Our Podcast: Talking Textiles
- Listen in as Michael Woody, Rachal McCarthy and Bill Ackerley share about the challenges of training and recruitment in the textile product industry. They discuss attracting people to the industry while facing competition with the Instagram-worthy phenomenon and offer solutions to overcome it through explaining the why and what of their products. They also touch on the attraction to CAD and automation, along with tiered training and other strategies they are implementing to help retain the workforce.
Previous Episodes
NC State Student Edition: Exploring E-Textiles with Erin Parker Tillery and Prateeti Ugale
Listen in as Erin Parker Tillery, Ph.D. Student and Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, interviews Prateeti Ugale, Ph.D. Student in Fiber and Polymer Science at North Carolina State University. Prateeti discusses her current research of working on integrating technology into textile structures with a particular emphasis on wearable applications. She also discusses why she chose electronic textiles (e-textiles) and how it is an interdisciplinary field that involves a research and intersection of textiles, electronics, material science, design, and product development.
Live from Advanced Textiles Expo 2024: West Coast Connections
Listen in as Jonathan Palmer, CEO of Autometrix and member of the ATA Board of Directors, interviews Ethan Halpern, President of American Awning & Blind Co., Daniel Cuppels, Operations Manager at Blithe Defense Industrial Covers, and Alberto Ramirez, CEO of Just 4U Custom Canvas, Inc. They will discuss what makes their textile businesses unique and different on the West Coast. They will also discuss how ATA has helped them become more knowledgeable in the industry with online resources like the member directory and holding Expo each year so they can meet and network with individuals and companies.
Advanced Textiles Expo Education Preview 2024
Listen in to get a sneak preview of education sessions that will be happening at the Advanced Textiles Expo in Anaheim, CA, Sept. 23-26. Jeff Sponseller, Miller Weldmaster, enlightens us with a few fun facts about Expo and interviews presenters Erin Parker Tillery, North Carolina State University, Bruce Danziger, Danziger Engineering Collaborative, Inc. and Apurba Banerjee, Innovation at Standard Textile. Be sure to stop by each of our guests’ educational sessions to gain more insight.
A Discussion of Growth and Insight featuring Women in the Textile Industry
On this episode, we have an all-women’s panel featuring Donielle Lorelli, Product Manager of Textiles at National Industries for the Blind, Kaylee Smith, Senior Sales Executive at MMI Textiles, and Lindsay Zientek, Channel Account Manager at Gold Eagle Company. They will discuss how they got their start in the textile industry, how they build and manage personal and professional relationships with colleagues, how they navigate a healthy work-life balance, the steps they take to manage burn-out, and what’s next in their careers.