Denim Forward, Inc. (DenimFWD) has opened what it calls the world’s first “Urban Factory,” bringing textile production back to the United States.
Located in the City of Industry, Calif., the plant integrates revolutionary technologies that transform the textile industry production model into one that is on-demand, close to the customer and completely sustainable, digital and automated. The Urban Factory minimizes delivery times and can produce up to 5,000 jeans and 4,000 T-shirts a day sustainably and efficiently.
DenimFWD CEO Carlos Arias said the pandemic had accelerated local production and the subsequent change in the operating model.
“With this Urban Factory the consumer will decide to buy a product and that product will be finished in that moment and delivered that same day, eliminating stock,” he said. This is a huge advance in an industry where 20 percent of garments produced are never used and end up in landfills or incinerated, Arias said.
Urban Factory’s eco-sustainable operating model for advanced digital production integrates Jeanologia hardware and software. Jeanologia’s mission is to create an ethical, sustainable and eco-efficient industry through disruptive technology and know-how, using a variety of laser, G2 ozone, e-flow, Smart Boxes and H2Zero products. Jeanologia has also installed its Handman machine at the Urban Factory. Handman is an automated laser robot technology for jeans production where humans and robots work together achieving a sustainable, scalable production.