The Missouri Textile and Apparel Center has been established by the University of Missouri to create jobs in the state's apparel industry.

"Our primary goal is to help preserve and create jobs in this industry," said Barbara Froke, associate dean for human environmental sciences extension at the university.

The new center is headquartered in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Susan Henson has been named coordinator of the center and will start her new duties in January.

Jeff Wissinger, a business and industry specialist with the extension at West Plains, served as interim coordinator during a three month set-up period.

"I spent three months in Columbia to help establish the new center," said Wissinger. "One of my big interests was getting apparel manufacturers involved in a data base system to provide overseas leads."

Wissinger said several of the manufacturers were interested in being listed in the system. "We list manufacturers and the products they have for sale," he said.

Wissinger said that the organizations included industries that produced apparel, as well as seat covers, tarps and other products.

"The apparel industry is the eighth largest manufacturing employer in the state, with an estimated 21,500 persons," said Froke. "One of the purposes of the center will be to facilitate communications among the manufacturers.

"So far, we've found about 350 manufacturers in the state," she said. "We know there are more. The manufacturers know little about each other and consequently, don't benefit from coordination."

To aid communications, Barbara Cunningham, extension business and industry specialist in Kansas City, has put together a directory of 220 of the manufacturers. It is being distributed statewide and nationwide.

"Referrals from one service to another can bring in more jobs," said Cunningham. "We've seen some evidence of that in feedback we've received on the directory. One problem with small apparel manufacturers is that they have to lay off employees during slack times. The trick is to be able to fill in those slack times with more jobs."

Another aim of the center is to sponsor workshops and seminars for manufacturers so they can keep up with the latest technology and public policy.

Cunningham and Betty Dillard, assistant professor of textile and apparel management, coordinated a conference on the university campus last summer on ergonomics, the science of how the body relates to machines. A total of 57 Missouri apparel manufacturers attended.

Another purpose of the center will be to coordinate university-based research that can aid the apparel industry.

"Our textile and apparel management department in the university has already been involved in this type of research," said Froke. "We plan to build on that base."

Additional information concerning the new center is available by contacting Froke, telephone (314)-882-7828, or Wissinger, (417)-256-2391.