations through Convoy of Hope, a nonprofit charity leading recovery efforts and providing relief to Hurricane Florence victims. The organization was one of the first to mobilize in the region and start providing assistance. Convoy of Hope teams on the ground have been distributing relief supplies to storm survivors, coordinating volunteers and assisting in cleanup efforts. Rockline’s contribution included a variety of wet wipes such as facial and body care wipes, disposable baby wipes and household cleaning wipes. As people face a long recovery ahead after tremendous flooding, household cleaning wipes are in especially high demand and can be useful in the cleanup process.

“On behalf of all Rockline employees, our hearts go out to the millions of Americans impacted by Hurricane Florence,” said company president Randy Rudolph. “With such devastating damage and continued threats from flooding, we hope to offer our resources and support to those in need.”

Posted September 24, 2018

Source: Rockline Industries

WASHINGTON — September 24, 2018 — The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) congratulates the state of Rhode Island and its textile and apparel industry for the official launch of the Rhode Island Textile Innovation Network (RITIN). The Slater Mill Museum in Pawtucket was the site of the event.

At the launch, RITIN unveiled its new website and held an expo featuring local manufacturers. The activities dovetailed with NCTO’s We Make Amazing campaign promoting the U.S. textile industry, namely that Rhode Island’s textile industry is involved in research, development, design and manufacturing of an incredible array of end products and providing career opportunities with on-the-job training and advancement.

“Rhode Island companies make some of the world’s most amazing textiles and are an important cog in the U.S. textile and apparel supply chain, especially with respect to innovating and manufacturing textiles used by America’s military,” said NCTO President and CEO Auggie Tantillo.

Welcoming the official launch of RITIN, Tantillo added: “Thanks to e-commerce and other emerging technologies, the global textile and apparel sector is experiencing an era of rapid change. Rhode Island is to be commended for being proactive in helping to ensure that its industry remains at the forefront in leveraging those changes to America’s benefit.”

RITIN fosters collaboration among textile industry leaders, designers, academia and government with a mission to make Rhode Island a leader in advanced textile manufacturing and to develop solutions to recruit and train the sector’s future workforce.

Created in late 2016 by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and the University of Rhode Island Business Engagement Center, RITIN operates with planning grants received in late 2017 from Real Jobs RI and the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. Polaris MEP, an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) provides RITIN’s program management.

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 550,500 in 2017.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $77.9 billion in 2017.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.6 billion in 2017.
• Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.4 billion in 2016, the last year for which data is available.

Posted September 24, 2018

Source: National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

DUQUESNE, Pa. — September 24, 2018 — Pittsburgh-based bedding manufacturer American Textile Co. today announced key moves to support its continued growth, including a new distribution center near its Pittsburgh-area headquarters. The 98,000 square-foot facility in McKeesport is strategically located to serve customers throughout the northeast. The company has also appointed Traci Hayes as vice president of its e-commerce business to drive new initiatives in the high growth segment.

These efforts come on the heels of the company’s addition of innovative sleep brands Sealy® and Tempur-Pedic® to its portfolio, and two years of rapid increases in its e-commerce sales. The McKeesport facility marks American Textile Company’s sixth domestic distribution facility and will increase its capacity by more than 50 percent in the region. The textile maker expects to bring more than 75 jobs to the region over the next five years.

“Conversations around sleep are more prevalent today than ever before and the category continues to grow,” said Lance Ruttenberg, American Textile Co. president and CEO. “Consumers are looking for new ways to foster a good night’s rest and our products help them achieve it. Our e-commerce business is thriving from the increased demand and we’re expanding to meet those needs.”

Recent hire Traci Hayes brings more than 20 years of e-commerce experience to American Textile Company, where she oversees all online sales and marketing efforts. Prior to this role, Hayes spent more than six years leading the e-commerce business for DICK’s Sporting Goods. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Computer Information Systems and Management degree from Robert Morris University.

American Textile Co.’s full range of bedding products from AllerEase®, Sealy®, Tempur-Pedic® and more will be on display at the New York Home Fashions Market in New York City, September 24-27, 2018.

