SALEM, Va. — Integrated Textile Solutions, Inc. was among 12 companies chosen to benefit from the Domestic Markets Expansion Program.
No state is more reliant on Department of Defense funding than Virginia. GENEDGE worked with the Governor’s office to design and implement the Virginia Domestic Markets Expansion Program (DMEP), which helps Virginia companies expand their businesses by diversifying into non-defense-related areas. For those companies that qualify and are accepted into the program, DMEP provides specific and targeted services to each individual company to help them enter new markets, develop new products and utilize new market channels to grow their business. This selective program has been offered by GENEDGE over the last two years, serving over 120 DOD supply chain companies, and helping 45 of them create and implement strategies to diversify and grow their businesses through innovative commercial offerings.
In its third year, the program is funded to assist 12 companies that previously benefited from DMEP services continue their commercialization efforts. This new approach enables the program to help each company grow by accelerating the execution of strategic initiatives to firmly diversify their business and help build the New Virginia Economy.
Twenty companies participated in a competitive selection process based on evaluation of their business case for a new, specific business opportunity. The selection panel consisted of 5 members of the GENEDGE Board of Trustees. All companies did a great job of presenting excellent opportunities – making the funding decision extremely competitive. We are pleased to announce that Integrated Textile Solutions, Inc. was selected to receive funding to further their commercialization efforts.
Integrated Textile Solutions (ITS), is a Woman-Owned Small Business manufacturing in Virginia since 1936. Through leadership’s innovative market approach, ITS continues to seize rapidly on opportunities in one of the hardest hit U.S. industries of the past several decades. Over the years, ITS developed new capabilities in industrial sewing, enabling rapid adaptation and alignment to emergent market demands worldwide. Key capabilities include the latest custom sewing, Gerber computerized cutting, fabric welding, and customer R&D. Today, the firm’s focus is less on traditional apparel manufacturing and more on contract sewing providing clients a US based manufacturing solution of high quality product with attractive lead times. Military, industrial, and specialty textile product development are the primary product development areas. In addition, ITS continues to increase R&D focus on emerging textile functionality with high performance materials, as well as specialty technical textile fabrics.
ITS has presented a new opportunity: “US Marksman – Soft Body Armor for Law Enforcement and the First Responder Community.” This concept will give ITS a unique product design platform certified to the National Institute of Justice 0101.06 standard. Comfort and wearability are key benefits of the soft body armor system, a direct driver for law enforcement end users within environments where ballistic hazard levels are increasing. The wearability of this system allows for improvements within operational effectiveness and performance, in addition to a safety increase of the first responders at a personally desirable comfort level.
CONTACT:
Mindy Priddy
(276) 666-8890 ext. 227
mpriddy@genedge.org
