The Samuel Slater Experience will host a special presentation by Ken Gamache, president and CEO of Cranston Print Works (CPW), doing business today as QT Fabrics, on Sunday, October 25, at 1 p.m.

Gamache will share the history of CPW, reflect on his decades in the textile industry, and discuss how the company has evolved since the 2009 closure of its Webster plant. The program offers former CPW employees and members of the community an opportunity to reconnect, reminisce, and learn about the company’s transformation.

The face of CPW today is vastly different from the bustling manufacturing operation that once ran three shifts a day. Under Gamache’s leadership, QT Fabrics operates with employees working remotely across the country, focusing primarily on high-end quilting fabrics sold through independent specialty fabric stores throughout the United States.

A graduate of Bartlett High School, Gamache earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Nichols College and an MBA from Anna Maria College. He began his career with CPW in 1978, working third shift in the print room. Over the years, he held a variety of positions, gaining firsthand knowledge of the textile industry before ultimately becoming president and CEO.

CPW operated manufacturing facilities in Cranston, RI; Fletcher, NC; and Webster, with the Webster mill being the last to close.

Ken and his wife Carol (Trepanier) Gamache have been married for 42 years and now reside in their circa 1773 home in Durham.

The presentation is free, but advance registration is required. To register, visit samuelslaterexperience.org, call 508-461-2955 or email [email protected]. The Samuel Slater Experience is located at 31 Ray St. in Webster and free parking is available. Join Gamache to hear the remarkable story of Cranston Print Works and discover what has become of one of New England’s historic textile companies.