What Tex Tech Industries does

Tex Tech Industries is a privately held, US-based specialty textile manufacturer founded in 1904 and headquartered in Kernersville, North Carolina, with primary operations across North Carolina, Maine, California, the United Kingdom, and Asia. The company designs and produces high-performance woven, non-woven, and 3D-woven fabrics, coated and laminated materials, and proprietary thermal protection systems (Q Shield, CarbonX, CoreFX, MatrixFR, HiFlex, OASIS, Refrasil, Panotex) for aerospace, space and defense, automotive, medical, filtration, protective apparel, and high-performance industrial markets. Its products are qualified to demanding standards such as FAR 25.853, FAA TSO, AS 9100, IATF 16949, and ISO 9001/14001, and are integrated into mission-critical applications including NASA Space Launch System/Artemis thermal protection, SpaceX heat shields, Boeing aircraft fuselage and seating systems, and US Department of Defense composite structures.

Tex Tech generates revenue primarily through direct B2B sales of custom-engineered specialty textiles, with quote-based pricing on tailored specifications rather than published list prices. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by content marketing, case studies, and a 'Request a Quote' website motion; manufacturing and technical service are delivered from a global footprint that includes a 260,000 sq ft flagship facility in Maine with in-house R&D and a newly added 170,000 sq ft Winston-Salem, NC facility (announced March 2023 at a $24.8M investment). Revenue streams combine product sales of branded and OEM-private-label textiles with custom material development and prototyping services for specialized applications.

The company was a portfolio company of Arlington Capital Partners, acquired Fiber Materials Inc. in January 2025 to deepen its space and defense thermal protection capabilities, and entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Michelin in January 2026 (expected to close H1 2026) to reinforce Michelin's Polymer Composite Solutions segment, with a projected ~20% revenue uplift (~$280M) for that segment. Concurrently, Arlington spun out FMI Industries as a separate portfolio company led by Tex Tech's former CEO Scott Burkhart.

Name

Tex Tech Industries

Legal name

Tex Tech Industries Inc.

Website

http://www.textechindustries.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Tex Tech Industries is a 1904-founded US specialty textile manufacturer designing high-performance woven, non-woven, 3D-woven, coated, and ablative fabrics for aerospace, space and defense, automotive, medical, filtration, and protective apparel OEMs worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Industrial Textiles

NAICS

Other Textile Product Mills (3149), Textile Mills (313), Nonwoven Fabric Mills (31323)

SIC

Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221), Miscellaneous Fabricated Textile Products (2390)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerospace & Defense Technical Textiles (Ballistic/Parachute/Radar-Absorbing/Composites Reinforcement) (IMAOADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protective & Safety Textiles (FR/Arc/Heat/Cut/Chemical) (IMAOADAA), Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH), Automotive & Transportation Technical Textiles (Interiors/Airbags/Seatbelts/Acoustic) (IMAOADAE)

Keywords

• Specialty textiles manufacturing
• Thermal protection systems
• Flame-resistant industrial fabrics
• Aerospace composite materials
• High-performance needle felt

Headquarters

HQ city

Kernersville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Specialty Textile Products: Tex Tech generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of custom high-performance specialty textiles for aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, filtration, and protective apparel industries. Products include woven and non-woven fabrics, coated and laminated materials, thermal protection systems, and 3D woven components sold directly to OEM manufacturers and end users.
2. Custom Manufacturing Services: Provides custom material development, prototyping, and manufacturing services for specialized industrial applications, working closely with customers to design solutions for specific requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tex Tech Industries designs and manufactures high-performance specialty textiles — including thermal protection systems, flame-resistant fabrics, 3D woven materials, coated and laminated fabrics, and carbon composites — for aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, filtration, protective apparel, and industrial applications. The company sells custom-engineered woven, non-woven, and 3D woven products to OEM manufacturers and end users under proprietary brand names such as Q Shield, CarbonX, CoreFX, MatrixFR, HiFlex, and OASIS.

Product overview

Tex Tech Industries is a premier designer and manufacturer of specialty textiles and high-performance materials established in 1904, serving aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, filtration, protective apparel, and industrial markets. The company operates as a single unified product portfolio organized by industry vertical and capability type. Core product lines include Q Shield TPS (thermal protection systems for reusable launch vehicles), CarbonX non-flammable fabrics, CoreFX flame-resistant fabrics, MatrixFR molten metal protection, and HiFlex/HiFlex Advantage power transmission belts. Supporting product lines span aircraft textiles (seat fire blocking, thermal acoustic materials, FAA safety equipment), automotive materials (tire fabrics, fire-blocking), medical textiles, high-performance textiles (OASIS water-blocking yarn, CIPP pipe lining, lithium battery fire suppression), filtration fabrics, and defense/military composites. Manufacturing capabilities include 3D weaving, non-woven fabrics, woven fabrics, coating technology (silicone-coated and laminated fabrics), silica materials, chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), and rayon-based carbon fiber production. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, IATF 16949, and AS 9100 certifications across facilities in North Carolina, Maine, California, and the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Panotex: Technical textile brand offering specialized fabrics for industrial applications.
• CarbonX
• CoreFX
• OASIS
• Q Shield
• HiFlex
• MatrixFR

