VF Corporation and North Carolina State University today announced a collaborative, strategic partnership that will support student development at NC State and advance apparel and textiles innovation within VF.

“VF is proud to partner with NC State University, one of the world’s top universities and home to the only college in the United States devoted entirely to textiles,” said Steve Rendle, chairman, president and CEO of VF. “Through our shared expertise in research and consumer insights, we aim to stimulate apparel innovation while also developing a consistent pipeline of exceptional leaders for our company.”

The College of Textiles and VF have a long-standing relationship. Under this new multiyear agreement, the partnership is further strengthened by NC State’s Poole College of Management, which brings particular expertise in business analytics and supply chain management. The new partnership adds structure to existing collaborations and creates new opportunities for students in both colleges. The partnership will:

• Offer a variety of undergraduate and graduate education and training activities for students within the colleges, including internships, student projects and competitions;
• Facilitate industry-leading research that will elevate apparel and textile products and experiences;
• Provide executive education opportunities for VF associates; and,
• Establish a VF presence on Centennial Campus, NC State’s nationally recognized research campus.

“With many College of Textiles alumni working and thriving at VF, we could not be more pleased to be building on our partnership. The addition of VF on campus and the ability of students and faculty from both the College of Textiles and Poole College of Management to work shoulder-to- shoulder with VF personnel will bring new avenues to advance textiles, apparel and footwear,” said David Hinks, dean of the College of Textiles.

“Together with the College of Textiles, we are uniquely positioned to partner with a market leader like VF to expand professional development and research in the world of textiles. We are also excited about the potential of this partnership to bring meaningful experiences to NC State students,” said Annette L. Ranft, Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair and dean of Poole College of Management.

“VF’s presence on Centennial Campus will create a collaboration space where students, faculty and VF employees can come together to solve challenges and accelerate innovation,” said Dennis Kekas, associate vice chancellor of partnerships and economic development at NC State.

Today’s announcement begins a long-term engagement between VF and NC State, with more initiatives to be announced.

This post was originally published in NC State News.