The Carolina Textile District is one of many enterprises born out of The Industrial Commons. The Industrial Commons incubates and supports employee-owned social enterprises and industrial cooperatives in Western North Carolina through a combination of support such as a capital loan fund and workforce development and training programs.
The Carolina Textile District operates as a regional network that includes designers, patternmakers, printers, fabric finishers, material sources, cut and sew facilities, and fulfilment contacts. CTD’s network strives to connect entrepreneurs who are interested in producing products through a local supply chain with domestic textile companies to ensure a value-based process that is economically, environmentally, and socially ethical. Additionally, CTD provides a range of resources to educate entrepreneurs and manufacturers, as well as the following specific services:
● Qualified Sourcing: CTD offers two sourcing options, the first is CTD’s Sewn Goods 101 Workshop which provides clients and manufacturers access to 3,500+ material samples and teaches participants how to source materials. The second is a qualified sourcing option where CTD compiles a list of domestic sources based on the enterprise’s specifications i.e. content, weight, composition etc.
● Find-a-Fit: CTD specialists connect companies or start-ups with qualified designers, patternmakers, printers or contractible cut and sew facilities, while ensuring that their business plan is respected, i.e. styles, prices, timing etc.
● Mill Network: For companies that are scaling up and looking for high volume units, the mill network provides the facilities and services to meet the requirements of larger contracts.
Additionally, CTD provides a series of hands-on workshops both in person and online to support the creation and continuity of the textile industry in North Carolina. The workshops accompany individuals and companies at different stages of their textile development profession:
● The Industrial Sewing Program equips trainees with the skills they need to operate industrial sewing machines to prepare for a career in the sewn trades or for making their own product.
● Sewn Goods 101 teaches entrepreneurs the production process step by step for how to get their sewn product made in the United States.
● The Crafted Production workshop provides a detailed overview about how to open your own crafted production cut and sew factory.