What Reed Manufacturing does

Reed Manufacturing is a US-headquartered wholesale workwear manufacturer founded in 1919 in Tupelo, Mississippi. The company designs and produces a broad portfolio of industrial apparel, with its flagship offerings centered on flame-resistant (FR) and arc-rated garments built around proprietary fabric technologies — GlenGuard (meta-aramid/modacrylic blend), TecaSafe One (aramid/lyocell/modacrylic), and Oasis (Lenzing FR Rayon/wool/nylon) — each engineered for permanent FR properties lasting the life of the garment. Complementary lines include poly-cotton workwear with the REEDflex waistband system, 100% cotton garments including the Double Knot denim line, ANSI 107 enhanced-visibility apparel, food service uniforms, and FDA Class 1 Level 1 healthcare/PPE isolation gowns. Manufacturing is conducted at wholly-owned facilities Ginatex and Overseas Jeans Co in the Dominican Republic, with customization, retrofitting across 130+ active codes, and consignment fulfillment handled at the Tupelo Distribution Center.

Reed sells exclusively through B2B channels — 78 authorized industrial laundries, uniform distributors, and promotional apparel suppliers across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada — and does not transact direct to end users. The REED Ready consignment and inventory management program, in operation for over 50 years, underpins this model with in-plant and central-supply stockrooms, forecasting tools, and reduced freight economics. Custom garment manufacturing with low minimums, available as REED-branded or private label, extends the offering into both FR and non-FR categories.

The company became employee-owned in 2014 when staff bought out the founding REED family, ending more than nine decades of family ownership. Zeb Atkinson became President and CEO in 2020, the first leader unrelated to the founding family. Reed is ISO 9001:2015 and WRAP certified, with no public listing and no disclosed external funding rounds; revenue figures are not publicly reported.

Name

Reed Manufacturing

Legal name

Reed Manufacturing

Website

https://reedmanufacturing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Reed Manufacturing is a US wholesale workwear manufacturer founded in 1919, producing flame-resistant, poly-cotton, cotton, food service, and high-visibility garments through 78 authorized industrial laundry and uniform distributors across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Workwear Manufacturing

NAICS

Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (3152), Textile Mills (313)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Outerwear & Performance Apparel Cut & Sew (IMAOAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH)

Keywords

• Flame resistant workwear
• Industrial workwear manufacturing
• Safety apparel wholesale
• Commercial uniform production
• FR clothing manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tupelo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Workwear Sales: REED Manufacturing designs and manufactures workwear garments sold exclusively through industrial laundries and uniform distributors. The company operates as a B2B wholesale supplier with a consignment inventory program.
2. Custom Garment Manufacturing: Custom or made-to-order garments with extremely low minimums. Can be REED branded or private label for both FR and non-FR garments. Includes design assistance and fabric/trim sourcing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

REED Manufacturing designs and manufactures commercial workwear garments, including flame-resistant (FR) apparel using proprietary fabrics such as GlenGuard, TecaSafe One, and Oasis, along with poly-cotton, 100% cotton, food service, and enhanced-visibility workwear. The company sells exclusively through industrial laundries and uniform distributors across North America, offering customization, consignment-based inventory management, and private-label manufacturing services.

Product overview

Reed Manufacturing is a commercial and wholesale workwear manufacturer offering a diversified portfolio of industrial apparel across multiple fabric technologies and product categories. The core offering includes Flame Resistant (FR) apparel utilizing proprietary and branded fabrics (GlenGuard, TecaSafe One, Oasis), complemented by Poly-Cotton and 100% Cotton workwear lines. The company also produces Food Service uniforms, Enhanced Visibility clothing meeting ANSI 107 standards, and Healthcare/PPE products. Key sub-brands include REEDflex workwear pants featuring flexible waistbands and Double Knot denim jeans. The product line spans shirts, pants, shorts, coveralls, chef coats, and specialized FR garments with ATPV ratings ranging from 6.6 to 18. Services include local garment customization (reflective tape, hemming, embroidery, RFID), an innovative consignment/inventory management program, and custom garment manufacturing with low minimums. The company sells exclusively through industrial laundries and uniform distributors, not direct-to-consumer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GlenGuard: Inherently flame resistant fabric brand used in FR workwear garments
• TecaSafe One
• Oasis
• REEDflex
• SoftTouch
• Double Knot
• REED Ready

