“I actually told a couple of folks to stop talking about [it],” says Bill Rogers, president of Mount Vernon Mills. “Because somebody from Japan, or somebody like that, was going to swoop in and try to grab the looms. So I said, ‘We’re gonna have to lie low and let the legal process play out, but I think I can get them.’”

When Vidalia’s assets were auctioned off in August—much to the surprise of those watching from the sidelines—the looms were not included in the sale. It turned out that the shuttle looms from White Oak weren’t actually owned by Vidalia Mills at all, but by an NYC-based company called KaKa Cotton. Their fate remained a mystery until last week, when Mount Vernon Mills announced that it had reached an agreement with KaKa to move the looms to its flagship plant in Trion and establish the first industrial-scale selvedge production line since White Oak.

“These looms are a national treasure,” says Victor Lytvinenko, the co-founder of Raleigh Denim. “Once White Oak closed, Vidalia gave it a shot, and it didn’t really work, but Mount Vernon has everything that’s needed to do it the right way. It’s the only place in America that really could do it.”

Given the recent history of the looms that will soon arrive at the Mount Vernon plant in Trion, not to mention the ongoing challenges facing the American textile industry, anyone might be skeptical about the financial sense of weaving denim on antique machines in 2025. Despite this, Rogers is bullish that he can succeed where others have not. “Mount Vernon’s been in business 180 years and still going strong,” he says. “We’ve [also] got a viable denim business in other markets, so we’re not going to live and die by selvedge.”

To keep the machines running smoothly, Rogers’ team has begun combing old mills, factories, barns, and warehouses to source derelict machines and spare parts. He’s also hoping to partner with heritage groups like the Draper Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts, and the White Oak Legacy Foundation (W.O.L.F.) for training and expertise. If all goes to plan, he hopes to have a single-shift production line running by the spring.

“I can’t wait to see it,” says Lytvinenko, who is working through the final yards of his White Oak stash. As excited as he is to turn the Mount Vernon Mills-made selvedge into jeans, he doesn’t expect it to replicate the unique look of the stuff woven at Cone White Oak. “At Vidalia, the looms were on concrete floors, and they didn’t shake in the same way. It’s a really beautiful thing that can’t be reproduced.”