This article claims that in “the past three months, 14 textile plants in five states — North and South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Virginia — have shut down. More could come, industry officials say, without federal action.” This is due to the U.S. lifting textile quotas that had been placed on China. Could the textile industry not see this coming and react in a lean way?
As Dr. James Womack has pointed out recently, companies can compete with China, even in textiles by taking advantage of quick response, even with the labor cost differences. Can/should we get lean and avoid running to the government for help?
Here is another related article, about South African textile companies also being hurt by China.
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Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. His latest book is Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. He also published the anthology Practicing Lean that benefits the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, where Mark is a board member. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus.