NCTO

What NCTO does

NCTO (National Council of Textile Organizations) is a nonprofit trade association, founded around 2003 and headquartered at 1701 K St. NW in Washington, D.C., with a secondary office in Cherryville, North Carolina. It represents the entire U.S. textile manufacturing supply chain, from fiber producers through yarn spinners, fabric mills, home furnishings companies, and apparel manufacturers. The organization functions as the unified lobbying and policy advocacy voice of the domestic textile industry before Congress, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Defense, with a focus on trade policy, government procurement rules (including the Berry Amendment), customs enforcement, and workforce development. In 2018, NCTO merged with the American Fiber Manufacturers Association (AFMA), expanding its representation to include man-made fiber producers.

NCTO's core offerings are membership services rather than commercial products. Its revenue model is built on recurring membership dues from domestic textile manufacturers. Deliverables include policy advocacy and lobbying, industry statistical reporting, the annual TEXTURES Magazine, the daily Textiles in the News (TIN) digital platform, the "American Textiles: We Make Amazing" rebranding campaign, workforce development partnerships with NC State's Wilson College of Textiles, Gaston College, and Catawba Valley Community College, and an annual meeting that convenes industry executives with policymakers. The organization has a small staff (1-10 employees) and is led by President and CEO Kim Glas, with a 2026 Chair (Amy Bircher Bruyn of MMI Textiles) and Vice Chair (Jay Todd of Service Thread) drawn from member companies. NCTO does not develop proprietary technology and has no public API or software product; its competitive position rests on its regulatory access, its full supply-chain representation, and its relationships with federal decision-makers.

Name

NCTO

Legal name

National Council of Textile Organizations

Website

https://ncto.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NCTO is a nonprofit trade association representing the full U.S. textile manufacturing supply chain, from fiber through finished products, by providing policy advocacy, government relations, workforce development, and industry communications to its domestic manufacturer members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

Keywords

• Textile trade association
• Industry advocacy services
• Policy representation
• Government relations
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NCTO generates revenue through membership dues from domestic textile manufacturers across the supply chain, from fiber to finished sewn products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) is a nonprofit trade association that represents the full spectrum of the U.S. textile industry, from fiber through finished sewn products. Its core offering is industry advocacy and policy representation in Washington, D.C., providing member manufacturers with trade policy support, customs enforcement advocacy, government procurement representation (Berry Amendment), regulatory engagement, and industry communications through publications, events, and the Textiles in the News news platform.

Product overview

NCTO is a trade association representing the entire spectrum of the U.S. textile industry. Its primary offerings include industry advocacy and policy representation in Washington, D.C., publications such as TEXTURES Magazine (an annual inspirational and thought-provoking magazine highlighting the textile industry's renaissance), and the Textiles in the News (TIN) daily news platform. NCTO does not offer a unified software product but rather serves as an advocacy organization providing membership services, policy positions, industry events, and news resources to domestic textile manufacturers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• American Textiles: We Make Amazing: A rebranding campaign launched by NCTO to challenge outdated perceptions of the U.S. textile sector and promote the industry's innovations and contributions.

Products and services

• NCTO Membership Program Annual membership program for domestic textile manufacturers, providing policy advocacy, government relations, industry data and statistics, networking events, and communications platforms. Members span the full textile supply chain from fiber producers through apparel manufacturers.
• NCTO Annual Meeting Annual industry gathering delivering the State of the U.S. Textile Industry address, policy discussions, council meetings, and networking for textile industry members, government officials, and stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Preserved USMCA and CAFTA-DR trade agreement benefits
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA)minorOthersAFFOA is an NCTO Affiliate Member. AFFOA is a Defense Department program matched three to one with private dollars, tasked with developing and commercializing next-generation high-performance textiles.
• American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC)minorOthersAATCC is an NCTO Affiliate Member, serving the textile industry with standards, testing methods, and professional development.
• American Flock AssociationminorOthersEstablished in 1984, the American Flock Association represents manufacturers of roll-to-roll coated textiles, papers, films, and coaters of three-dimensional objects as an NCTO Affiliate Member.
• American Sheep Industry AssociationminorOthersASI represents more than 88,000 sheep producers and is a federation of 45 state sheep associations as an NCTO Affiliate Member.
• Manufacturing Solutions CenterminorOthersBased in Conover, NC, the Manufacturing Solutions Center provides testing, business incubation, product development, and training services as an NCTO Affiliate Member.
• CIRFSminorOthersCIRFS is an NCTO Affiliate Member, representing the man-made fiber industry at an international level.
• North Carolina State University (Wilson College of Textiles)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCTO has partnered with NC State's Wilson College of Textiles and Gaston College on workforce development initiatives. The partnership has extended to Honduras through MOU with Central American Technological University (UNITEC) to educate and train students for textile jobs as nearshoring drives historic investments.
• Gaston CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NCTO and other institutions on textile workforce development, hosting signing ceremony for Honduras MOU and industry roundtables with government officials.
• Catawba Valley Community CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in workforce development partnership with NCTO to support textile industry training needs and nearshoring initiatives.
• Warrior Protection and Readiness CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCTO partnered with the Warrior Protection and Readiness Coalition on advocacy efforts to secure DPA Title III funding access for the U.S. textile industry and defense supply chain.

Scale indicators32 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA): Trade association representing apparel, footwear, and sewn products companies in the U.S. Like NCTO, AAFA conducts policy advocacy, trade policy work, and government relations in Washington, D.C., with overlapping membership across finished textile and apparel manufacturers.
• INDA (Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry): Trade association serving the nonwoven fabrics industry with advocacy, statistics, and member services. Directly comparable to NCTO as a textile sub-segment association with similar policy and trade agenda for its members.
• SEAMS (Southeastern Apparel Manufacturers & Suppliers Association): Association representing sewn products and apparel manufacturers, primarily in the U.S. Southeast. Comparable to NCTO in mission (domestic sewn products representation, supply chain advocacy) with significant overlap on workforce development and sourcing issues.
• Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI): Trade association for the industrial fabrics industry, representing manufacturers of technical and specialty textiles. Directly comparable to NCTO as a textile-specific industry body focused on member advocacy, market data, and policy engagement.
• American Apparel Producers Network (AAPN): Network connecting apparel producers, brands, and suppliers in the Western Hemisphere. Comparable to NCTO in its nearshoring focus, sourcing advocacy, and CAFTA-DR/Western Hemisphere supply chain representation.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): Largest U.S. manufacturing trade association representing all sectors in Washington, D.C. Comparable to NCTO's policy advocacy function but at a much broader industry scope; textile members often hold dual memberships.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Largest U.S. business lobby with broad trade, tax, and regulatory advocacy across all sectors. Comparable to NCTO in its Washington-based policy advocacy function, though vastly broader in scope and resources.

Regional players

• Euratex (European Apparel and Textile Confederation): European umbrella organization for the textile and apparel industry, engaging in EU-level trade and sustainability policy. Comparable to NCTO in mission and structure, but operating across European rather than U.S. jurisdictions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncto
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalCouncilOfTextileOrganizations
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-council-of-textile-organizations

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NCTO