Two veteran textile industry consultants have joined forces and will offer client services in a
wide range of product development and other technical areas. Principals in the two companies are
Hardy B. Poole, Engineered Solutions, PLLC, Charlottesville, Va.; and Clyde Canter, Rocan Inc.,
Greensboro, N.C. Poole has some 40 years of experience in the fiber, textile, apparel and military
procurement areas. He served for 27 years as vice-president of product services with the
American Textile Manufacturers Institute and as a reserve officer at the U.S. Army Natick Soldiers
Center, Natick, Mass., the central textile research and development organization for the armed
forces. Canter was a senior technical executive with Cone Mills before forming his own company in
1989 to provide research and consulting services to the apparel and textile industry. He has
been a consultant and expert witness in product liability lawsuits involving flammability and has
advised clients on research in connection with fabric performance.
The consultants will offer guidance and services on the performance of products, including
flammability of apparel, upholstered furniture, carpets and other home furnishings. Services in
areas that affect environmental and workplace requirements are also available.
In announcing the new arrangement, Poole said: “Textile, apparel and home furnishings
companies face many challenges, both business-related and technical, to remain competitive in
today’s climate. One option is to rely on outside resources to resolve problems on an as-needed
basis.” He also noted that the recently enacted Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act has added
“new and onerous” requirements for testing, labeling and certifying soft good components and
consumer end products.
January 26, 2010
