There was little chatter on the floor of the Beverly Knits* textile factory in Gastonia, N.C., as a smattering of workers tended to rows of circular knitting machines that hummed and spun fabric on a September afternoon. To CEO Ron Sytz, the quiet buzz of machinery was ominous: It feels “like a ghost town,” he said. Beverly Knits is now operating at approximately 60% capacity and is down to less than 200 associates from its peak of 375 about two years ago, in the face of stiff competition overseas.
