110 Years of Cone Mills' White Oak Plant

Still true to its heritage 110 years on, Cone Mills is one of the most respected denim manufacturers in the world and their signature White Oak denim is still produced in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Over a century since their inception, Cone Mills are heading the resurgence of high quality, American made goods.

Founded through the shared entrepreneurial spirit of brothers Moses and Ceasar Cone and grounded in American heritage, Cone Denim has been a leading supplier of denim fabrics to top apparel brands since 1891. Over the last 110 years of expertise and innovation, the company has been synonymous with authenticity and quality.

The White Oak Plant was purchased In 1905 by the Cone Brothers and named for a 200-year old tree that stood on the property. By 1908, they were the largest denim manufacturer in the world. Cone Mills is probably best known for the "golden handshake" with Levi Strauss and Co in 1915. Cone were the sole supplier of denim to Levi's for their shrink-to-fit 501s until Levi’s began to move production overseas. In recent years, Levi’s has started to source the denim for its Vintage Clothing from Cone Mills again.

Cone's signature selvedge denim is still woven on 1940s American Draper fly shuttle looms. The company pride themselves on the fact that denim woven here has a “depth and dimension” that is unique to White Oak. Legend has it that even the 100 year old wooden flooring that the machines sit on create a unique rhythm that is woven into the fabric. Cone has a loyal and skilled workforce, many of whom have been working at the White Oak plant for 30+ years, Its like a family, and the collective experience and knowledge they have runs right through their denim. The company is proud of its heritage and rightly so; the Cone Mills archives are a treasure trove of blue gold.

In 2003, with business steadily declining, the Cone Mills Company filed for bankruptcy. In 2004, billionaire Wilbur Ross purchased the company, along with others, and formed the International Textile Group. This investment has allowed the White Oak plant to continue doing its thing and brands like Raleigh, Rising Sun and Freeman's Sporting Club still turn to the Cone Mills for their denim. After all, they are one of the last quality selvedge denim producers in the United States.

Visit: www.conedenim.com