SPARTANBURG, S.C. — February 10, 2026 — Itema America, the U.S. subsidiary of Colzate (Bergamo), Italy, based Itema Group, has acquired Greenville, S.C.-based Palmetto Loom Reed, one of the nation’s last remaining domestic reed manufacturers. The move expands Itema’s capabilities and signals a long-term commitment to localized service and manufacturing support for North American textile producers.
Photo — Devin Steele, eTextileCommunucations.com
Palmetto Loom Reed, founded 113 years ago by William Jefferson Richardson, has remained family-owned for four generations. The company supplies custom reeds — precision components that separate and guide yarns during weaving — to diverse customers across the United States and select export markets.
“This is the best outcome I could imagine,” said Palmetto President Gladys Richardson. “Itema shares our customer-first values and our approach to treating employees like family. They respect their people — and we do that, too.”
Richardson, who has led Palmetto since 1994, will continue with the company to ensure continuity for employees and customers.
Scott Malcolm, president of Itema America, described the acquisition as a strategic move toward becoming a full-service domestic partner for the weaving industry. “We want to take care of our customers from top to bottom any way we can — and we’re going to be doing more of that, not less,” Malcolm said.
The acquisition follows years of discussion between the companies. “We actually started talking five or six years ago,” Richardson said. “I was in my 50s and thinking about the future. My children went on to do other things, so it was always in the back of my mind — but I just wasn’t ready.”
Once she decided to move forward, Malcolm said Itema Group’s board and CEO Ugo Ghilardi “believed in the transaction and supported every phase of the agreement.”
Itema Group Chief Sales and Service Officer Matteo Mutti said the move enhances customer service and responsiveness in the Americas. “What we are providing with this acquisition is further service,” Mutti said. “The idea behind Itema America is to become the company every textile producer in the United States looks for when they are in trouble. You need something — Itema can provide it.”
Palmetto’s domestic base offers logistical and cost advantages, Mutti added. “There are many advantages to producing reeds on American soil — they’re made in dollars, not euros. There are no tariffs, no shipping costs, and we’re much quicker with deliveries.”
Both companies emphasized operational stability. Palmetto’s 18-person team will continue to operate at its existing Greenville facility. “This is a successful, profitable company with a respected brand, and we don’t want to change anything,” Malcolm said. “We love it.”
For Richardson, the decision reflects stewardship rather than sentiment. “My father always said, ‘Keep it in the family,’” she said. “But if it doesn’t make sense anymore, he wouldn’t want me to collapse on top of myself. It’s time to pass it on.”
Mutti called the combination a “good piece of the big puzzle,” adding that integrating Palmetto’s reed, beam-refurbishing and spare-parts capabilities strengthens Itema’s support network across the hemisphere.
“At a time when others are retrenching, this investment shows confidence in U.S. manufacturing,” Malcolm said. “Itema America is stronger because we’re doing this.”
Posted: February 10, 2026
Source: Itema America
