But it's mostly about modernization and market shifts. C.M.I. runs four fabric-producing plants in South Carolina. The company has poured millions of dollars into upgrading three of the plants. The fourth, Lydia, is a victim of automation and increased worker productivity. The rest will be let go.
Demand is down.
People are spending more on things like electronics than on clothing. That's the key, not low-cost imports. South Carolina's textile employment has declined from a high of about 160,000 in 1973 to fewer than 90,000 today. But overall employment and investment are at record levels, thanks largely to the state's successful wooing of foreign businesses like BMW and Fuji film. Sober people realize that.