Kent, chairman of Kent Manufacturing Co. in Greenville, replaces upstate textile executive Richard Dillard Jr.

Dillard, director of public affairs for Spartanburg-based textile maker Milliken and Co., resigned his seat on the nine-member board last July over concerns that the Port of Charleston benefits from the same flood of Asian textile imports that has hammered the domestic textile industry in recent years.

Kent, 41, said he is concerned about the loss of textile jobs, but feels he can step back from the issue and make decisions based on what's best for taxpayers.

"I've been asked to step into it as a state representative not as a representative of my industry," said Kent, a Wake Forest Uni-versity graduate who has served on the boards of several textile trade groups and civic organizations.

The U.S. textile and apparel industry has lost about 323,000 jobs, or about 31 percent of its workforce, since 2001, according to the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, a Washington, D.C., lobby group.

Kent said his company is less susceptible to competition from countries such as China because most of his raw materials are unique and come from Australia.

As for other port issues, Kent admits he has a lot to learn about the maritime industry.

He said he expects to rely on experience gleaned during his seven-year stint on the board of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control under Govs. David Beasley and Jim Hodges.

Kent said he met Sanford during the gubernatorial campaign and shares his management philosophy that state government should run more like a private company.

The state Senate is expected to take up Kent's appointment when the session resumes in January. Until then, he will serve on an interim basis.

The SPA is also making internal staff changes with the retirement of two long-time executives, Anne Moise and George Young. Moise's duties as vice president of public relations and human resources will be spread among existing employees.

Fred Stribling will assume Young's position as vice president of marketing and sales.

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