#Raw Materials

2021-03-04

Van Murphy elected as Cotton Incorporated Chairman

Van Murphy, a cotton grower from Quitman, GA, was elected Chairman of the Board of Cotton Incorporated at the Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated Joint Meeting in December 2020. Murphy brings a long history of service and experience to the Chairmanship, a two-year term that commences in 2021.

Quitman, Georgia Cotton Grower to Lead the Renowned Research & Promotion Organization

“Van Murphy is well-respected in the U.S. cotton industry for his experience, knowledge, and dedication,” says J. Berrye Worsham, President and CEO of Cotton Incorporated. “We look forward to continuing our working relationship with him in his new role.”

Murphy brings a wealth of cotton leadership to the Chairmanship, including his role as Immediate Vice Chair for the Cotton Incorporated Board of Directors and more than a decade of service as a Cotton Board director. Additionally, Murphy is a past president of the National Cotton Ginners Association, a past president of the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association, and is a past Southeast Ginner of the Year. He also received the Cotton Achievement Award at the 2008 Cotton Grower Achievement Award Luncheon.

Murphy attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA, then took a position at the Federal and State Inspection Service, covering all commodities. From there he spent five years at the Boston Farm Center. In 1983 Murphy became the first and only executive manager of BCT Gin Co., which serves the three Georgia counties of Brooks, Colquitt, and Thomas.?Murphy currently resides in Quitman, GA, where he and his wife Julie run a farming operation that includes cotton, peanuts, and hay, as well as brood cows and a quarter house operation. Murphy and his wife have been married more than forty years and have two children and two grandchildren.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Bremen Cotton Exchange: Fritz A. Grobien re-elected as President

The members of the Bremen Cotton Exchange have re-elected Fritz A. Grobien as President during the association’s 152nd General Assembly on June 18, 2026. The election confirms the organization’s commitment to maintaining its role as a leading international platform for the cotton and fiber industry amid a period of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

Ibrahim Fibres and Trützschler: A strong partnership enters its next phase with the TC 30Si

For more than two decades, Ibrahim Fibres and Trützschler have grown side by side, driven by a shared ambition to continuously improve spinning performance, strengthen technology leadership and set new benchmarks in the textile industry. Today, Ibrahim Fibres is a leading yarn and polyester staple fiber manufacturer in Pakistan. The company operates the largest number of Trützschler cards in the country, with more than 200 machines running across its mills in Faisalabad, and plays an important role in one of Asia’s largest textile industries.