Industry Events
SEAMS Packs ’Em in for Annual Networking Conference at NC State
by Devin Steele, Editor/Publisher, eTextileCommunications
SEAMS’ annual Networking Conference at the StateView Hotel, Autograph Collection on NC State University’s Centennial Campus was a grand slam from a variety of perspectives – content, connection, and extracurricular (on and off campus) – according to several attendees.
Held for the first time in Raleigh, NC, the day-and-a-half conference was preceded by a golf tournament on Day 1, and featured for the first time at this event tours of local industry stalwarts. Participants were able to spend a day visiting NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles and Cotton Incorporated, two entities that play a strong role in the textile industry’s success and viability. Also unique: More than 20 NC State Wilson College of Textiles seniors were invited and attended the gathering to learn more about the broader textile/cut-and-sew/apparel industry beyond the classroom, and many of them noted in their introductions that this was the first conference they had ever attended.
Most of them engaged with SEAMS members during breaks, and they undoubtedly made some great connections while also collecting numerous takeaways from speakers.
“After setting the bar incredibly high last year for what was my first SEAMS Conference, I didn’t think this year’s would be able to emulate it in terms of speakers, content, networking, etc., but did it ever!” said Will Cromer, senior sales executive at MMI Textiles. “It was an awesome event with a strong lineup of speakers and panelists dealing with subjects that are vital to the textile industry. It was great to meet many of the students and get their perspectives, too. My favorite part of both SEAMS conferences I’ve attended is the networking culture that SEAMS supports. Everyone is quick to introduce you to someone if you don’t know them and you’ll leave every conference with new friends and contacts.”
Another second-time attendee, Jennifer Mouraview, had similar comments about the relationship aspects of SEAMS and this conference. “Working offshore for the last number of years, attending the SEAMS annual conference last year was a great opportunity to quickly build a network of peers dedicated to maintaining a textile manufacturing presence in the U.S.,” said Mouraview, vice president of Global Sourcing for Clothing 2.0, the recent spinoff company of the Nufabrx brand after its sale to Tallayne Holdings in recent days. “As a member this year, this group has been a great resource to reach out to if I have a challenge with anything from raw materials to manufacturing.”
Several first-time attendees shared valuable insights into their experience as “newbies” to the event.
Said Pam Peale, vice president of Global Sales & U.S. PLM Operations at DeSL, and a moderator of a panel session during the conference: “This was my first SEAMS conference to attend, and it certainly will not be my last! I thought the content of the speakers, the audience engagement, and the networking were all very valuable.”
Eileen DeNicola, who works in Business Development at Apex Mills Corp, echoed Peale’s first sentence almost verbatim, adding: “I enjoyed meeting people from all walks – yarn suppliers through finished products all Made in the USA. The sessions were very informative, and I found the segment on sustainability interesting, particularly the conversation on [Parkdale Advanced Material brand] CiCLO, Unifi's Textile Takeback program, and the conversation regarding PFAS. I look forward to next year and will be bringing along one of Apex's ace golfers this time.”
Casey Strauch, U.S. marketing manager of new member Hohenstein noted, “The SEAMS team does such a great job of connecting people. Everyone was offering to introduce someone or asking how they could help. It’s a great group of people and a valuable event.”
Hank Schofield, founder of startup Hank’s Hard Goods, is focused on the Made-in-America supply chain, so joining SEAMS was an important move for his business, said the first-time attendee.
“I am very grateful to be a part of SEAMs now and have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded folks,” he said. “My experience was in every way positive. The value of SEAMs as an organization can’t be overstated, especially for people just getting started in this realm.”
Another first-timer, Clay Scruggs, sales representative at Carolina Cotton Works (CCW), said he immediately felt a sense of “family” as he mingled with members. “I engaged in conversation with people that I had never met, and it felt like talking to lifelong friends,” he said. “For someone who has been in the industry only a short time, the networking experience and the contacts that I gained are invaluable. From time spent on the golf course to the networking reception, I found value in each interaction.”
He added: “SEAMS did a fantastic job on the lineup of speakers. I was able to get something out of each one and found them to all be well-prepared and very informative. If I had to say that any one part of the week was my favorite, it would have to be the trip to the NC State Wilson College of Textiles. I found the entire tour to be interesting and would recommend anyone who has not taken the tour to do so. I plan to attend each SEAMS Conference moving forward!”
Engaging program
The program featured an engaging “Fireside Chat,” two outstanding panels, and two high-level speakers – all of whom likely left attendees with useful information and functional payoffs.
