NCTO Board Member and Auburn Manufacturing CEO Joins Ex-Im Bank Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON-The Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) 2019 Advisory Committee names Kathie Leonard as the board’s U.S. textile industry representative. Leonard is a National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) board member and president and CEO of Auburn Manufacturing Inc.

Auburn Manufacturing is a woman-owned company based in Mechanic Falls, Maine that produces heat- and fire-resistant textiles. Over the past 40 years, Leonard has worked to turn 1.5 million pounds of fiber per year into over 2 million yards of fabric.

Leonard lends her expertise to issues affecting the textile industry, ranging from global trade policy to regulatory matters, across the state and national level.

In her role on the Ex-Im Advisory Committee, she provides insights and recommendations on export financing products to its board of directors and the Bank’s president.

“Kathie is such a tremendous asset to our industry,” NCTO president and CEO Kim Glas, says. “We are pleased the Ex-Im Board has selected Kathie to serve on its Advisory Committee. She will be the voice of the industry at the table and help support the U.S. textile industry, which has seen a significant increase in its exports, particularly to the Western Hemisphere.”

“I’m very pleased to be appointed to Ex-Im’s Advisory Committee. As a small U.S. textile manufacturer, we know first-hand how important Ex-Im’s financing program is to build sustainable sales relationships around the world,” Leonard adds. “I look forward to being able to provide feedback to the Board on behalf of the textile industry and the small business sector.”

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.

For more information on NCTO, visit www.ncto.org.