_Letter from the editor
Over the past ten years in my involvement in TCF, I have often found myself defending the existence of the local TCF industry to my economic rationalist friends. "Too many subsidies, smokestack industry, sweatshops, etc, etc," they would cry. These are the people who would like us to get rid of manufacturing and rely on Australia digging minerals out of the ground, or service industries like education and tourism to create wealth for this country.
If I were to take one of my economic rationalist friends through any mill in Australia, to show them just exactly what the TCF industry of 2011 looks like, to dispel the myths, I would take them to Stretchtex (Page 44). (Now, before anyone gets upset and writes me a letter, let me just say that I could also pick a number of other local technical textile/knitting/printing/dyeing/weaving/clothing/coating companies, but I think that the sexy nature of the end-use of Stretchtex's fabric would be important).
Taking them around the mill (which runs 24-hour shifts to meet demand) I would show them how Australian TCF manufactures can not only produce a world class product, but be at the forefront of its design. I would show them how despite other countries maintaining protectionism, despite our social and environmental responsibility, and despite the record high Australian dollar, we have the ability to compete and lead globally in TCF.
"This is the industry of 2011. Some would describe it as niche; I would say "well positioned".
Local manufacturing no longer looks to compete in mass production cut and sew. It is well serviced for that from Asia and places like Fiji (see page 26); there is of course a continuing need (and arguably an increasing need) for a quick turnaround service locally.
When Rosemary and Stan Boston launched the first issue of Australasian Textiles in 1981, they could not have imagined what the industry would look like some 30 years later. The magazine has changed over the years, just as the industry has changed. We added Fashion in the mid 1990s, and in the 2000s we have increased our focus on supply chain issues such as logistics and PLM to reflect the present nature of the industry. In that time, Boston Publishing has had some fantastic support from the industry and we would like to thank everyone who has been part of our magazine over the past 30 years. We hope that in return we have given the industry a focus point where important issues, whether they be product related or political, could be discussed and analysed, and we look forward to continuing this for a number of years to come.
James Boston
Editor / Publisher
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