Products and services

• Q Shield Thermal Protection System (TPS) Thermal protection system for reusable launch vehicles featuring a high-temperature-resistant top coating and secondary thermal insulation layer, designed for reusability with customizable coating options and pre-painted ablative surface coatings.
• CarbonX Non-Flammable Protective Fabrics Proprietary line of non-flammable protective fabrics that will not burn, ignite, or melt when exposed to direct flame or extreme heat. Sub-lines include CarbonX Ultimate, CarbonX Active, CarbonX Repel, CarbonX Aluminized Solutions, CarbonX Arc, CarbonX Wovens, and CarbonX Specialty Fabrics.
• CoreFX Inherently Flame-Resistant Fabrics Inherently flame-resistant fabrics using Kermel fiber with a para-aramid core for protection against temperatures up to 1000°C/1800°F, offering lightweight comfort and mechanical resistance.
• MatrixFR Protective Fabrics Protective fabrics with wool-rich fiber face for maximum molten metal splash protection and FR viscose inner layer for comfort and moisture-wicking, available in weights from 280gsm to 500gsm.
• HiFlex / HiFlex Advantage Power Transmission Belt Fabrics Patented angle-induced coated fabrics for power transmission belts available with rubber coatings including EPDM, neoprene, HNBR, FKM, and natural rubber; HiFlex Advantage arrives belt-ready and reduces scrap by 20%.
• OASIS Super Absorbent Water-Blocking Yarn Water-blocking and water-swellable yarns manufactured using 70% recycled fiber and available from 500 denier to 270,000 denier, designed to swell on moisture contact and block water ingress in cables and electronic products.
• Seat Fire Blocking Materials Fire blocking layers for aircraft seating constructed from inherently fire-resistant fibers with woven scrim component, meeting FAR 25.853, FAA TSO, and international fire safety standards.
• Thermal Acoustic Materials Thermal acoustic insulation combining sound blocking, sound absorption, and sound dampening for aircraft fuselage using blends of flame-retardant fibers including silica, meta-aramids, para-aramids, PPS, and OPAN for temperatures up to 1,800°F.
• FAA Safety Equipment Materials Materials for FAA-approved life rafts, life vests, and evacuation slides using TPU, PVC, rubber compounds, and silicone coatings with fabric formation, solvent and aqueous coatings, and film lamination capabilities.
• Tire Fabrics Specialty tire fabrics including bead wrap and chafer fabric/flipper strips using nylon or polyester with RFL and rubber coatings for shape maintenance, weight support, improved adhesion, and flexibility.
• Medical Textiles Coated and laminated medical-grade textiles for air and liquid holding applications including blood pressure cuffs, COPD vests, tourniquets, pressure infuser bags, inflatable medical casts, cold therapy devices, and medical bed inflation chambers.
• Thermal Acoustic Insulation Custom-designed insulation materials combining unique fiber blends to address specific sound reduction or burn-resistance challenges for aircraft seat fire-blocking, carpet underlayment, moisture-absorbent materials, fuselage materials, and Crew Rest Insulation.
• Automotive Fire-Blocking Materials Non-woven sub-layer fabrics for automotive seat cushions, seat covers, and flame barriers made with specialty blends of aramid and polybenzimidazole (PBI) fibers meeting 14 CFR 25.853 and CS-25.
• Lithium Battery Fire Suppression Materials Fire suppression textiles for lithium battery applications handling temperatures of 2,192°F to 2,372°F (1,200°C to 1,300°C), including non-woven oxidized PAN materials and non-woven silica in three grades.
• Cured-in-Place Pipe Lining (CIPP) Materials Non-woven pipe lining materials using hybrid felt combining polyester and glass staple fibers that doubles flexural strength specifications, reduces material costs by 25%, and enables pipe repairs without excavation using UV light or heat curing.
• Filtration Fabrics Woven and non-woven filtration fabrics in polyester, polypropylene, meta-aramid, and para-aramid fibers with mechanical finishes and treatments for general purpose and specialty filtration applications.
• Aircraft Textiles Complete aircraft textile solutions including fuselage protection, thermal acoustic materials, moisture control, cabin-divider linings, seat fire blocking, air cargo containers, carpet underlays, safety vests, and escape slides/rafts available in non-woven, woven, and coated/laminated constructions.
• Military Composites Military-grade composite materials and polymer coatings including acrylic, polyurethane, PVC, rubber variants, and silicone, applied via adhesive lamination, direct coating, heat lamination, immersion, reverse roll coating, and transfer coating methods.
• 3D Woven Composite Components 3D fabric structures with fibers woven between thickness layers (z-axis) using stainless steel, carbon, glass, and aluminum fibers, providing improved structural integrity, superior strength at reduced weight, and no delamination for transportation, marine, and composite applications.
• Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) Product Line Complete thermal protection systems product line including 3D textiles, ablative assemblies, amorphous silica felt, legacy FRSI and SIP products, reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC), tile bonding, infused stabilized ablative insulation felt, and multi-layer felt hybrids.
• Rayon-Based Carbon Fiber Rayon-based carbon fabrics (RBCF) for aerospace, defense, and NASA programs such as the Space Launch System/Artemis. Rayon textiles can be carbonized, graphitized, or treated with phenolic resin and chemical vapor infiltration for ablative applications.
