[1] Over subsequent years the brothers acquired controlling shares of other textile operations and expanded their business to cover other fabrics and textile-related processes.

[5] The Cones sought to portray their company as primarily interested in promoting the general welfare of its employees—as opposed to being motivated by profits—and strove to maintain cordial relations with its workers without resorting to force.

Greensboro's social services were expanded into the villages, and the city assumed the responsibilities for law enforcement, garbage collection, and road maintenance in the area.

This quickly led to the collapse of the local union, as unionists either lost their jobs and moved elsewhere or quit the organization and signed yellow-dog contracts with the company.

[15] The company hosted large events and celebrations for its workers including an annual Fourth of July picnic, at which the Cones often delivered speeches.

[16] Cone Mills also established welfare programs, schools, and clinics and sponsored orchestras and sports teams with the aim of bringing "civilization" to their primarily rural workforce.

[9] After 1910 they focused on improving living conditions in the mill villages, paving streets and building new homes with running water and electricity and space for gardening.

[18] While some workers did display individual discontent with their work and leave, many stayed knowing that conditions at other textile plants in the region were worse.

Following Caesar's death, his brother Bernard assumed leadership of the company and began hiring professional, college-trained supervisors, thus phasing out the longstanding practice of promoting from within.

[25] Discontent persisted until May 1930, when one-third of Cone Mills' workforce attended a United Textile Workers of America (UTW) rally on the outskirts of Greensboro.

UTW then shifted its strategy from criticizing stretch-outs to directly attacking the Cones' accumulated wealth and management style.

[27] Evictions continued throughout the summer, and the unionization drive eventually collapsed under a combination of pressure exerted by the Cones and the economic conditions of the Great Depression, which left mill workers with few alternatives.

[31] In 1983, Western Pacific Industries attempted a hostile takeover of the firm after a deal to acquire shares from Caesar Cone II.

[35] The firm closed its operation at Salisbury, North Carolina, in 1999, citing additional overseas fabric imports and years of heavy losses.

[37] Weakened by foreign competition, lower consumption of denim,[38] and higher material costs,[39] the Cone Mills Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2003.

[40] In 2004 WL Ross & Co acquired Cone Mills and merged it with Burlington Industries to create the International Textile Group.