Article: Fabric of the times: a 129-year-old textile maker, Glen Raven continues to prosper because it wouldn't stick to its knitting.(PICTURE THIS)

Alien Gant Jr. is out of pantyhose--which helps explain why Glen Raven Inc., as it nears its 130th birthday, still thrives after scores of other Tar Heel textile companies have vanished. Gant is CEO, and his father is credited with developing pantyhose in the 1950s. But after workplace dress rules started going soft in the '80s and slacks nudged out skirts, the pantyhose market took a hit. Glen Raven got out of women's hosiery and didn't look back. "We're not afraid of walking away from a business that can no longer produce a profit. If a market goes sideways, we plow our investments into something that has more value to us."

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