Posted September 24, 2018

Source: American Textile Co.

ATLANTA — September 20, 2018 — Governor Nathan Deal today announced that Georgia has been named the Number 1 state for business for the fifth year in a row by Area Development, a leading corporate site selection and facility planning publication. Deal was joined by Area Development Publisher Dennis J. Shea to make the announcement at the 2018 State of the Ports Address in Savannah.

“I am proud that Georgia has once again been named the top state for business by Area Development, as this coveted distinction reflects the strength and resilience of our pro-business environment,” Deal said. “We are committed to investing in our workforce and transportation infrastructure so that companies looking to relocate or expand will have Georgia on their minds today and in the future. Thanks to our low-tax structure, technology infrastructure and gateways to global commerce, including our expansive ports system, Georgia is the home of leading manufacturers, innovative technology companies, growing small businesses, film productions and studios, international firms and industries of all types.

“Behind this ranking are hundreds of thousands of jobs for Georgia families and billions of dollars of meaningful investment in our communities. As we celebrate the successes of this past year and look toward a new year of promise and opportunity, I’m looking forward to the relocations, expansions, improvements and hard work that will keep Georgia No. 1 in every respect. I’m confident that our highly skilled workforce and collaborative economic development initiatives will ensure that Georgia remains the best place for businesses of all industries and sizes to find opportunity in the years to come.”

In addition to being named the top state for business, Georgia ranked first among the states for workforce development programs and cooperative and responsive state government. Georgia also ranked in the top five spots in each of the other nine categories examined in the survey.

Area Development’s 2018 Top States for Doing Business rankings reflect the results of a recent survey that asked site consultants who work with nationwide client bases to name their top-state picks in 11 categories that relate to location and facility planning. States were ranked based on the total of weighted scores from the following categories:

• Overall cost of doing business;
• Corporate tax environment;
• Business incentives programs;
• Access to capital and project funding;
• Competitive labor environment;
• Leading workforce development programs;
• Shovel-ready sites program;
• Cooperative and responsive state government;
• Favorable general regulatory environment;
• Favorable utility rates; and
• Most improved economic development policies.

“Responses from among our proprietary Consultants Database of hundreds of site location, supply chain, 3PL, real estate and corporate business consultants are the basis of our annual Top States for Doing Business survey rankings,” said Shea. “Our database includes active consultants who have assisted hundreds of companies with recent site location projects that generated billions of dollars of investment, created thousands of new jobs and built millions of square feet in new construction.”

Recent economic development highlights include:

• During FY 18, the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD)’s Global Commerce Division helped to create more than 27,000 new jobs through a record-breaking 419 expansion or relocation projects. These projects amounted to $5.56 billion of investments in Georgia communities.
• Since Deal took office, more than 40 new corporate headquarters or relocations have come to Georgia with a total investment value of over $357 million.
• Last November, Georgia was named the No. 1 state for business for the fifth consecutive year by Site Selection, another leading economic development publication.
• In 2017, total trade between Georgia and the world reached 225 unique countries and territories, exceeding $128.6 billion in economic impact.
• FY 18 was a record year for the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), which handled 4.2 million 20-foot equivalent container units for a year-over-year increase of 8.4 percent.
• GPA finished FY 18 with 20 consecutive months of positive year-over-year growth.
• In August, Deal attended the opening of the Appalachian Regional Port, an inland rail terminal that will take 50,000 truck hauls off of Georgia highways each year and expand the reach of Georgia’s ports system hundreds of miles inland.
• The economic impact of film and television production has grown from $2.4 billion in FY 11 to $9.5 billion in FY 18, an increase of 296 percent over seven years.
• The economic impact of tourism in Georgia totaled $63.1 billion in 2017.

“For five years in a row, Georgia has been honored to be named the top state for doing business by Area Development,” said GDEcD Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Georgia’s position as a leader in economic development is not by chance, it has everything to do with strong leadership from Gov. Deal. Our partnership approach to economic development is evident in this ranking, and our partners at the state and local level deserve credit for making Georgia the top state once again.”

Posted September 21, 2018

Source: The State of Georgia Office of the Governor