America Knits Marks The Return of Apparel Manufacturing to Swainsboro

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After the passing of NAFTA in 1993, cut-and-sew jobs in the United States rapidly declined, and with the recent resurgence of the U.S. textile and apparel industry, it has some catching up to do.

To help fill that supply chain gap, two lifelong friends from New Bern, N.C. have decided to officially open a cut-and-sew factory. The grand opening of America Knits marks the return of apparel manufacturing in Swainsboro in more than 20 years.

The company opened on July 15 and currently employs 52 people, with plans to expand its workforce. According to company leaders, they would like to employee between 120 and 150 people.

America Knits is committed to producing the finest quality, authentic made-in-America apparel while developing and using the most sustainable production practices available.

“We’re trying to build a new story here,” Hawkins said. “The old story was 20+ years ago, when many of the plants in the U.S. closed. Over the last eight years, I’ve discovered that there is a demand for U.S.-manufactured goods. And the younger folks kind of care about where it’s made, the type of fabric that’s used and the sustainability part of it. We felt like if we could find the right place, then the demand was there.”

Hawkins’ longtime friend, Dr. David Talton, a cardiothoracic surgeon, reiterated those sentiments.

“We’re trying to build a new story in Swainsboro around how we treat people and how we treat our customers, and our employees will reflect to our customers how we treat them,” said Talton, an investor in the company who holds the title of vice president. “So we want everybody to know that we’re more than just another plant – we’re making a new story here.

“It’s really exciting to bring jobs back onshore,” he added. “Every employee here who’s been in this area for any time know that these type of jobs used to be here and they all disappeared. But we’re trying to bring them back and bring them back strong.”

The company currently has three large customers, including one that supplies the military with t-shirts, while another is about to start a program for a bra supplier. The current production is focusing on premium knit tops using 100 percent U.S. ring-spun cotton.