N.C. Congressmen Author Bill To Spark Competition In Textiles

Two North Carolina congressmen are working together to push a bill that will reward ingenuity in the textile industry.  Republican Howard Coble and Democrat David Price say the act would allow companies and universities to compete for $5 million in Commerce Department grants.  Congressman Price feels innovators from North Carolina can be in that mix.

Enlarge image

Credit house.gov

"There's a lot of work going on right now at N.C. State in the area of non-woven fibers -- fabrics that have extraordinary resilience, heat resistance, able to stop a bullet in some cases," Price said.  "Fabrics that act as solar cells.  Fabrics that mimic muscle fibers that you can use in prosthetics and on and on.  Some of it is just remarkable research."

Textile manufacturing is a $60 billion industry with 500,000 workers across the country.  The bill is being examined by a House committee.