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		<title>Polar Fleece inventor now pushing wool</title>
		<description>Discuss Polar Fleece inventor now pushing wool</description>
		<link>http://www.oregonbusiness.com/the-latest/3806-polar-fleece-inventor-now-pushing-wool</link>
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			<title>bring wool back to oregon TWT</title>
			<link>http://www.oregonbusiness.com/the-latest/3806-polar-fleece-inventor-now-pushing-wool#comment-768</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I'm starting this out as a follow up to the short posted about myself and polarfleece and wool. Business journals from Portland officially show that 100 years ago Oregon merchants and investors began a search and procurement of workers, machines and wool grown in oregon to build made in oregon wool (1910) products. Believe it or not at that time wool in America was second only to steel as the second largest product in the economy of the United States. Oregon businessmen realized there was far more economic value in making fabrics and products from wool like blankets and clothing than simply growing wool and exporting the wool to eastern mills and brokers. Between 1910 and 1950 this proved to be a wise and very profitable venture. During both World Wars and even the Depression the wool business in Oregon not only survived but provided strong support to the military of this country. Portland Woolen Mills the largest mill in the area twice received high military awards from both the Army and Navy. After 1950 the new synthetic fibers of nylon, polyester and acrylic made from by products of oil began to invade the wool business. Produced close to southern cotton mills these fibers would cross breed with cotton into yarns and fabrics and finished products. Oregon woolen mill owners aging and unsure of the future found themselves being cut out of their marketplace in blankets and clothing. By the early 1960's all but Pendleton had given up. During the 1970's I developed and sold nylon fabrics and polyester fiberfil (polarguard) insulations to all the northwest (Oregon and Seattle) and Denver skiwear makers and sleeping bag producers. Icons in Portland like White stag skiwear and Hirsch Weiss camping products among those leading brands and products. Following up in 1980 with the developing of Polarfleece and that marketing the one two punch of Polarguard/Pola rfleece brought an end to wool outdoor clothing and the famous Eddie Bauer quilted down clothing and sleeping bags. Arriving at the same time were Nike running shoes and sports apparel being made in Asia. The famous brands of 80 year old White Stag and Jantzen were swished away within 5 years time of Nike build ups. Today WalMart owns the White Stag brand and Jantzen is part of the licensing of Perry Ellis. LETS TALK TWT (time will tell) No matter how big this Nike ($19 billion/Columbi a($1.2 billion) bubble is at this time nor how many brands like Ice Breaker set up corporate offices and flag ship stores in Portland, nor retail brands of North Face and Patagonia.. TWT if these businesses can live as long or make the next moves that Oregon woolen mills faced during their second half century of products and profits. While citizens in China enjoy textiles made in China under the Nike brand from Portland/Beaver ton Oregon and sweet wheat from Shaniko, Oregon thee old wool mega station, and berries from our pristine climate around the Willamette, WE in OREGON are facing the highest unemployment ever and the worst economic climate our State elected officials have ever been challenged to budget. The question being if our products are building a new economy in China for their workers and bottom lines of jobs why should Oregon sit and watch?? QWhy not bring manufacturing back to Oregon? Build textile mills for yarns and fabrics and blankets and clothing? Students of economics can easily see the profits of the brands buried deeply into that Asian labor force but only those that take the next step can see the truth that manufacturing here does work when new businesses build them and take their turn at the wheel of progress in Oregon and its next hundred years. We have within our state a very large labor base and well educated managers and engineers. Thats all it takes to manufacture here in Oregon. Raw materials can be brown here or imported. Ice Breaker sends their wool to China, why not ship it to Oregon. Nike and Columbia do enough business to support at least two textile mills here in OREGON. In return for the thousands that were making textiles in America before they became importers of textiles. TWT if the present day textile folks are aging like the woolen mills owners before them. If Family ownership can build within the halls of public corporations and quarterly reporting. OR if like synthetics did to wool a new generation of textiles is created and produced from the soils and sweat or OREGON lands and hands. email me your support.. together we can rebuild a textile empire in Oregon. ONE YARN AT A TIME Doug Hoschek djhoschek@msn.com]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Doug Hoschek</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:33:50 +0000</pubDate>
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