By acquiring Palmetto Loom Reed, Itema is betting that “made in America” matters most when it shortens downtime.
Textile machinery groups talk about service; few buy the parts-makers that make service possible. Itema America, the US arm of Italy’s Itema Group, has acquired Palmetto Loom Reed of Greenville, South Carolina—one of the last domestic reed manufacturers—turning a critical, often-overlooked component into a local capability.
Palmetto Loom Reed, founded 113 years ago and family-owned for four generations, supplies custom reeds—precision parts that separate and guide yarns during weaving—to customers across the United States and some export markets. Its 18-person team will continue operating from the Greenville facility, and longtime leader Gladys Richardson will stay on to ensure continuity.
For Itema, this is vertical integration in miniature. Reeds are small compared with looms, but they sit on the critical path of productivity: wrong reed, wrong delivery date, and a loom stands still. Itema’s executives framed the logic in operational terms—no tariffs, no overseas shipping, faster delivery, and costs in dollars rather than euros—a pitch designed for mills that live and die by lead times.
The acquisition also signals a strategic repositioning: Itema wants to be a “full-service” domestic partner, not just an imported loom supplier. If that ambition sticks, expect more consolidation around consumables, refurbishment (beams, spares) and rapid-response support—because in a high-mix market, the cheapest loom is often the one that’s running.
