Oral History Interview with Gordon Berkstresser III, April 29, 1986. Interview H-0263. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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Abstract
This interview could be called a manual on the past, present, and future of the textile industry in the American South. Gordon Berkstresser III moved from management positions in the textiles into academia, where he studies the industry. In this detailed, dense interview, Berkstresser describes some of the changes that have taken place in American textiles over the course of the twentieth century and how industry leaders have responded to those changes. He sees the textile industry as dynamic, both technologically and methodologically, but also sees it in a state of crisis, threatened by imports, a weak political position, and calcified ideas. Berkstresser describes complex political and business arrangements with clarity, making this interview a useful, detailed source for information about the textile industry.
Excerpts
Insularity of the textile world
The textile industry: technologically and methodologically dynamic
The textile industry: technologically and methodologically dynamic
Gender and race distinctions in the textile industry
Small, flexible companies, and large, capital-rich ones find success in textiles
Overseas competition poses a real challenge to American textiles
Thoughts on American government subsidies for the textile industry
Need for American companies to identify and seize manufacturing opportunities
Questionable benefits of outsourcing
Lack of unions, then other factors, bring the textile industry south
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Finding aid to the Southern Oral History Program Collection
Database of all Southern Oral History Program Collection interviews
Subjects
Textile industry--South Carolina--Greenville
North Carolina State University. Dept. of Textile Management
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Documenting the American South undergo an editorial process to remove
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