Extra-
long
staple
cotton
Reinhart has been trading Extra-Long Staple (ELS) cotton for more than 100 years and is one of the leading ELS merchants worldwide.
This commitment translates into solid long-term relationships with growers and suppliers who have come to know Reinhart as a reliable and trusted ELS partner. Reinhart's global ELS customers continue to be leaders in producing the highest quality fine count yarns used in shirting and sheeting, towels and home furnishings.
ELS varieties are grown in a number of countries worldwide. The largest production centers are in California (San Joaquin Valley), in Egypt (Nile Delta), in the Western Chinese province of Xinjiang and in India (Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka). Minor producing regions are the Central Asian Republics, Israel, Peru, Spain and Greece. Textiles made of ELS cotton are produced in many countries throughout the world by textile companies equipped to spin and weave this unique fiber. ELS cotton only represents three percent of total world cotton production, but consumers all around the world consider textiles made of ELS varieties as representing the very best quality.
Egypt has traditionally been the leading source of ELS cotton and still has a deserved reputation for producing some of the finest varieties at competitive prices. Today it remains the second largest exporter of ELS cotton to the world markets. Reinhart has been strongly involved in Egyptian cotton since 1907 when Reinhart & Co. was founded in Alexandria. All Egyptian cotton is handpicked and roller ginned in order to preserve its unique fiber characteristics. Today Egypt is producing cotton in a wide range of qualities and staple lengths from 1.5/32" up to 1.1/2", the major varieties being Giza 94 and Giza 86.
Learn more on the website of the Cotton Egypt Association.
The largest exporter of ELS cotton is the U.S., where Pima cotton is only grown in the driest of climates of the Southwestern United States, specifically Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. Since Pima's first introduction in California in 1989, the cotton growers of the San Joaquin Valley have proven to be among the most efficient and productive producers of high quality ELS cotton in the world. By 1996, California was the leading producer of Pima in the U.S. and now produces over ninety percent of the production.
Learn more about U.S. ELS cotton on the website of SUPIMA, the trademark for U.S.- Grown Pima Cotton.