Products and services

• Flame Resistant (FR) Apparel Top-tier flame-resistant and arc-rated workwear garments incorporating FR fabrics for workers in petrochemical, electrical utilities, welding, and other high-risk industries.
• Poly-Cotton Workwear Polyester and cotton blend workwear offering durability and comfort for industrial, maintenance, and service workers, with soil release and wickable finishes.
• 100% Cotton Workwear Soft, breathable cotton workwear including the Double Knot jeans and dungarees, designed to withstand rigorous work environments.
• Food Service Uniforms Garments designed for restaurants, commercial kitchens, food processing plants, and catering operations requiring durable, easy-to-clean apparel with soil-release materials.
• Enhanced Visibility Clothing ANSI-rated high-visibility workwear for construction, mining, and other industries requiring enhanced worker visibility in low-light conditions.
• Healthcare PPE Personal protective equipment including isolation gowns meeting FDA Class 1, Level 1 standards for infection prevention in healthcare settings.
• Garment Customization Services In-house customization services at the Tupelo Distribution Center providing custom reflective tape, hemming, pockets, embroidery, and RFID chip integration with over 130 active retrofit codes for distributor clients.
• REED Ready Inventory Management Program Consignment-based inventory management program offering in-plant and central supply stockrooms with merchandise cost control and demand forecasting for distributor clients.
• Custom Garment Manufacturing Made-to-order custom garment manufacturing with low minimums, available as REED-branded or private-label products, including design assistance and fabric and trim sourcing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Garment durability through industrial laundering
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bulwark Protection: VF Corporation-owned FR workwear brand sold through distributors and industrial laundries; directly competes with REED's GlenGuard, TecaSafe, and Oasis lines in petrochemical and utility accounts.
• Tyndale: Employee-owned (ESOP since 1985) FR apparel company of comparable size and ownership structure; sells managed FR clothing programs to similar end users through uniform service companies.
• Red Kap: VF Corporation workwear brand offering shirts, pants, and coveralls sold through the same industrial laundry and uniform distributor channel that REED serves; most direct overlap on poly-cotton and cotton workwear.
• National Safety Apparel: Cleveland-based manufacturer of FR and arc-rated workwear garments sold through industrial distributors; competes head-to-head in FR shirts, pants, and outerwear for utility and industrial customers.
• Lakeland Industries: Public protective apparel manufacturer with a meaningful FR/AR workwear segment serving petrochemical and electrical utility markets; overlaps with REED on industrial FR garments and disposable protective wear.

Broad incumbents

• Carhartt: Privately held workwear incumbent with a major FR workwear line (Carhartt FR) competing with REED's FR shirts and pants; larger scale and broader retail distribution overlap on durable workwear fundamentals.
• Wrangler Riggs Workwear: Kontoor Brands workwear line offering jeans, shirts, and FR garments; competes with REED's Double Knot denim and general workwear offerings through overlapping wholesale and retail channels.

Others

• Westex (by Milliken): FR fabric mill that supplies treated FR cotton/nylon blends to garment makers; relevant ecosystem player as REED sources or could source the 88/12 FR cotton blend fabric and similar substrates.
• Tencate Protective Fabrics: Supplier of TecaSafe and other inherently FR fabrics; REED's TecaSafe One collection is built on Tencate's fabric, making them a critical upstream partner and an adjacent player in the FR value chain.
• Cintas: Largest North American uniform rental and industrial laundry operator and a potential REED distributor customer; meaningful as both a downstream channel and as a competitor for end-customer uniform program contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/reedmfginc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reed-manufacturing-co.-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Reed Manufacturing