ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

AUBURN, MAY 7---Mention the textiles and apparel industry in Alabama and most people think of favorite products such as blue jeans or sportswear.  But textiles permeate our lives in ways most people never think about.

Textiles touch aspects of our lives both near and far -- from medical implants within the human body to exploration far into space.  In Alabama, the textile and apparel industry is the largest manufacturing employer, making it an important part of our state's economy.

Textiles  provide:
 

• cloth for landscaping

• temporary agricultural buildings

• reinforcement fibers

• dental floss

• noise control in offices

• roofs and roof sheeting

• synthetic skin

• bullet-proof vests

• seat belts

• fire hoses

• materials for sewage filtration

• reinforcement fibers for concrete and plastic

• 75 percent of the strength of an automobile tire comes from the tire cord fabric used in the tire.

• An artificial kidney used in dialysis is actually made of fibers.

• The string that lifts your tea bag from your cup is a textile product.

• Heat shields on space vehicles are made of textile fibers that can withstand heat up to several thousand degrees.

Research is constantly finding new uses for industrial textiles. The textile and apparel industry in Alabama will continue to make a vital contribution to the economy of the state and well being of its citizens in the new millennium.

SOURCE:  DEBORAH STABLER, Extension specialist, apparel and textile management, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-1325.