Augustine (Auggie) Tantillo this week had the attention some 40 hosiery and yarn executives as he related the background and trends in U.S. trade negotiations. The focus was on apparel and textiles, which Tantillo says is the Number One target when underdeveloped countries are pushing for access to the U.S. marketplace.
This has been true since the adoption of the Marshall Plan for post war European countries and it is still true in negotiations with “emerging countries” including China and India. The conclusion: manufacturers trying to keep their production in the U.S. are fighting with one hand tied behind their back.
Tantillo is executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC). Based in in Washington DC, AMTAC pushes an agenda to protect small and medium-sized companies in negotiations with federal bureaucrats and Capitol Hill staff people. In contrast, large U.S. manufacturers sourcing products in Asia prefer easy access for socks imported into the marketplace. Both interests were at the luncheon meeting last Thursday in High Point, however the concerns of the independent entrepreneurial companies predominated.
The meeting was sponsored by the Hosiery and Textiles Governmental Affairs Council in cooperation with Harriss & Covington Hosiery Mill. Among other firms were Slane Hosiery, Catawba Valley Finishing, N.C. Sock, Twin-City Knitting Mills, Huitt Mills, Holt Hosiery Mills and Century Hosiery.
HTGAC / AMTAC Partnership
Darrell Frye, chairman of the Hosiery Council, served as moderator for the event and announced discussions are taking place to work with AMTAC on issues that affect the business climate for independent manufacturers. The 2012 dues structure could be raised slightly to support federal activity and legislative lobbying in Raleigh. The goal is to make a presence in Raleigh and Washington affordable for mills.
AMTAC already enjoys support from leading hosiery manufacturers outside North Carolina, including Wigwam Mills in Sheboygan, WI. Those mills that have survived the turmoil since 2007 employ between 3,000 and 4,000 people.
SEAMS Also Moving Toward AMTAC
The Southeast Apparel Manufacturer organization recently invited Tantillo to speak at the fall networking meeting in Isle of Palms SC. According to Sarah Friedman, executive director, SEAMS also is seriously considering a partnership with Tantillo’s organization. SEAMS has a membership roster that includes large textile companies and numerous apparel companies that employ fewer than 30 people. She also works with Dan St. Louis and the Manufacturing Solutions Center.