• Conformable TPS Products Conformable thermal protection materials including Stabilized Ablative Insulation Felt (SAIF), Felt Reusable Surface Insulation (FRSI) up to 600°F, Strain Isolation Pads (SIP), precursor billets, and amorphous silica felt in 900°C, 1100°C, and 1200°C grades.
• Space Heat Shields for Re-Entry and Defense Heat shields for spacecraft re-entry and hypersonic vehicles using ceramics, ablative materials, and carbon composites, protecting vehicles from thousands of degrees Celsius during atmospheric re-entry and extreme hypersonic temperatures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3D woven fabric implementation reduced lay-up time from 90 to 50 minutes in boat hull construction
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• MichelinflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2026Arlington Capital Partners announced sale of Tex Tech Industries to Michelin for expected H1 2026 closing. Michelin plans to leverage its global footprint to help Tex Tech expand internationally, particularly into Europe. The acquisition is expected to boost Michelin's Polymer Composite Solutions revenue by approximately 20%.
• BoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Tex Tech Industries acquired Fiber Materials Inc. (FMI) from Spirit AeroSystems as part of Boeing's acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems. This divestiture was required by regulatory approvals. FMI provides thermally protective materials for space and defense sectors.
• Fiber Materials Inc. (FMI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Tex Tech Industries acquired Fiber Materials Inc. in January 2025 to expand its thermally protective materials portfolio for the space and defense sectors. FMI was divested from Spirit AeroSystems as part of Boeing's acquisition requirements.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTex Tech has partnered with NASA to provide thermal protection for the Space Launch System (SLS)/Artemis program. The company supplies rayon-based carbon fabrics and thermal protection materials for space exploration vehicles.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DuPont: Diversified specialty chemicals major whose Nomex and Kevlar aramid fibers dominate flame-resistant and ballistic protective apparel markets. DuPont competes with Tex Tech's CarbonX, CoreFX, and MatrixFR product families, and serves overlapping aerospace, defense, and PPE end customers.
• Toray Industries: Global Japanese chemical and materials conglomerate that is one of the world's largest carbon fiber producers (Torayca). Toray overlaps with Tex Tech on aramid/carbon fiber inputs and aerospace composites, but operates at vastly greater scale across apparel, chemicals, and electronics as well.
• Honeywell: Diversified industrial conglomerate producing aerospace components, thermal/acoustic insulation, and protective equipment (including Spectra fiber). Honeywell overlaps with Tex Tech on aircraft textiles, FR PPE, and aerospace composite materials, though as part of a much broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Teijin: Japanese specialty materials group whose Twaron para-aramid fiber and carbon fiber products compete directly with Tex Tech's CoreFX para-aramid and carbon-based fabrics in protective apparel and aerospace composites. Teijin's focus on FR and ballistic protection mirrors Tex Tech's CarbonX/MatrixFR lines.
• Porcher Industries: French specialty textile manufacturer producing technical fabrics, reinforcements, and thermoplastic composites for aerospace, automotive, defense, and industrial markets. Porcher is a close peer to Tex Tech's aerospace, automotive, and high-performance industrial fabric offerings and provides useful European market context.
• Bally Ribbon Mills: US specialty weaver of narrow and woven technical textiles for aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial applications. Bally Ribbon Mills is comparable to Tex Tech's woven and narrow fabric capabilities, particularly for aerospace thermal protection and structural reinforcement products.
• SGL Carbon: German carbon fiber and specialty graphite manufacturer serving aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Comparable to Tex Tech's rayon-based carbon fiber, CVI carbon-carbon composites, and aerospace TPS products. SGL Carbon was also part of the FMI Industries spin-out alongside Tex Tech's former space/defense unit.
• Albany International: US-listed industrial textiles manufacturer producing paper machine clothing and aerospace composites (Albany Engineered Composites). Albany's aerospace composite preforms and 3D weaving capabilities compete directly with Tex Tech's aerospace and composite materials business.
• Hexcel: US-listed advanced composites manufacturer supplying carbon fiber reinforcements, prepregs, and honeycomb cores to aerospace and defense OEMs. Hexcel competes directly with Tex Tech's 3D woven composites and aircraft textile offerings across Boeing, Airbus, and DoD programs.
• Freudenberg Performance Materials: German manufacturer of nonwoven and woven technical textiles serving automotive, construction, apparel, and industrial applications. Freudenberg overlaps with Tex Tech's non-woven capabilities, filtration fabrics, and automotive interior materials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpqTdLBwxfOMxJPvSBzeWDw/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tex-tech-industries
• Facebookfacebook.com/47071668969450

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tex Tech Industries