Rick Kellison, the project director for the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation (TAWC) in the Texas Tech University Department of Plant and Soil Science, has been invited to speak at the Kingpins Show as part of the annual Amsterdam Denim Days in the Netherlands.

Kellison will be a part of the Kingpins 2029: The Transformers sourcing show, which represents members of the denim community committed to making the denim industry more environmentally viable, socially responsible and financially sound by 2029 through creating, implementing and sharing ideas and changes.

As project director, Kellison will deliver the advancements made by the TAWC, funded by a grant from the Texas Water Development Board, in the last decade working with precision applied water and utilization of the latest technology in drip irrigation, weather stations, underground moisture sensors and computer applications for smart phones.

"It is a great honor to have been chosen to represent the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation and Texas Tech University during Amsterdam Denim Days' Kingpins 2029," Kellison said. "This opportunity will allow me to share recent advancements in production agriculture including precision irrigation applications and the adoption of other new technologies."

Bayer CropScience, which works closely with Texas Tech on a number of projects, is a major sponsor of the Kingpins Show, as is E3, a company that works to increase water quality and availability through innovative treatment technologies. E3 has worked with Bayer CropScience and Texas Tech in the past.

Kingpins Amsterdam will run April 13-18, with the Transformers event, a two-part panel discussion on water usage in the production of denim, scheduled for April 15-16. Kellison and his fellow Transformers will present their ideas for changes in their specific areas of expertise, and the panel will finish with conclusions and industry suggestions with input from the audience of denim professionals, educators and government officials.

"Our concept is the jeans industry must undergo a sea of change if we want to be around in 2029," said Kingpins founder Andrew Olah. "The Transformers are those along the supply chain who recognize we must evolve and invent new and better ways to do everything, from making dye stuffs to making fibers, weaving fabrics, laundering and finishing and everything in between."

Amsterdam Denim Days is an annual event for denim brands, producers, consumers, press and designers. It is presented by the House of Denim in cooperation with Kingpins Show, Modefabriek, HTNK Fashion recruitment and consultancy and the City of Amsterdam.

CONTACT: Rick Kellison, Project Director, Texas Alliance for Water Conservation Project, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2774 or silvercreekfarm@amaonline.com

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