Secretary Keith Crisco today announced that the N.C. Department of Commerce will sponsor a conference focused on North Carolina textile opportunities and developments in military and government-related markets both nationally and around the world. The conference will be held Oct. 13 in Greensboro.
“North Carolina has a long, strong tradition of textile production excellence,” said Sec. Crisco, a former textile executive from Asheboro. “We want to do all we can to support the more than 1,800 textile-related companies in our state and the hundreds of others businesses dependent on this industry, while growing our multi-billion dollar military economy.”
The one-day conference, Military/Government Textiles Conference: Dealing With the Government—Military and Non-Military, will include speakers from the private sector, academia and the state and federal government to offer insights on research, trends, U.S. military purchasing guidelines, marketing strategy and other topics, including selling to military exchange services and the General Services Administration.
Sec. Crisco will offer remarks during the conference luncheon. Featured conference speakers also include: Dr. Roger Barker of the N.C. State University College of Textiles, Teresa Bouchonnet of the N.C. Military Business Center, Dinora Gonzales, Regional Director of the General Services Administration, Debbie Horton, Supplier Diversity Manager for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and a senior official from DSCP.
The conference is being organized by Jim Leonard and Jorman Fields of International Market Solutions, a textile-related consulting firm in Greensboro. Leonard, a former deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a specialist in international textiles and apparel trade. The event will highlight N.C.’s textile industry and assist textile companies pursuing market growth. The media is invited to attend.
The conference will be held at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons and will begin at 8:30 a.m. A registration fee of $75 per attendee is payable at the door by cash or check; no credit cards accepted. A networking reception, sponsored by Duke Energy and Progress Energy, is scheduled from 5-6:30 p.m.
Advance registration is suggested. For further details, contact Jim Leonard at (336) 454-3583/cece454@aol.com or Jorman Fields at (336) 668-7060/tncfields@aol.com. More information is available online at internationalmarketsolutions.com/conferences.html.