When Santens of America moved its operations overseas last year, many textile workers lost long-time careers. Now Life Stone Materials LLC will take advantage of their skills by locating a $5.5 million manufacturing facility in Anderson, S.C., employing veteran employees in 45 new high-tech textile jobs. The availability of trained workers was key in selecting the Anderson site, says Craig Trask, production manager of Life Stone Materials. “They know how to warp and finish and weave,” he says. “Those are basically our main processes.” Life Stone Materials designs and produces technologically advanced protective body armor for the military, federal agencies and law enforcement.