Coats plc

What Coats plc does

Coats Group plc (LSE: COA, FTSE 250) is the world's largest industrial sewing-thread manufacturer and a Tier 2 supplier to the global apparel, footwear and performance-materials industries, headquartered in London with operational origins in Paisley, Scotland dating to the late 18th century. The company sells premium industrial threads, technical yarns, industrial zippers, structural components, insoles, composites (including carbon-fibre Synergex and Lattice fibre-laying products), fabrics and trims, alongside a Coats Digital software stack that integrates GSD, FastReact and ThreadSol plus standalone tools such as Colour Express, Coats Count, Shoe Engineer and the ShopCoats e-commerce platform.

The business is organised around three divisions — Apparel, Footwear, and Performance Materials — and a Vertical segmentation strategy focused on apparel manufacturers, footwear OEMs (athletic, athleisure, dress, protective and lifestyle), personal-protection and lifestyle/luxury accessories. Coats generates revenue through direct enterprise sales with multi-year contracts and B2B unit pricing tied to specifications, volumes and contract terms. Its principal customer bases include major global fashion brands and apparel manufacturers, over 500 footwear brands served through OrthoLite, automotive manufacturers for airbag/seatbelt/seat threads, and exclusive arrangements such as the Xinhongcheng Group thread-supply relationship in China.

The growth model is a mix of organic share defence in core threads and disciplined bolt-on M&A. Between 2015 and 2020 Coats acquired GSD, FastReact, Gotex, Patrick Yarn Mill and Pharr HP to extend into performance materials and digital services. In 2022 it added Texon ($237M) and Rhenoflex ($117M) to build a structural-footwear-components platform; in October 2025 it completed the $770M acquisition of OrthoLite (open-cell foam insoles, 36% market share, 14 facilities) and simultaneously divested its U.S. Yarns business to reallocate capital toward higher-margin footwear adjacencies. A £246M accelerated equity placing in July 2025 funded the OrthoLite deal and ongoing transformation. Sustainability is positioned as a core differentiator — EcoVerde (100% recycled threads), EcoRegen (lyocell), Rhenoprint (zero-waste reinforcement), Tex2Tex (textile-to-textile recycling) and Cirql (recyclable midsole foams) — and is validated by OEKO-TEX, GRS, GOTS, ZDHC, the 2025 CDP A List and FTSE4Good Index inclusion.

Name

Coats plc

Legal name

Coats Group plc

Website

https://coats.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Coats Group plc is the world's leading industrial sewing-thread manufacturer and a Tier 2 supplier to global apparel, footwear and performance-materials industries, producing threads, structural components, insoles, zippers and composites across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Threads & Textile Components

NAICS

Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599), Apparel Knitting Mills (3151), Knit Fabric Mills (313240), Fabric Coating Mills (313320), Apparel Manufacturing (315)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Knitting Mills (2250), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221)

akta.pro primary industry

Outerwear & Performance Apparel Cut & Sew (IMAOAEAB)

Keywords

• Industrial sewing threads
• Footwear structural components
• Performance materials
• Textile manufacturing supplies
• Apparel manufacturing inputs

Headquarters

HQ city

Uxbridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Thread Sales: Coats generates revenue primarily through the manufacture and sale of industrial sewing threads, serving as the world's leading provider of premium industrial sewing threads to the apparel industry. Revenue comes from direct sales to garment manufacturers and brands.
2. Footwear Components: Sale of structural components (heel counters, toe boxes, reinforcements), insoles/boards, and yarns for footwear manufacturing. The segment includes products from acquired companies Texon and Rhenoflex, providing comprehensive footwear solutions.
3. Performance Materials: High-performance materials including composites (Synergex, Lattice), technical yarns, and fabrics for aerospace, automotive, telecom, and personal protection applications.
4. Zippers and Trims: Manufacturing and sale of industrial zippers and trim products including reflective tapes, interlinings, and hook-and-loop fasteners for apparel and accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Coats plc is the world's leading industrial thread manufacturer and a major Tier 2 supplier to the apparel, footwear, and performance materials industries. The company manufactures and sells industrial sewing threads, technical yarns, zippers, structural components (heel counters, toe boxes, reinforcements), insoles and boards, composites, fabrics, and trims. Its portfolio also includes Coats Digital software solutions for the apparel industry and the OrthoLite open-cell foam insole business acquired in 2025.

Product overview

Coats plc is a world-leading Tier 2 manufacturer serving the apparel and footwear industries with essential materials, components, and digital solutions. The company operates a diversified portfolio centered on industrial threads (including EcoVerde, Nylbond, Drybond, Epic, Dual Duty, Gral sub-brands), high-performance technical yarns, industrial zips, composites (Synergex, Lattice), structural components (Rhenoprint, RX V 5000, ProWeave), boards/insoles, fabrics, and trims. The portfolio is complemented by Coats Digital platform integrating software solutions for design, sampling, ordering, and tracking, along with digital tools including Coats Colour Express, Coats Count, Denim Visualiser, and eComm. Following the 2025 acquisition of OrthoLite, Coats expanded into premium insoles, adding to its 2022 acquisitions of Texon (sustainable structural components) and Rhenoflex (reinforcement solutions). The company serves over 50 countries across six continents with manufacturing operations spanning Asia, Europe, Americas, and Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coats EcoVerde: First globally available 100% recycled premium polyester sewing threads
• Coats EcoRegen
• Coats Digital
• CoatsKnit
• Coats Signal
• Coats Connect
• Coats Admiral
• Coats Nylbond
• Coats Drybond
• ProWeave
• Rhenoprint
• Ecostrobe
• Synergex
• Lattice
• Cyclea
• Texon
• OrthoLite
• Cirql

