Egnew and USIFI lobby for U.S. fabricators

By Sigrid Tornquist

J.C. Egnew and Outdoor Venture Corp., along with others involved in the United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI), spend a significant amount of time lobbying Congress on behalf of U.S. fabricators. Paramount among the lobbying efforts are those concerning the Berry Amendment, which requires the U.S. Department of Defense to give preference in procurement to domestically produced, manufactured or home-grown products.

In another effort under the umbrella of USIFI, Egnew helped form a subcommittee of tent makers to fund a study determining why there was such a shortage of tents when the U.S. entered the war in Iraq. “What we’ve accomplished [through our efforts] is the War Reserve Funding, which basically keeps a level of funding during peacetime,” Egnew says. “And the inventory made during peacetime builds a war reserve inventory of shelters.”

For more information on USIFI, a division of the Industrial Fabrics Association International, visit www.usifi.com.

Sigrid Tornquist is the editor of Specialty Fabrics Review.