Beckley, WV (WOAY) Congresswoman Carol Miller (R) was in Beckley this Wednesday to visit several businesses. One of her stops was the new PATTERN Textile Training and Manufacturing Center in the United Bank Building in downtown Beckley, where she received an expert sewing lesson from one of their trainers.
“It’s an incredible setup with sewing machines I’ve never seen before. And the possibility of employing people in West Virginia who have a little bit of sewing skill to a lot of sewing skill into providing products…”
PATTERN stands for the Planning and Accelerating Textile Technology and Entrepreneurship Regional Network. In partnership with the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and the Hive Training Network, Pattern aims to help businesses and makers build West Virginia’s sewing industry by providing the resources and expertise to create custom textile products.
Miller was impressed with the capabilities that businesses like PATTERN can bring to the region.
“Just imagine if you are a mountain climber or you’re a river person and you want a specific pack made to meet your needs, they could do this here, and they could make that—one—they could make a hundred—and teach you how to do it.”
Miller also believes that the kind of training that PATTERN offers will be great for the region’s workforce, and said she would love to see more developments like it.
“We always want to have things developing and ideas growing and becoming reality. People in this region are very good at those kinds of things, of just being creative and making something new, and I’d love to see it succeed.”
In textiles or other industries, Miller says that business growth means more local opportunities.
“The opportunity: It’s right here. Downtown Beckley. So look it up.”
To learn more about PATTERN, visit nrgrda.org/pattern.
