IND HEMP has commissioned a secondary fiber processing line at its Fort Benton, Montana decortication facility, bringing opening, cleaning and cottonizing in-house for the first time and packaging ready-to-spin hemp fiber directly from source.

The equipment, announced October 1, 2026, sits at IND HEMP's IH Fiber site. It eliminates a step that, until now, U.S. hemp buyers had to source from third-party refiners or absorb themselves before yarn formation.

What does the new line do?

The secondary line runs multiple refining technologies in sequence over decorticated stock. Output is cottonized, ready-to-spin fiber in multiple grades, delivered to spinners and nonwoven manufacturers as supplied.

Yarn is the upstream input for most fabric construction. Once spun, IND HEMP's hemp stock can be woven or knit into garments, home goods, and technical fabrics including composites. Decortication alone has historically not produced a feedstock spinners can run on cotton or worsted systems without further refinement.

Why is IND HEMP adding refining at source?

CEO Morgan Tweet tied the move to brand demand for traceable, plant-based inputs and to a gap in U.S. fiber readiness.

"Consumers are increasingly looking for natural materials and more transparent supply chains, and brands are moving quickly to try to meet that demand," Tweet said. "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."

Tweet added: "By supplying ready-to-spin fiber directly from Montana, we're removing one of the biggest barriers for manufacturers wanting to work with hemp."

CFO Trey Riddle framed the capex as a margin and mix play.

"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," Riddle said. "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."

Where is the fiber headed?

IND HEMP is already shipping fiber into Asia and the Americas, with additional export partnerships in development, according to the company.

"IND HEMP was built to operate at industrial scale, and today's textile supply chain is global," Tweet said. The line positions Fort Benton as a single U.S. origin point for spinners, weavers, and nonwoven converters sourcing natural fiber at scale.

What changes for buyers?

• Single-step sourcing: spinners and nonwoven converters can buy cottonized, ready-to-spin stock without managing a third-party refining pass.
• Yield and consistency: refining at the decortication site is expected to lift fiber yields and grade uniformity versus split-process arrangements.
• End-use range: yarn covers apparel, home textiles, technical nonwovens, and composites.
• Origin: U.S.-grown, U.S.-processed fiber, available for direct shipment into Asian and Americas supply chains.

What does the news force?

Sourcing managers evaluating hemp against cotton, linen, or man-made cellulosics now have a U.S. industrial origin for yarn-ready stock. The decision point is whether mills and nonwoven lines will trial the Montana fiber as a drop-in feedstock in the near term or wait for contracted volumes and pricing to firm up before shifting.