The keynote segment was the “Fireside Chat” moderated by Jim Hopkins, director of Sales and Marketing at Hamrick Mills, who interviewed Red Land Cotton cofounders Mark Yeager and Anna Brakefield. Yeager was on stage with Hopkins, and his daughter Brakefield joined via Zoom since she had her third child a couple of weeks before the conference. Yeager and Brakefield discussed how the company was formed seven years ago, at which time Red Land Cotton began building a U.S. textile supply chain, finding early partners in Parkdale, Hamrick Mills, Yates Bleachery, and Cotton Incorporated. Moulton, Ala.-based Red Land Cotton makes heirloom cotton bedding and towels made from cotton grown and sewn in the South.
Yeager, who owns and operates a cotton farm, decided to create the company with Brakefield after feeling frustrated over seeing textiles being imported at an unrealistically low price. All of its products contain cotton grown on its farm. The company recently entered a partnership with Banana Republic, Brakefield said.
The keynote segment was the “Fireside Chat” moderated by Jim Hopkins, director of Sales and Marketing at Hamrick Mills, who interviewed Red Land Cotton cofounders Mark Yeager and Anna Brakefield. Yeager was on stage with Hopkins, and his daughter Brakefield joined via Zoom since she had her third child a couple of weeks before the conference. Yeager and Brakefield discussed how the company was formed seven years ago, at which time Red Land Cotton began building a U.S. textile supply chain, finding early partners in Parkdale, Hamrick Mills, Yates Bleachery, and Cotton Incorporated. Moulton, Ala.-based Red Land Cotton makes heirloom cotton bedding and towels made from cotton grown and sewn in the South.
Yeager, who owns and operates a cotton farm, decided to create the company with Brakefield after feeling frustrated over seeing textiles being imported at an unrealistically low price. All of its products contain cotton grown on its farm. The company recently entered a partnership with Banana Republic, Brakefield said.
SEAMS’ President Ron Roach (center), president of Contempora Fabrics is presented a plaque for his service to the association by SEAMS’ Executive Director Will Duncan (L) and SEAMS’ Vice President Britt Moore, vice president of Sales & Customer Support at Minnesota Knitting Mills.
Also on Day 1, Peale moderated a Sustainability Panel that featured two NC State Wilson College of Textile graduates – Shane O’Toole and Graham Page – who gained valuable experience and made ripples in the industry before starting their own companies. O’Toole, who served stints at such well-known brands as Under Armour and Carhartt, owns Red Wolf Innovations; Page founded AlchemyX, LLC recently after gaining valuable experience in the industry at VF Corporation, The North Face, International Textile Group, and Honeywell.
Participating in a “Closing the Loop: Circularity Through Collaboration” panel, moderated by SEAMS’ Board member Xochil Herrera Scheer of The Chicago Pattern Maker, were Jay Hertwig, senior vice president of Global Brand Sales at UNIFI; Cheryl Smyre, director of Advanced Materials at Parkdale Mills; and Alex Whitley, vice president of Sales at Contempora Fabrics. Each panelist offered insights into a unique collaboration on circularity between the three companies.
Nicole Bivens Collinson, managing principal, Operating Committee, and International Trade and Government Relations practice leader at Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., Washington, D.C., provided a deep dive into trade and legislation. She discussed the possibility of a federal government shutdown, the Partnership for Central America, CAFTA-DR, 321 de minimis, 301 tariffs, Made-in-USA labeling, the LPOE Trust Bill, and more.
Charlie Merrow, CEO of Merrow Manufacturing (circa 1838) in Fall River, Massachusetts, wrapped up the conference with a high-level, action-oriented talk on challenges and opportunities in the soft goods industry. In his thought-provoking speech, he shared his insights into the company’s history, its expansion and pivot in recent years, and a vision for the next decade. He emphasized the need for innovation, collaboration, and rapid product development to drive the industry forward.
