William L. Jasper, chairman of the Board and CEO of Unifi, Inc. was elected to serve a second term as chairman during the National Council of Textile Organizations’ (NCTO) ninth annual meeting in mid May.


Jasper was named chairman of Unifi’s Board in February 2011 and has served as Unifi’s CEO and member of Unifi’s board of directors and the company’s executive committee since September 2007. Prior to his role as chairman, he served as president and CEO, vice president of sales and general manager of the polyester segment for the Greensboro, NC company. He joined the company with the purchase of Kinston polyester POY assets from Invista in September 2004. Prior to joining Unifi, Mr. Jasper was the director of Invista’s Dacron  polyester filament business. Before working at Invista, he held various management positions in operations, technology, sales and business for DuPont since 1980.


James C. Self III, president and COO of Greenwood Mills located in Greenwood, SC, was elected to a second term of vice chairman of NCTO.


Among those elected to the NCTO board of directors during the various Council meetings were the following:



  • Yarn Council – Bill Carstarphen of Pharr Yarns, LLC; James Chesnutt of National Spinning Company; Trey Hodges of Swift Spinning; Peter Iliopoulos of Gildan; Gilbert Patrick of Patrick Yarn Mills, Inc.; and Robin Perkins of Frontier Spinning Mills

  • Industry Support Council – Joni Davis of Duke Energy, Ludovic Petrois of Staubli, and Bob Sage of Oerlikon Textile `

After being elected chairman, Jasper’s first order of business was to announce appointments to the following offices of NCTO: president and CEO – Cass Johnson, NCTO; secretary – Mike Hubbard, NCTO; and treasurer – David Hastings, Mount Vernon Mills. He also announced chairmen for the following NCTO program committees: Cotton – Andy Warlick, Parkdale; Government Procurement – Steve Hundgen of Glen Raven Technical Fabrics; Regulatory & Standards – Jim Booterbaugh, National Spinning Company; and Trade & Economic Policy – Allen Gant, Glen Raven, Inc.


The National Council of Textile Organizations, headquartered in Washington, DC with an office in Gastonia, NC, is the national trade association representing the entire spectrum of the textile sector. Domestically focused to ensure a prosperous future for the U.S. textile sector and globally positioned to work effectively with our international allies, NCTO is on the front lines meeting the challenges of the 21st Century for the industry.


Key Facts About the U.S. Textile Industry



  • U.S. textile shipments totaled $53.3 billion in 2011. 

  • The U.S. textile industry is one of the largest manufacturing employers in the United States, the overall textile sector – from textile fibers to apparel – employed over 390,000 workers in 2011.

  • Textile companies employed 238,000 workers. 

  • U.S. government statistics estimate that one textile job in this country supports three other jobs. 

  • The U.S. textile industry is the third largest exporter of textile products in the world. Exports in 2010 grew 13.4 percent to more than $17 billion in 2011. Total textile and apparel exports were a record $22.4 billion. 

  • Nearly two-thirds of U.S. textile exports during 2011 went to our Western Hemisphere free trade partners. The U.S. textile industry exported to more than 170 countries, with 22 countries buying more than $100 million a year. 

  • The U.S. textile industry supplies more than 8,000 different textile products per year to the U.S. military. 

  • The U.S. is the world leader in textile research and development, with private textile companies and universities developing new textile materials, constructions, product capabilities, and functions for textiles that go far beyond basic wearing apparel. 

  • The U.S. textile industry invested more than $16.5 billion in new plants and equipment from 2001 to 2010. And recently producers have opened new fiber, yarn and recycling facilities to convert textile waste to new textile uses and resins. 

  • The U.S. textile industry has increased productivity by 45 percent over the last 10 years, making textiles one of the top industries among all industrial sectors in productivity increases. 

  • In 2011, textile workers on average earned 151% more than clothing store workers ($575 per week vs. $229) and received health care and pension benefits.