Debbie Sigmon

Board of Directors, Chairman | Meridian Specialty Yarn Group

Debbie Sigmon, MPA is the VP of Human Resources and Safety for Meridian Specialty Yarn Group, Inc. (MSYG;) the only domestic yarn producer with both wet processing and true novelty long-staple spinning and twisting capabilities. MSYG operates manufacturing facilities in Valdese, NC and Ranlo, NC and produces yarn from virtually every textile substrate, both natural and synthetic.

Debbie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Lenoir-Rhyne University and a Master of Public Administration from Appalachian State University. She is an active member of the Southern Textile Association and enjoys attending their events and networking with textile manufacturing peers. Debbie also represents MSYG at trade shows, including major events such as Techtextil, FedTex, and JAPBI where she engages with attendees to discuss MSYG’s capabilities and product offerings.

Debbie is passionate about community involvement and energetically contributes to cross-sector collaboration initiatives between employers, educators, and local government stakeholders. She volunteers her time and talents in the Burke County community by serving as: Chair of The Industrial Commons board, Past President of the Western Piedmont Foundation board, Chair of the Burke Partners in Education advisory board, and member of various organizations, including the NSF Textile Innovation Engine of NC board and related Hemp Consortium, Burke Manufacturers Executive Council, and Personnel Committee of the Waldensian Heritage Museum.

Debbie speaks frequently to local employers and broader audiences about MSYG’s successful outcomes due to their implementation of a Worker Committee and Buddy Program (with extensive assistance from The Industrial Commons.) She was a guest speaker at the “Future of Work for Businesses” webinar hosted by The Industrial Commons in 2022 as well as a speaker at the NC Manufacturing Conference in 2023 where she shared about how these programs could be potential roadmaps for employers in their efforts to increase employee morale, workplace satisfaction, and retention.