Locational factors in the new textile industry: Focus on the US South

JO Wheeler - Journal of Geography, 1998 - Taylor & Francis
JO Wheeler
Journal of Geography, 1998Taylor & Francis
After a brief examination of the geographic shift in the US textile industry from New England
to the South in the early twentieth century, this article focuses on the location of
contemporary textile mills, which continue to be heavily concentrated in the US South. The
industry is analyzed cartographically by types of mills and number of mill workers. The new
dynamics of the industry are expressed through modern corporate management strategies
that recognize increased integration between manufacturing and markets, especially …
Abstract
After a brief examination of the geographic shift in the U.S. textile industry from New England to the South in the early twentieth century, this article focuses on the location of contemporary textile mills, which continue to be heavily concentrated in the U.S. South. The industry is analyzed cartographically by types of mills and number of mill workers. The new dynamics of the industry are expressed through modern corporate management strategies that recognize increased integration between manufacturing and markets, especially apparel and home furnishings retailing. Electronic technology, substituted for traditional low-cost labor, has led to the growing importance of localization economies in accounting for the spatial concentration of the industry in the core state of North Carolina and its extensions along the Piedmont into Alabama to the south and Virginia to the north. Economies of scope, flexible production, and quality output characterize the contemporary U.S. textile industry, which operates under increased global competition.
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