VOA标准英语2012--From Autos to Apparel: Michigan Broadens its Economic Base

From Autos to Apparel: Michigan Broadens its Economic Base

 

TD Industrial Coverings in Sterling² Heights, Michigan, uses industrial sewing equipment to make nylon coverings for the robots used in auto¹ assembly plants.

But when the three major American auto makers³ nearly went bankrupt in 2008, President Mark D'Andreta had to lay off more than 75 per cent of his workers.

“After that experience I never want to go through that again,” said D’Andreta. “So we decided⁴ to take what it is we do really well and try to map it outside of the automotive industry which, as a cut and sew shop, led us to apparel.” 

With help from a business partner, D'Andreta retooled⁵ his factory floor and launched Motor City Denim⁶, a clothing line of jeans and other urban apparel that styles itself as “industrial couture.” 

He is among a small but growing number of Michigan business people venturing into the garment trade as a way to diversify⁷ beyond the auto sector⁸.

Today, D’Andreta divides his factory floor space to create a distinction between his automotive and apparel production lines. 

“We actually move sewers⁹ in and out depending on work load and how much volume we’ve got," he said. "It’s that balancing of the resources that is allowing us to really get a diversification¹⁰ effort [and] to get into the apparel business."

Yelena Gaziyan was one of the lucky few who kept her job at TD Industrial during the auto industry downturn.

These days she is interviewing applicants¹¹ for seamstress jobs but says the company is having trouble finding skilled workers. 

Gaziyan says she has more job security today because the company has work in more than one sector.

“It’s an opportunity to have more customers,” said Gaziyan. “More jobs, more workers, so it’s better for us.”

And better for Michigan, says Eleanor Fuchs, an economic development planner who helped launch the Michigan Garment Industry Council in 2011.

The Council helps small garment operations across the state connect with each other to develop their business.

Fuchs says auto workers who were laid off in Michigan’s auto industry downturn are now being retrained for the state’s growing garment sector. 

But she adds the garment industry needs to be one of many sectors¹² that eventually lead to the diversification of Michigan’s economy. 

“Those that are involved are incredibly committed to the revitalization of Michigan,” said Fuchs. “They want to see this succeed. They can see that it’s not the answer but that it’s part of the answer for the state as a whole.”

Michigan’s native clothing designers agree. 

Bonnie Foley is founder¹³ of Christian¹⁴ LaRue, an upscale fashion label based in the affluent¹⁵ town of Birmingham north of Detroit. 

She concedes that Michigan’s garment industry doesn’t employ many workers today but believes apparel manufacturing could one day provide more jobs in the state than many other non-automotive industries. 

“We have the music industry, Motown. But that doesn’t really bring any jobs to anyone. So the only viable¹⁶ industry right now that I see growing all around me is the garment industry,”said Foley.

It’s unclear how many jobs have been created by Michigan’s burgeoning¹⁷ garment sector.

The industry includes family owned sheep farms and textile mills in the more industrial northern part of the state, as well as pattern makers, cut and sew operations, and fashion designers based around Detroit.

Eleanor Fuchs says apparel manufacturing accounts for less than $5 million of Michigan’s economy. 

But she says the state wants to rebrand itself, eventually, as a manufacturing center for clothing made in the United States, and it plans to get there one stitch at a time. 

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 retooled   

v.（给…）更换工具， （给…）更换机械设备( retool的过去式和过去分词 )；改组，革新

参考例句：

• The company will be retooled after the incorporation. 合并之后的公司要进行重组。 来自辞典例句
• Each time the product changes, the machines have to be retooled. 每次更换产品，就得重新装备机器。 来自辞典例句

6 denim   

n.斜纹棉布；斜纹棉布裤，牛仔裤

参考例句：

• She wore pale blue denim shorts and a white denim work shirt.她穿着一条淡蓝色的斜纹粗棉布短裤，一件白粗布工作服上衣。
• Dennis was dressed in denim jeans.丹尼斯穿了一条牛仔裤。

7 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 sewers   

n.阴沟，污水管，下水道( sewer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sewers discharge out at sea. 下水道的污水排入海里。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Another municipal waste problem is street runoff into storm sewers. 有关都市废水的另外一个问题是进入雨水沟的街道雨水。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 diversification   

n.变化，多样化；多种经营

参考例句：

• The seminar was to discuss diversification of agriculture. 该研讨会讨论的是农业多种经营。 来自辞典例句
• Firm diversification is increasingly achieved by the means of takeover and merger. 通过接管和兼并，厂商经营范围日益多样化。 来自辞典例句

11 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

12 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

14 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

15 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

16 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

17 burgeoning   

adj.迅速成长的，迅速发展的v.发芽，抽枝( burgeon的现在分词 )；迅速发展；发（芽），抽（枝）

参考例句：

• Our company's business is burgeoning now. 我们公司的业务现在发展很迅速。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These efforts were insufficient to contain the burgeoning crisis. 这些努力不足以抑制迅速扩散的危机。 来自辞典例句