Clocking In Podcast
Voices of NC Manufacturing, your host Phil Mintz, Director of the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP). We will be interviewing some of the manufacturers who have made North Carolina manufacturing the powerhouse it is today.
Episode 24
Elastic Therapy, Inc.
Production Team
Talent/Host: Phil Mintz
Executive Producer: Phil Mintz
Producer: Shelby Kimes
Sound/Audio Engineer and Editor: Mike Reep
Graphic Designer: Casey Hembrick
E-24: Medical Stockings with a Higher Standard
Elastic Therapy, Inc.: Chris Harrington
Elastic Therapy, Inc., a compression wear manufacturer located in Asheboro, NC, strives to maintain its niche dominance in the hosiery industry.
It may come as no surprise that a state with a rich textile history also has deep roots in the hosiery industry. According to IBIS World, North Carolina leads the nation in the state with the most hosiery manufacturing mills with 64 mills as of 2021. On this episode of Clocking In, we’re sitting down with a hosiery manufacturer in Randolph county that is paving the way in compression wear.
Established in Asheboro, North Carolina in 1989, Elastic Therapy, Inc. (ETI) is a world leader in the design and manufacture of private label medical compression products. Their products are worn to aid in the treatment and prevention of vein-related disorders. ETI started with 25 associates working to manufacture medical compression products on 30 knitting machines. Today, ETI maintains 250 employees working with more than 200 knitting machines and producing millions of medical hosiery products annually.
Phil speaks with the director of operations and general manager of Elastic Therapy, Chris Harrington. His previous leadership positions include general manager at Technicolor, vice president of operations at Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation and the head of North American operations at Draeger Safety. Chris has a bachelor’s in organizational management from Crichton College, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate of philosophy in Leadership Studies from NC A&T State University.
We discuss the history of ETI, how Chris got into the hosiery industry, how the pandemic has impacted ETI’s game plan, the future of the hosiery industry and more.
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About
Phil Mintz
Phil Mintz is the executive director of NC State Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) and director of the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP). At NCMEP, Phil drives outreach to NC manufacturers, builds relationships with federal and state leaders and coordinates efforts to drive profitable manufacturing growth in the state. He also leads the broader IES extension operations outreach unit of regional managers, technical specialists and business development leaders providing business engagement, assessment and improvement tools. This includes statewide peer networks, ISO 9000 quality management systems, Six Sigma, Lean manufacturing, environmental services, and health and safety solutions.
Chris Harrington
Chris Harrington is the director of operations and general manager of Elastic Therapy. His previous positions include general manager at Technicolor, vice president of operations at Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation and the head of North American operations at Draeger Safety. Chris has a bachelor’s in organizational management from Crichton College, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate of philosophy in Leadership Studies from NC A&T State University.
