Anyone who has spent time in the textile industry knows its greatest strength has always been the people. And it was these warm, welcoming people who made heart surgeon Dr. David Talton fall in love with the industry after tagging along with his lifelong best friend – apparel industry veteran Steve Hawkins – to a handful of trade shows and conferences. In 2018, Talton, looking for a new challenge and enamored with the textile industry, and Hawkins, looking for a lifestyle change, decided to partner creating America Knits* — a company dedicated to producing premium, high-quality Made in America apparel in Swainsboro, Ga.