E-65: Building the North Carolina Textile Workforce

Gilden in Sanford, North Carolina, Changes Corporate Culture.

North Carolina is the home to some of the world’s largest apparel manufacturers. In this episode of Clocking In, we are fortunate to learn more about Gilden, a leader in textiles for over 40 years, with 30 locations and more than 45,000 employees in over 12 countries.
Gildan is one of the world’s largest vertically integrated manufacturers of apparel. Their activewear, underwear, socks, and legwear products are sold in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America to wholesale distributors, screen printers, and embellishers, as well as to retailers and directly to consumers primarily through e-commerce platforms. In addition, Gildan manufactures and sells to leading global athletic and lifestyle consumer brand companies that distribute these products through their retail channels.

On this episode of Clocking In, Phil Mintz sits down with Whitney Womack, a recruiter and talent acquisition specialist for Gildan in Sanford, NC, where they spin the yard for the oh-so-soft apparel. In 2022, Gildan purchased Frontier Spinning and the company culture immediately changed, with safety and automation playing a very important role.

Listen to the conversation as Phil and Whitney discuss Whitney’s journey in HR, how she learns the crucial skills needed for each position, and the importance of educating high school students about the many opportunities in manufacturing and changing the perception there are only “dirty jobs” in manufacturing.

LINKS: NCMEP | Gildan

ABOUT Dr. Phil Mintz

Dr. Phil Mintz is the executive director of NC State Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) and director of the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP). At NCMEP, Phil drives outreach to NC manufacturers, builds relationships with federal and state leaders, and coordinates efforts to drive profitable manufacturing growth in the state. He also leads the broader IES Extension Operations outreach unit of regional managers, technical specialists, and business development leaders, providing business engagement, assessment, and improvement tools. This includes statewide peer networks, ISO 9000 quality management systems, Six Sigma, Lean manufacturing, environmental services, and health and safety solutions.

Whitney Womack

Whitney Womack is a recruiter at Gildan in Sanford, North Carolina. She is responsible for creating an ongoing candidate pipeline, evaluating the effectiveness of the online application process, and maintaining as well as coordinating activities to direct applicant traffic and pre-screening. Whitney helps drive community outreach, ensuring Gildan taps into talent from local markets, and serves as a brand ambassador and educator, teaching company culture.