Itema America Expands Its U.S. Footprint With Palmetto Loom Reed Acquisition in South Carolina

Itema America, the U.S. subsidiary of Itema Group in Colzate, Bergamo, has acquired Greenville, S.C., based Palmetto Loom Reed, expanding its weaving sector capabilities and signaling a deeper, long term commitment to local service and manufacturing support for North American textile producers.

Strategic Move in North America

The acquisition adds Palmetto’s reed and loom expertise into Itema America’s footprint at a time when North American mills are looking for faster support, local repairs, and shorter lead times on critical weaving components. For Itema, bringing Palmetto in house strengthens its ability to provide end to end support around looms, parts, and aftermarket service without relying solely on imports.

Leadership and Culture

Gladys Richardson, President of Palmetto Loom Reed, said the deal is the best outcome she could imagine, noting that Itema shares Palmetto’s customer first mindset and its practice of treating employees like family. Richardson, who has led Palmetto since 1994, will stay on with the company to ensure continuity for both staff and customers.

Scott Malcolm, President of Itema America, said that “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.” Both leaders frame the acquisition as additive for service rather than a cost cutting or consolidation play.

Operations and Workforce

Palmetto’s 18 person team will continue to operate from its existing Greenville facility, maintaining local jobs and preserving technical know how built up over decades. Keeping the site intact also helps Itema America sustain proximity to a key textile region in the U.S. Southeast, where many mills and industrial fabric producers are based.

For mills working in apparel, technical textiles, and industrial fabrics, the move should translate into closer support around reeds, loom components, and maintenance services, backed by Itema’s broader global engineering resources. It’s a modest sized acquisition, but one that fits a wider pattern of textile machinery players investing in local, service heavy footprints rather than competing on hardware alone.