#Denim

2021-11-25

Loepfe interview with Steve Maggard President CONE DENIM LLC, USA

With its roots in Greensboro, NC, and its denim heritage dating back to 1891, Cone Denim has been an iconic supplier of denim fabrics and leading denim fabric innovator ever since. Guido Wieland, Loepfe’s Head of Product & Solutions had the opportunity and pleasure of talking to Steve Maggard, President of Cone Denim, about Cone’s manifold innovations, the challenging production of dual-core stretch yarns, and Cone’s mission and vision in terms of innovation and sustainability.

From performance denims and superior S Gene® technology to vintage re-creations of their Cone® Deeptone Denim reaching back to the early 1900s, Cone Denim offers unique collections of performance, stretch, selvage, and natural indigo denims crafted out of their very own Cone® 3D R&D incubator.

With mills strategically located in China and Mexico, Cone Denim is excellently positioned to make a strong contribution to their long-term strategy of providing customers with innovative and market-driven denims and services from a global network of manufacturing platforms.

Promoting sustainable practices in its operations and development of new denims, Cone Denim delivers unparalleled expertise and advanced denim capabilities that service and inspire the global market.

As part of Elevate Textiles, a distinguished collection of global brands, Cone Denim is redefining the world of textiles by providing global solution to a constantly evolving industry.

Interview

Loepfe: Quality has always been a key factor for Cone’s success, why did you put all on it from the beginning?

SM: Clearing technology is a key component in achieving yarn quality. Loepfe has been a key vendor for Cone Denim in yarn clearing technology, providing advanced flexible clearing capability.

Loepfe: To produce the reliable quality that the market demands for always means investing in the latest technologies and knowing the market trends. What are your inducements for this?

SM: We have chosen Loepfe for the reliability and flexibility in the clearing technology. The ability to clear fancy yarns and monitor splicing quality are key factors that we consider when we chose our clearing technology.

Loepfe: Cone Denim has created a new global standard for stretch denim – The S Gene® dual-core technology. Can you tell us more about its inventor(s), the specific characteristics and the resulting benefits of it?

SM: The S Gene technology was invented by our product development area. Lead developers included Allen Little, Cone Denim’s Director Product Development; Reuben Hart, Technical Support Specialist; and former Cone Denim developer Ralph Tharpe, who were all part of the original team that worked to create the revolutionary S Gene® technology. S Gene® technology changed the performance of stretch denim creating not only superior stretch but never before seen recovery, eliminating baggy knees and waistbands and improving fit and comfort throughout the day. The advanced S Gene® technology led to tremendous growth of stretch technology in denim.

Loepfe: In your winding process, you build on Savio Polar machines and trust on Loepfe Zenit+ yarn clearers. What are the main challenges in manufacturing dual-core stretch yarns and what benefits did you achieve by integrating Loepfe yarn clearers?

SM: Dual core stretch yarns are manufactured using both normal and slub yarn patterns. The ability to monitor and clear both yarn types with precise clearing technology is a must for our quality standards. Splice monitoring and quality clearing are of the utmost importance and the Loepfe technology allows us to monitor and remove any splices that do not meet our quality parameters.

Reuben Hart, co-inventor of Cone Denim’s S GENE® dual core product line © 2021 Loepfe

Loepfe: Denim is a huge trend and enjoys a constantly growing demand. Because of that, more and more new companies are entering this sector. How do you see the development of the denim market over the next 2-5 years?

SM: We feel that denim customers are moving to a more sustainable approach for both the manufacturing of denim and garments. We at Cone Denim have a long history of sustainable manufacturing spanning over 128 years. We continue as a global leader focused on developing and investing in technologies to improve our manufacturing processes and minimize our environmental impact. We know this is increasingly important to our customers and we are proud to be a valued partner in achieving their innovation and sustainability goals.

A tradition of innovation celebrated at ITMA 2025 in Singapore

For 70 years, Loepfe has embodied precision, technological excellence, and uncompromising quality. Join us as we proudly celebrate seven decades of innovation at ITMA 2025 in Singapore. Founded in 1955 by two visionary brothers, Helmut and Erich Loepfe, the company has been a pioneer in yarn quality control – continuously pushing technological boundaries to meet and exceed industry expectations.

Leadership transition at Loepfe

Loepfe Brothers Ltd. has embarked on a new chapter with the appointment of Markus Kleindorp as the new CEO, ushering in a fresh era of leadership. Former CEO Ralph Mennicke's departure prompts restructuring, including the addition of Gregor Stalder as CFO. With this seasoned team, Loepfe aims to maintain its excellence in the textile industry.

Thermal fabric cutting system - Weftmaster cut-it for airbag fabrics

WeftMaster CUT-iT for airbag fabrics. In case of the unexpected while driving a car, people are relying on airbags for their life protection. Hence, airbag fabrics must have flawless quality. Renowned weavers of airbag fabrics take no risk; they rely on Loepfe's CUT-iT to ensure their top quality fabrics have a perfectly defined and uniform selvedge.

Eastman Naia™ debuts at Kingpins Amsterdam, transforming Denim from the inside out

At Kingpins Amsterdam (April 15–16, 2026), Naia™ by Eastman Chemical Company makes its debut, presenting its approach to circularity and comfort in denim at Stand 1, Ground Level (Blue Area). The brand also highlights its growing global ecosystem, connecting mill partners, designers and brands working to expand denim possibilities through fiber innovation.

ISKO introduces a new chapter of denim innovation at Kingpins Amsterdam with FW 27/28

At Kingpins Amsterdam, ISKO presents its latest FW27/28 collection, a forward-looking exploration of denim that merges advanced color technologies, innovative fabric engineering, and contemporary finishing techniques. Designed to meet the evolving demands of the industry, the collection reflects ISKO’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of authenticity, performance, and responsible innovation, while also embracing a strong lifestyle perspective.

TENCEL™ Lyocell - HV100 achieves global denim availability in six months; Vol. 2 debuts at Kingpins Amsterdam

When TENCEL™ Lyocell - HV100 debuted at last year’s Kingpins Amsterdam in October, 17 mill partners across five countries presented fabrics featuring the new fiber. Just six months on, participation has more than doubled, evolving into a global network that spans nine countries and four continents, signaling both strong industry momentum and growing demand.

Techtextil 2026: KARL MAYER impresses as an innovative sector partner

KARL MAYER looks back with satisfaction on its participation in Techtextil 2026. From April 21 to 24, the international industry leader used the trade show in Frankfurt to meet with numerous key customers at its booth and, at the same time, establish many new contacts. Most visitors came from Germany, followed by major markets such as Poland, the United Kingdom, Turkey, France, and Portugal.

BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.