TEXTILES.ORG
Compiled by Juli Case
We’re applying for a grant, and we need to show how many women/minority owned businesses there are in the sewn products industry. Where should we look for that information?
Special programs or consideration are sometimes given to companies that are women- or minority-owned. The U.S. Census Bureau does a survey of American business owners every five years; the last one was conducted in 2007. Not all of the data has been completely analyzed for 2007, but is complete for 2002. The amount of data is large; there are a variety of public access reports you can run from it. To get the most meaningful data, use filters whenever possible, and the NAICS code we suggest using as a sewn products manufacturer is 314, which is “Textile Product Mills.” The definition of this category is: “Industries in the Textile Product Mills subsector group establishments that make textile products (except apparel). With a few exceptions, processes used in these industries are generally cut and sew (i.e., purchasing fabric and cutting and sewing to make nonapparel textile products, such as sheets and towels).”