Sarah Friedman AwardDuring a group dinner, Tanya Wade, PPE/Textile Resource Lab manager at the Manufacturing Solutions Center and Sewn Goods Workshop instructor at Carolina Textile District, was presented with SEAMS’ highest honor, the Sarah Friedman Award. Wade has been a force of nature and a passionate advocate with transformative ideas and actions for SEAMS since joining its board several years ago. The award is named in honor of Sarah Friedman, the former executive director who helped transform the association from a small, regional apparel manufacturing group into the widely recognized national association for the sewn products industry. With more than 200 member companies, SEAMS represents the complete domestic supply chain, comprising textiles providers, contract manufacturers, brands, vertical retailers, and their suppliers and services. ElectionsThe SEAMS’ Board of Directors Britt Moore, vice president of Sales & Customer Support at Minnesota Knitting Mills, Mendota Heights, MN, as the association’s next president. He succeeds Ron Roach, president of Contempora Fabrics, Lumberton, NC, who becomes ex-officio. Brent Jones, general manager at Henderson Machinery, Inc., Greensboro, NC, was voted in as SEAMs’ vice president, while Jim Hopkins, director of Sales & Marketing at Hamrick Mills, Gaffney, S.C., was elected secretary/treasurer. Elected to serve a three-year term as education director was Alex Whitley of Contempora Fabrics, Lumberton, N.C. Directors elected for the Year 2024 include Anthony Marini of Heartland Manufacturing, Edgewood, N.Y.; Mindy Martell of Clothier Design Source, St. Paul, Minn.; Susan Almack of Almack Liners, Chatsworth, Calif.; Marty Bailey of TSG Apparel, Long Beach, Calif.; and Brian Alhanati of CustomFab USA, Garden Grove, Calif. Elected to serve three-year terms as supplier directors were Tanya Wade, PPE/Textile Resource Lab manager at the Manufacturing Solutions Center and Sewn Goods Workshop instructor at Carolina Textile District, Conover, N.C.; and Xochil Herrera Scheer of the Chicago Pattern Maker, Shorewood, Ill.
Participating in a “Closing the Loop: Circularity Through Collaboration” panel, moderated by SEAMS’ Board member Xochil Herrera Scheer of The Chicago Pattern Maker, were Jay Hertwig, senior vice president of Global Brand Sales at UNIFI; Cheryl Smyre, director of Advanced Materials at Parkdale Mills; and Alex Whitley, vice president of Sales at Contempora Fabrics. Each panelist offered insights into a unique collaboration on circularity between the three companies.
Nicole Bivens Collinson, managing principal, Operating Committee, and International Trade and Government Relations practice leader at Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., Washington, D.C., provided a deep dive into trade and legislation. She discussed the possibility of a federal government shutdown, the Partnership for Central America, CAFTA-DR, 321 de minimis, 301 tariffs, Made-in-USA labeling, the LPOE Trust Bill, and more.
Charlie Merrow, CEO of Merrow Manufacturing (circa 1838) in Fall River, Massachusetts, wrapped up the conference with a high-level, action-oriented talk on challenges and opportunities in the soft goods industry. In his thought-provoking speech, he shared his insights into the company’s history, its expansion and pivot in recent years, and a vision for the next decade. He emphasized the need for innovation, collaboration, and rapid product development to drive the industry forward.
Sarah Friedman AwardDuring a group dinner, Tanya Wade, PPE/Textile Resource Lab manager at the Manufacturing Solutions Center and Sewn Goods Workshop instructor at Carolina Textile District, was presented with SEAMS’ highest honor, the Sarah Friedman Award. Wade has been a force of nature and a passionate advocate with transformative ideas and actions for SEAMS since joining its board several years ago. The award is named in honor of Sarah Friedman, the former executive director who helped transform the association from a small, regional apparel manufacturing group into the widely recognized national association for the sewn products industry. With more than 200 member companies, SEAMS represents the complete domestic supply chain, comprising textiles providers, contract manufacturers, brands, vertical retailers, and their suppliers and services. ElectionsThe SEAMS’ Board of Directors Britt Moore, vice president of Sales & Customer Support at Minnesota Knitting Mills, Mendota Heights, MN, as the association’s next president. He succeeds Ron Roach, president of Contempora Fabrics, Lumberton, NC, who becomes ex-officio. Brent Jones, general manager at Henderson Machinery, Inc., Greensboro, NC, was voted in as SEAMs’ vice president, while Jim Hopkins, director of Sales & Marketing at Hamrick Mills, Gaffney, S.C., was elected secretary/treasurer. Elected to serve a three-year term as education director was Alex Whitley of Contempora Fabrics, Lumberton, N.C. Directors elected for the Year 2024 include Anthony Marini of Heartland Manufacturing, Edgewood, N.Y.; Mindy Martell of Clothier Design Source, St. Paul, Minn.; Susan Almack of Almack Liners, Chatsworth, Calif.; Marty Bailey of TSG Apparel, Long Beach, Calif.; and Brian Alhanati of CustomFab USA, Garden Grove, Calif. Elected to serve three-year terms as supplier directors were Tanya Wade, PPE/Textile Resource Lab manager at the Manufacturing Solutions Center and Sewn Goods Workshop instructor at Carolina Textile District, Conover, N.C.; and Xochil Herrera Scheer of the Chicago Pattern Maker, Shorewood, Ill.