Project Blue that began in May 2016 was finalised on July 20, 2018, as Vidalia Denim completed the acquisition of the 9,00,000 sq ft building from Fruit of the Loom, an American apparel company.
The denim company will turn raw cotton into denim fabric by spinning, dyeing and weaving the raw material. The company also claims to provide around 300 jobs with the introduction of its new mill and generate at least US $ 9 million in payroll by the middle of next year.
Vidalia Denim is spending US $ 40 million to restructure the recently acquired factory which was shut two years back. Additionally, Louisiana Economic Development predicted that the project would provide 546 new indirect jobs, for a total of 846 new jobs in Central Louisiana and the areas nearby.
Dan Thompson, VP, Operations, Vidalia Denim said that the company is thrilled that what began as an idea and a dream has finally reached its last stage after surpassing more than 1,000 obstacles. “I am excited to build a first-class manufacturing team and producing a product that will be really unique to the United States. There is a long way to go for all of us and we’re very thrilled,” he added.
The company is expecting to start its operations by the second quarter of next year and reaching full employment in another couple of years.
The company will buy raw cotton from the Mississippi Delta region and it will ship the fabric to labeled blue jeans manufacturers. Louisiana- and Mississippi-sourced cotton will provide the raw material for the manufacturing process.
Furthermore, the facility will manufacture two types of denim: stretch, which contains synthetic fibres, or Lycra, that provides the wearers comfort and allows the product to retain its shape after being washed and dried; and dual-core denim, that is made with Lycra and polyester form wrapped in cotton, providing extra stretch-support to help movement. Dual-core denim is used mostly by high-end jeans producers.
