Following the 2018 announcement that Texas-based clothing manufacturer Williamson-Dickie was being sold, the city of Uvalde learned that the company’s last U.S.-based factory — based in their city — would be closing. That would mean the loss of more than 150 jobs. Uvalde, with a population of less than 17,000, was taken aback at the loss of a major employer and a brand that had become intertwined with the city’s identity.
Williamson-Dickie’s parent company changed gears and repurposed the plant, rehiring about 30 employees initially.
But across Texas and the nation, domestic apparel manufacturing has been in decline for decades. President Donald Trump and many elected officials in Texas have called for the return of these kinds of jobs. But do businesses really want to bring those jobs back to Texas, and are consumers willing to pay more for that “Made in USA” or “Made in Texas” tag?
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