Fort Benton, Mont., Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IND HEMP, the leading producer, processor and supplier of industrial hemp materials in the USA, today announced a significant investment in new fiber processing equipment at its IH Fiber decortication facility in Fort Benton, Montana. The investment adds a secondary processing line, featuring multiple fiber refining technologies to perform opening, cleaning and cottonizing, that brings IND HEMP's hemp fiber to a ready-to-spin quality directly at the source.
Yarn is the foundation from which nearly every fabric application is built. Once hemp fiber is spun into yarn, it can be woven or knit into a wide range of end products, from garments and home goods to technical fabrics such as composites. Historically, reaching that spinnable quality has required additional refining beyond standard decortication, work that has fallen to third-party processors, or to the spinners themselves, upgrading standard decorticated technical fiber before it can run on their equipment. The commissioning of IND HEMP's new processing line brings that refining capability in-house, at the fiber's source.
"Consumers are increasingly looking for natural materials and more transparent supply chains, and brands are moving quickly to try to meet that demand. Hemp is an incredible plant-based solution, but until now the U.S. hasn't been capable of consistently delivering the quality and scale the global textile industry requires," explains IND HEMP CEO Morgan Tweet. "By supplying ready-to-spin fiber directly from Montana, we're removing one of the biggest barriers for manufacturers wanting to work with hemp. This investment gives American-grown hemp the opportunity to compete on the global market, ultimately making its way into more of the products consumers want to buy."
"This investment is a strategic step in IND HEMP's growth trajectory because it converts more of our existing processing scale into higher-value, market-ready fiber. By adding premium refining capability at our Fort Benton facility, we can serve a broader range of textile and nonwoven customers, improve consistency and supply-chain efficiency, and respond to growing demand in both domestic and international markets," shares Trey Riddle, CFO, IND HEMP.
Multiple Grades, Ready to Run
The new line allows IND HEMP to offer multiple grades of premium, cottonized fiber directly from its Fort Benton facility, ready for spinners and nonwoven manufacturers to use as supplied. Because refining now happens at the source, fiber yields and quality are improved, giving customers a more consistent fiber with better overall economics.
Built for Global Supply
"IND HEMP was built to operate at industrial scale, and today's textile supply chain is global," said Tweet. "This investment gives us ready-to-spin fiber we can put directly into international supply chains. We're already shipping fiber to international markets in Asia and the Americas, with additional export partnerships in development, and we invite spinners, weavers, and manufacturers around the world to connect with us as a reliable, scalable source for premium U.S.-grown hemp fiber."
About IND HEMP
IND HEMP, based in Fort Benton, Montana, is a family-owned, mission-driven industrial hemp company supporting the full value chain from seed genetics through crop production, processing and material supply. The company operates through four branches: IH Fiber, which produces premium hemp fiber for textile, nonwoven, and industrial applications; IH Grain, which processes hemp seed grain for food, feed, and supplement ingredients; IH Seed, which develops proprietary hemp genetics; and IH Carbon, which measures, validates, and activates the carbon value of industrial hemp. IND HEMP supplies customers across the United States and international markets.
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Gregg Gnecco IND HEMP 406-622-5680 gregg@indhemp.com