As you can imagine, the primary raw material that we use in our business is fabric. We buy velours to make custom stage curtains. We buy sharkstooth scrim to make theatrical scrims. We buy printable fabric to make custom band backdrops. All of these fabrics originate at the textile mill.
In general, those mills are located in the US or, in the case of certain specialty fabrics, in Europe (primarily the UK and Germany). However, I have been hearing more and more about US textile mills opening new manufacturing locations in Mexico (especially since the adoption of NAFTA), with the primary workforce of these locations made up of local workers (though supervised by U.S. managers). What does this mean for the future of the textile industry in the US? I found an interesting article offering an alternative – Texas.
I have never been one of those people who is adamant on buying American goods, but I do worry about the future of the US textile industry and how it will affect companies like Sew What?