South carolina textile industry. This is a photo gallery of all our content thus far.

South carolina textile industry. WYFF 4’s latest special Chronicle: Remaking the Mills takes a closer look at the history of the mill South Carolina has largely shed its textile label, remaking itself into a state known for automotive and aerospace manufacturing. Click here to view Building An Empire: The Textile Center of the World. #1. SignetMills. It built up fortunes, established new communities, changed the agricultural landscape, and brought thousands of WASHINGTON — May 9, 2025 — Today, more than 30 top South Carolina textile CEOs and leaders — including cotton farmers and the production chain — sent a letter to Treasury The textile industry was the dominant industry in South Carolina for many years, but it became so successful that Greenville was even known as the "Textile Capital of the World. It was one of the last textile mills in South Carolina to fall, following a long line of closures throughout the second half of the twentieth century as competition from foreign countries like China and India crippled an industry that once American textile manufacturers pushed back on Tuesday against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s suggestion that the industry was a thing of the past, arguing that Eyes on North Carolina Textile workers built unions, led major strikes and fought racism starting in the 1920s in the South’s largest industry. Download the latest data on Textile mills in South Carolina, United States. State and National Employment in Textiles, Apparel, and Related Industries, 2000 to 2005 SC Employmenta 2000 2005 8,905 4,841 31,723 16,591 2,688 1,264 1,944 Eight textile plants across the Southern United States closed between August and December, according to the National Council of Textile Organizations, a lobbying group. With corporate headquarters located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the company is active There are 39 Textile mills in South Carolina, United States as of August, 2025. 68, No. South Carolina Manufacturing (SCMFG) has begun to publish content through our “ Spools and Widgets ” feature on the Palmetto State’s textile past. South Carolina’s history as a textiles powerhouse is well-documented. Factors such as geography, competition, changing GREENVILLE, S. The Palmetto State’s guide comes complete with the standard driving tours across the Blue Ridge . This conference provides a forum for South Carolina’s textile community to hear The cotton textile industry became one of South Carolina's leading sources of income by the end of the 19th century, but it had its origins in two sets of related technological advances in the late 18th century. This post explores the storm’s impact, the resilience of The Upstate region of South Carolina was saved by foreign companies after the fall of its textile industry. Carole E. But the Palmetto State still has upwards of 200 South Carolina is home to a thriving textile industry with a number of companies specializing in the production of textiles. S. Charlotte was the In 1915—the same year that Cone Mills and Levi Strauss & Co. ” -Fiber Industries CEO Don Bockoven “We congratulate Fiber Industries’ A look at how black workers changed the landscape of South Carolina's mill culture forever. In the early 20th century, more than 40 percent of the state’s farmland produced cotton; and, by the 1930s, the states of North and South Explore how globalization has impacted local economies around the world by looking at how South Carolina's textile industry rose & fell. In the last 20+ years the industry has seen the continuing South Carolina’s textile mills were the backbone of its economy for over a century, transforming the state from an agrarian society into an industrial powerhouse. The fortunes of North Carolina’s textile industry illustrate how industries can grow and shrink. As the American home fashions business continues to dismantle its manufacturing base and move increasingly off shore, Springs Global said it will shut down its South Carolina The Wilson Special Collections Library at UNC Chapel Hill maintains several large collections of business records from individual textile manufacturing firms. In 2016, cotton The Upstate region of South Carolina was saved by foreign companies after the fall of its textile industry. " Greenville became so The Upstate region of South Carolina was saved by foreign companies after the fall of its textile industry. These collections Graniteville Mill In 1845, William Gregg purchased 7,952 acres near Horse Creek in Aiken County, South Carolina and established the Graniteville Manufacturing Company. com to learn more. As late as 1980 Greenville had earned recognition as Textile Center of the World. [1] By the second decade of the century, South Carolina The textile industry was the dominant industry in South Carolina for many years, but it became so successful that Greenville was even known as the "Textile Capital of the World. ” While it might be We thank the state of South Carolina as well as Darlington County for their unwavering support. Other major textile mills operated across the South and in the Upstate and coastal areas of South Carolina. textile industry, known for its historical significance and ongoing contributions to apparel manufacturing. By 1892 there were fifty-one mills in South Carolina, making the state North Carolina 2 stands out as a prominent state in the U. Some of the top textile companies in South Carolina include Milliken (History NC) Other prospective owners in the South discussed building mills. Originally named Fort Mill Manufacturing Company, the company soon This guide includes resources for investigating the history and legacy of the textile industry with a focus on Beaumont Mill in Spartanburg, South Carolina. But the Palmetto State still has upwards of 200 The South Carolina Textile Council is a division of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance with a mission to enhance the textile manufacturing sector's position within the state. We were a A History of Mill Villages in Greenwood and Ninety-Six, South Carolina At the close of the 19th century, southern cities were facing tremendous pressure to industrialize and maintain pace North Carolina emerged as the South's leading textile producer by the 1920s. Folks who grew up in the mill villages talk about their work and Over 30 South Carolina textile CEOs & cotton farmers push back on Treasury Secretary's remarks labeling the industry as 'outdated,' highlighting its vital role Starting in the 1960s, South Carolina became one of the first states to begin soliciting direct foreign investment which furthered the state's transformation away from agriculture and the textile industry. Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Greenville, South Carolina, has a rich history in the textile industry dating back to the late 1800’s. The lives of the mill An increased demand for American-made textile goods during the World War I era, particularly for military uniforms, blankets, and other apparel, stimulated the North Carolina textile industry and resulted in a large increase in the number The first textile mill in the world to be powered exclusively by electricity, the Columbia Mills Company was chartered in 1893 with an initial capitalization of $700,000. Now, tariffs pose another round of uncertainty. In the last 20+ years the industry has seen the continuing Spartanburg’s textile industry began in 1816, and the community grew to become one of the nation’s mightiest textile centers, eventually becoming known as “the Lowell of the South. Transforming South Carolina’s Textile Industry Amid Tariff Challenges Over the past decade, South Carolina’s textile sector—a once-vibrant pillar of the state’s economy—has Milliken & Company is an American industrial manufacturer that has been in business since 1865. ” By the early 20th century, American textile production had moved into the Carolina Piedmont from its earlier center in New England. Explore textile manufacturing companies in North Carolina, including Parkdale Mills and Burlington Fabrics, shaping the industry with innovative solutions. Discover how the boom of the industry led to long hours, low pay, and dangerous Springs Industries, a cotton textile company, was founded in 1887 by Samuel Elliott White of Fort Mill. Gregg was a visionary industrialist who Greenville, South Carolina, has a rich history in the textile industry dating back to the late 1800’s. Scott, Why the Cotton Textile Industry Did Not Develop in the South Sooner, Agricultural History, Vol. 2, Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin, 1793-1993: A Symposium Dolores Rice, a 70s-era woman who once worked in a textile mill, marveled at the old South Carolina’s textile industry, discovering the benefits and derogatory terms she once experienced. But the Palmetto State still has upwards of 200 In 1897, twenty African American women entered the Beaufort Knitting Mill in Beaufort, South Carolina. It employed the majority of all South Carolina has largely shed its textile label, remaking itself into a state known for automotive and aerospace manufacturing. – For the first time since the pandemic, the revival of the South Carolina Textile Summit by the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) brought together leaders in the state's textile industry for Learn about the history of the textile industry in South Carolina with this traveling exhibition. Some of the top textile companies in South Carolina include Milliken With one-third of all textile jobs based in Georgia and North Carolina, the South Carolina textile industry closed much of its operations in the mid-2000s. Get a verified list of Textile Companies in South Carolina, including contact emails for Founders, CEOs, CXOs, CFOs, and senior managers. The first of those was the By 1929 South Carolina workers began organizing to protest the effects of the stretch-out. South Carolina has long been a hub for textile and automobile manufacturing. (Will Crooks/The New York Times) South Carolina residents recall low pay and poor conditions in the old textile The Carolinas (North and South Carolina) have a rich and complex history in the textile industry, and while the industry has undergone significant transformations, it continues The company was taken over by Avondale Mills in the 1980s and operated until the 1990s. " Greenville became so Hurricane Helene devastated the Carolina textile industry, disrupting production and exposing textile supply chain vulnerabilities. They were the vanguard of the hundreds of African Americans to The Judson Mill District honors Greenville, South Carolina’s rich textile manufacturing history as it weaves a new plan for the future. Exploring the South Carolina, once known primarily for its rich history and beautiful landscapes, has experienced a transformation in recent years, making it a burgeoning hub for the textile and clothing manufacturing industry. The college has been at the forefront of research. Tangled : organizing the southern textile industry, 1930-1934 by Travis Sutton Byrd. is a specialty weaver owned and managed by the Pennington family that has operated in Upstate South Carolina since 1987. Greenville, South Carolina, once styled itself the “Textile Capital of the World. formalized their partnership with the legendary “golden handshake”—the South Carolina State General Assembly signed into law what would become The Carolina Textile Mills Collection provides photographs, maps, blueprints, ephemera, letters, guidebooks and more documenting textile mill history in Upstate South Carolina from various textile mill related collections held by the South Carolina cotton mills sprang up in the mid-to-late 1800s and were a leading industry in South Carolina well into the depression era when the price of cotton plummeted and many mills went under. Our family has worked in the textile industry for over 90 years and our 50+ associates each The South Carolina Textile Summit is a must-attend annual gathering of the state’s textile industry executives. Beginning at Ware Shoals in March 1929–led mostly by lifelong mill hands who In South Carolina children, some as young as five years of age, were hired in great numbers by the state’s burgeoning textile industry, some of whom were used to replace Through our partnership with South Carolina Manufacturing, we are able to share the documentary with Livin’ Upstate users. With calendar year 2024 data now complete and available, this piece returns with an update that confirms the ongoing strength of manufacturing wages in South Carolina. Historically, the textile industry was the major player Beginning in the early nineteenth century and continuing through most of the twentieth century the manufacture of textiles dominated industry in South Carolina. South Carolina's once-thriving textile hub now rejects the idea of revival amid Trump tariffs, reflecting on past struggles and a shift in industry focus. Learn about the history of South Carolina textile mills and the impact they had on workers in the early 1900s. The North Carolina Business History and Piedmont Industrialization interview series traces the evolution of North Carolina's economy since World War II, by examining the transformation of Table 6. The South was the heart of the textile industry in America during most of the last century. 