this is the Technology Report.The textile and clothing industry in the United Statesis growing again after many years of decline.Many of the factories are competing against factoriesthat pay low wages in countries like China.VOA visited the southern state of North Carolina.The textile industry there was onceone of the most important businesses in the state.It has reinvented itself using technologyand employing fewer people than before.Robots do most of the workat the National Spinning Company factoryin Burlington, North Carolina.The factory dyes more than 110,000 kilograms of yarnevery week in many different colors.The yarn is sent to clothing and furniture makersboth in the U.S. and around the world.Michael Hankensen is one of only two workerswho take care of the dye producing machines."As you see, most of this is extremely heavy,cumbersome, and trying to move it aroundin the order that these robots do it,it would take an army of mento accomplish what these robots do," said Hankensen.Technology is helping the companycompete with factories in other countriesthat pay workers only a few dollars a day.The National Spinning Company factory paysits 100 employees between $10 and $20 an hour.Ed Atkins manages the factory.He says it is important for the company to limit labor costs,but he says, it must also make high quality products,and he says, the company must provide good customer serviceto compete in the international market place."We've diversified ourselves, looked for marketsthat depended on the quick responsethat you can provide from American-made products,little niche markets.I mean we don't try to competein the generic cotton business or anything like that,because it's not where our strengths are," said Atkins.Deborah Wince-Smith is the president of the Council on Competitiveness,she says the textile industry must continue to develop technology."Companies and enterprises are really bringingtheir core activities to where they have a skilled workforce,where they have innovation talentand where they're actually ableto develop the next generation of innovationthat drives manufacturing," said Wince-Smith.The textile industry has built 23 factoriesin the last three years,it has also increased its exports by 30 percent.To the surprise of many,the American textile industry is showing new signs of life.And that's the Technology Report from VOA Learning English.Have a question or comment about this show?Email us at learningenglish@voanews.com.For more of our programs,visit our website at 51voa.com.We are also on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, iTunesand Twitter at VOA Learning English.更多听力请访问51voa.com