Products and services

• Industrial Threads
• High-Performance Technical Yarns
• Industrial Zips
• Composites (Synergex, Lattice)
• Structural Components
• Boards and Insoles
• Fabrics
• Trims
• Coats Digital
• OrthoLite Insoles

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 30% (surpassing 22% target by nearly 40%)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JACKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2026Coats Group PLC signed a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation with JACK to accelerate innovation for China's fast-growing small-to-medium-sized (SME) apparel manufacturing sector. The partnership aims to deliver integrated solutions for China's apparel manufacturing SMEs.
• Cleantech SolarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Cleantech Solar signed a second long-term agreement with Coats Group plc to develop and operate a large-scale rooftop solar PV system for Coats Rejo Indonesia at their facility in Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. The combined project enables Coats to substitute 17.3% of total power consumption with renewable energy at zero capital investment, building on a first phase that reduced 1,011 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
• OrthoLite Holdings LLCcoreOthers · 30 October 2025Acquired by Coats Group plc for $770 million. OrthoLite is the global market leader in open-cell foam insoles with 36% market share, supplying over 500 million pairs annually to 500 brand customers through 14 production facilities. Includes subsidiary Cirql developing proprietary foam technology for the midsole market.
• Rhenoflex GmbHcoreOthers · 14 August 2022Acquired by Coats Group for $117 million. Rhenoflex is a Germany-based global producer of sustainable reinforcement solutions for footwear and accessories, with manufacturing operations in Vietnam, China, and Germany. Trading recovered to pre-Covid levels with revenues of $76 million in 2022.
• Texon International Group LtdcoreOthers · 6 July 2022Acquired by Coats Group for $237 million. Texon is a leader in sustainable structural components for footwear, targeting zero-waste by 2025. The acquisition strengthens Coats' presence in the athleisure footwear market with innovative products and geographical reach in Asia and Europe.
• ValuatesminorOthersCoats operates in the reflective sportswear fabric market which Valuates projects to grow from $397 million in 2024 to $557 million by 2031. This is market research data provider relationship.
• Fact.MRminorOthersCoats Group is mentioned in Fact.MR's Shoe Insoles Market report projecting the market to grow from $6.7 billion in 2026 to $9.7 billion by 2036. Industry analyst relationship.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American & Efird (A&E): American & Efird is one of the world's largest industrial sewing thread manufacturers, directly competing with Coats in apparel, footwear, and industrial thread markets globally. Now owned by KPS Capital Partners, it serves the same Tier 2 customer base of garment and footwear manufacturers.
• YKK Group: YKK is the world's largest manufacturer of zippers and fastening products, directly competing with Coats' Industrial Zips segment. It serves the same apparel, footwear, and accessories customers and represents Coats' primary direct competitor in trim components.
• Amann Group: Amann is a German-based global manufacturer of industrial sewing threads, embroidery threads, and technical yarns for apparel, automotive, and footwear applications. It is a direct competitor to Coats across premium and specialty thread segments.

Broad incumbents

• Teijin Limited: Teijin is a Japanese chemical and materials conglomerate producing high-performance fibers (Twaron, Technora aramids) and composites serving aerospace, automotive, and protective applications. It competes with Coats' Performance Materials and personal protection segments.
• Toray Industries: Toray is a global leader in synthetic fibers, composites, and performance materials including carbon fiber for aerospace and automotive. It overlaps with Coats' Performance Materials segment (Synergex composites, technical yarns) and serves similar industrial customers.
• INVISTA: INVISTA is a major producer of performance fibers including Lycra spandex, Cordura, and polyester for apparel, footwear, and industrial applications. It competes with Coats' Performance Materials and technical yarns segments across the same end markets.
• Hexcel Corporation: Hexcel is a leading global manufacturer of advanced composites including carbon fiber reinforcements and prepregs for aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications. It represents the broader competitive set for Coats' Synergex carbon composites business.
• Hyosung TNC: Hyosung TNC is a major Korean producer of performance fibers including Creora spandex and recycled nylon. It competes with Coats' technical yarns and sustainable fiber lines in the apparel and footwear markets.

Emerging players

• Bemis Associates: Bemis Associates is a specialty manufacturer of thermoplastic films, adhesives, and seam-sealing tapes for apparel, footwear, and outdoor gear applications. It overlaps with Coats' structural components and trims segments, particularly for performance and waterproof applications.
• SAPSA (Soles & Articles de Protection et de Sport): SAPSA is a French manufacturer of insoles, comfort components, and specialty footwear materials. It is an emerging/niche player competing in the same footwear components segment that Coats OrthoLite now leads following the 2025 acquisition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coatsgroupplc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CoatsPLC1
• Facebookfacebook.com/coats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coats
• Instagraminstagram.com/coats_group

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A8 records

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Coats plc