Building A Resilient And Sustainable Cotton Supply Chain

James Martin serves as the executive vice president of cotton operations at Parkdale Mills, one of the largest spun yarn manufacturers in the U.S. With over three decades of experience in the cotton industry, Martin has established himself as a transformative figure in commodity trading, cotton procurement and financial risk management. His leadership continues to shape Parkdale’s resilience and strength in one of the world’s most volatile raw materials industries.

Mastering Market Risk and Cotton Procurement

At Parkdale Mills, Martin oversees the procurement, distribution and price risk of more than 1.6 million bales of cotton annually. Recruited in 2005 by the CEO, he was tasked with building a robust risk management framework from the ground up. Today, he leads a team, handling international purchasing, commodity hedging and foreign exchange exposure.

He implemented a comprehensive system that integrates futures, options and OTC products to protect against volatility in cotton prices, currencies and energy markets. These strategies have enabled Parkdale to maintain margin stability and operational continuity, even during periods of extreme disruption.

Martin has also redefined the company’s sourcing approach. Under his leadership, Parkdale prioritizes high-quality, contaminant-free cotton and participates in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, which verifies sustainability metrics across environmental, social and production standards. His sourcing decisions reflect the textile industry’s growing demand for traceable, ethical and consistent raw materials.

His ability to align market insight with operational execution has made Parkdale more agile and resilient in the face of global shocks, including pandemic-era supply disruptions and trade fluctuations. This effectiveness has cemented his role as a strategist who consistently delivers measurable results in a complex global supply chain.

Driving Industry Turnarounds with Strategic Precision

Martin’s deep expertise was shaped early in his career as a market analyst at J.G. Boswell Company, a major U.S. cotton grower. There, he managed a $140 million trading desk, performed both technical and fundamental market analysis and authored a cotton newsletter widely read by international clients and company leadership.

In 1999, Martin was recruited by the chairman of Auscott Limited in Australia to help reverse currency-related financial losses and rebuild its ginning and marketing competitiveness. As director of markets and finance, he redesigned cotton marketing programs, trained grower services teams and implemented price risk management strategies for both the company and its clients. Despite one of the worst droughts in Australian history, Martin’s efforts resulted in a 5.3 percent increase in market share, stabilizing operations and restoring commercial momentum. Now in his third decade in the industry, Martin remains a driving force behind Parkdale's ability to adapt to new challenges and lead within a sector facing growing environmental and ethical scrutiny. He actively champions sustainable sourcing and long-term planning while continuing to refine Parkdale's procurement agility through digital tools and data-led decision-making.

As the global cotton industry evolves amid climate concerns, trade shifts and heightened consumer expectations, Martin's legacy is one of balance—protecting the bottom line while building a more transparent and resilient cotton supply chain.