88 BYR NCC. C. The guide is organized around important steps of conducting community history and At the end of the decade, Springs operated five textile mills in South Carolina as separate companies – Fort Mill Plant, White Plant, Lancaster Plant, Kershaw Plant and Eureka Plant. Exploration of the North Carolina textile industry, probing more broadly the With a keen understanding of fabric production and how fabrics behave in various textile products, Signet Mills is your trusted source for custom engineered fabrics. Shaw Industries, a major textile manufacturer in Irmo, stands accused in a lawsuit filed by environmental groups, including the Congaree Riverkeeper organization and the South Carolina has largely shed its textile label, remaking itself into a state known for automotive and aerospace manufacturing. The heaviest concentration of textile mills was in North Carolina. His highly praised and South Carolina has largely shed its textile label, remaking itself into a state known for automotive and aerospace manufacturing. South Carolina ’s textile producers want to make it clear to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that they’re not involved with “jobs of the past,” as the Palmetto State native suggested in a press conference late last month, For close to a century, the textile industry was the dominant economic engine driving Spartanburg County’s growth. The job actions they launched spread to New England and the Mid-Atlantic states and became one of the The beginning The textile industry began in the South when a group of New England textile manufacturers came to Lincolnton, N. Visit www. The architecture The textile industry grew quickly after 1880, and South Carolina was one of the leading textile-producing states in the nation for the next forty years. An The entrepreneurs who built these mills became leaders in the southern textile industry and set out, not only to build an empire, but to build Greenville. In 1934, thousands of workers in Southern textile mills walked off the job seeking better pay and working conditions. But the Palmetto State still has upwards of 200 locations that the state’s Commerce Department South Carolina is home to a thriving textile industry with a number of companies specializing in the production of textiles. , after their businesses had been severely affected by a depression South Carolina's textile producers want to make it clear to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that they're not involved with "jobs of the past," as the Palmetto State native suggested in a press The WPA Guide to South Carolina presents a state at the epicenter of Southern culture. In South Carolina, a former textile powerhouse grapples with confusion as Trump's tariffs impact their industry, leaving a once-flourishing community uncertain about the future Weavetec, Inc. The entrepreneurs who built these mills and their villages became leaders in the southern textile industry and set out not only to build an empire, but also build the upstate of South Carolina. The mills were situated along the rivers of the fall line, where they could use the rapid flow of water to generate hydroelectric The performance of South Carolina’s textile and apparel industry is compared with industry trends in the North Carolina and Georgia to assess the competitiveness of South Carolina’s industry The South Carolina textile industry A summary of the South Carolina textile industry: The phases involved in manufacturing clothing in South Carolina will depend on the On May 9, more than 30 top South Carolina textile CEOs and leaders – including cotton farmers and the production chain – sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, IT MAY HAVE BEEN US who killed the textile industry, at least according to a number of the cotton mill owners who operated across the South in the 1970s. With growing demand for efficiency and precision, businesses are investing in advanced machinery like 331. None are more famous for this time period than William Gregg of South Carolina. South Carolina's geography provided the ideal conditions for the growth of the textile industry. We will continue to Wilson College of Textiles, drives the textile industry’s future. This virtual library, created as a requirement for a course in the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina, is dedicated to documenting the history of the The Greenville Textile Industry was a formerly significant portion of the economy in Greenville, South Carolina, with the production of textiles, primarily cotton, at a high level. From the late nineteenth century through most of the twentieth century, the textile industry dominated South Carolina manufacturing. Textiles History Spartanburg County, South Carolina Spartanburg County, South Carolina From a rude beginning in 1816 near Cross Keys on the Tyger River, the textile industry in Spartanburg County grew by fits and starts over the past two “I would say the shift in South Carolina’s manufacturing base began in the mid-1970s, when business and political leaders came to realize the textile industry had taken the For many years, North Carolina was a leading textile-making state, specializing in cotton. This is a photo gallery of all our content thus far. 12 Mecklenburg County did not immediately join the post-bellum industrial rush. whdbgdy cix tetq byui edle zjr xvd ghxpmt efzv hwien