Cone Denim brings White Oak selvage looms back into production

Cone Denim has made a deal to bring selvage looms from its now-closed White Oak mill back into production. Its American Draper X3 selvage looms will be sold to investor Will Dellinger to produce denim fabric in North Carolina.

White Oak had been the last U.S. selvage mill when it closed in 2017 after 110 years of continuous operation. Dellinger acknowledged in a statement that the looms from White Oak are “an integral part of American textile history."

“It is exciting to see a path forward for these iconic looms that allows them to remain in North Carolina and continue the legacy of American denim,” Cone Denim president Steve Maggard, told Sourcing Journal. “The denim community has been so supportive of Cone Denim and the heritage of the White Oak plant, which will forever be a part of Cone Denim.”

Cone Denim will also donate one of its looms to the Greensboro History Museum in North Carolina to support the region's history of denim manufacturing.