What Ashaway does

Ashaway Line & Twine Manufacturing Company is a 200-year-old, privately held, family-owned specialty manufacturer founded in 1824 in Ashaway, Rhode Island, currently managed by the seventh generation of the Crandall family. The company operates three primary product lines: (1) bulk non-sterile suture threads for medical device manufacturers, ranging from 25-micron nylon monofilament for neurosurgery to siliconized braided polyester for cardiac surgery applications, which has been the largest segment of production since 2000; (2) racket strings for tennis, squash, badminton, and racquetball, where Ashaway is the only US manufacturer; and (3) commercial and sport fishing lines, including Tuna Leader and flyline core and backing products.

The company's technical foundation is precision braiding and twisting of advanced polymer fibers including nylon, polyester, aramid (Kevlar), PEEK/Zyex, and UHMWPE. Its core proprietary technology is the application of PEEK (polyetheretherketone) polymer, branded as Zyex, which delivers gut-like dynamic stiffness (106 vs 100 lbs/in for natural gut), superior tension retention (11.9% loss over 21 days), and spin generation properties used in the MonoGut ZX and Crossfire ZX product families. Custom braided products for industrial, sporting goods, and textile applications round out the offering, with diameter capabilities from 0.001 to 0.125 inches.

Ashaway generates revenue through hardware sales across its product lines. Racket strings and other consumer products are sold globally through a network of regional distributors covering more than 50 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Medical suture threads are sold directly to medical device manufacturers via quote-based B2B relationships, while custom braided products are sold direct to sporting goods, industrial, and textile customers. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; sales are handled through direct inquiry or distributor relationships.

Name

Ashaway

Legal name

Ashaway Line & Twine Manufacturing Company

Website

https://ashawayusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1824

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ashaway Line & Twine Manufacturing Company is a 200-year-old, family-owned Rhode Island manufacturer of bulk medical suture threads, racket strings (the only US manufacturer), commercial and sport fishing lines, and custom braided polymer products, serving global medical device, sporting goods, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Braided specialty threads and strings (medical sutures, racket strings, fishing lines)

NAICS

Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills (314994)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical & Hygiene Technical Textiles (Gauze/Drapes/Wipes/Barrier Fabrics) (IMAOADAD)

Keywords

• Braided suture threads
• Racket string manufacturing
• PEEK polymer strings
• Custom braided cord
• Commercial fishing line

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashaway

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Suture Threads: Bulk, non-sterile suture threads for medical device manufacturers. Product range includes 25-micron nylon monofilament for neurosurgery to siliconized braided polyester for cardiac surgery. Medical business is the largest segment of company production since 2000.
2. Racket Strings: Squash, badminton, racquetball, and tennis strings sold under brand names including UltraNick, SuperNick, MultiNick, PowerNick, ZyMax, Rally, PowerKill, UltraKill, MultiKill, SuperKill, MonoGut, Crossfire, Dynamite, Kevlar, Synthetic Gut, and Liberty. Only US manufacturer of racket strings.
3. Sport Fishing Products: Flyline core braids for sport fishing industry, flyline backing in polyester and UHMWPE, sold in bulk or retail-ready spools. Products include various colors and spool sizes.
4. Commercial Fishing Line: Tuna Leader line in nylon braid with proprietary finish coating, with over 50 years of market history. Breaking strengths from 150# to 450# test. Available in blue, green, or white on 1lb or 5lb spools.
5. Custom Braided Products: Specialty cord and braided products for sporting goods, industrial, and textile applications. Diameter range 0.001 to 0.125 inches. Common end uses include sporting goods, industrial products, and textile products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ashaway Line & Twine Manufacturing Company produces bulk, non-sterile suture threads for medical device manufacturers ranging from 25-micron nylon monofilament for neurosurgery to siliconized braided polyester for cardiac surgery. It also manufactures synthetic racket strings (the only US manufacturer) for tennis, squash, badminton, and racquetball, plus commercial and sport fishing lines, and custom braided specialty cord under 1/8 inch in diameter. All products are braided or extruded in Ashaway, Rhode Island using advanced polymers including Nylon, Polyester, Aramid, PEEK (Zyex), and UHMWPE.

Product overview

Ashaway Line & Twine Manufacturing Company is a 200-year-old American family business (7 generations of the Crandall family) manufacturing specialized braided products. The company operates three main product lines: (1) Suture Threads - bulk, non-sterile, non-absorbable medical threads ranging from 25-micron nylon monofilament for neurosurgery to siliconized braided polyester for cardiac surgery; (2) Racket Strings - the only U.S. manufacturer serving squash, badminton, racquetball, and tennis with products like MonoGut® ZX (PEEK/Zyex monofilament), Dynamite® (Zyex multifilament), Crossfire® (hybrid), SuperNick® (squash), ZyMax® (badminton), PowerKill® (racquetball), and Kevlar® strings; and (3) Fishing Lines - commercial Tuna Leader Line, sport fishing Flyline Core and Flyline Backing. The company also offers custom braided products (0.001-0.125 inch diameter) for sporting goods, industrial, and textile applications. Ashaway's key technology is PEEK (polyetheretherketone) polymer branded as Zyex®, which offers low dynamic stiffness similar to natural gut, excellent tension holding, and spin generation capabilities. Products are manufactured in Ashaway, Rhode Island.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Suture Threads (Bulk Non-Sterile) Bulk, non-sterile, non-absorbable suture threads ranging from 25-micron nylon monofilament for delicate neurosurgery to siliconized braided polyester for critical open heart surgery. Sold as raw material to medical device manufacturers. Largest production segment of the company since 2000.
• Racket Strings (Tennis, Squash, Badminton, Racquetball) World-class synthetic racket strings for squash, badminton, racquetball, and tennis; the only US manufacturer of racket strings. Includes UltraNick, PowerNick, MultiNick, SuperNick (squash), ZyMax (badminton), PowerKill, UltraKill, MultiKill, SuperKill (racquetball), MonoGut, Crossfire, Dynamite, Kevlar, Synthetic Gut, and Liberty (tennis), plus Zyex/PEEK-based premium lines. Used by professional players worldwide.
• Sport Fishing Line (Flyline Core and Backing) Flyline core braids for sport fishing coating applications, and flyline backing in polyester and UHMWPE. Sold in bulk or retail-ready spools, various colors and spool sizes. Manufactured in Rhode Island.
• Commercial Fishing Line (Tuna Leader) Tuna Leader line in nylon braid with proprietary finish coating, with over 50 years of proven market history. Breaking strengths from 150# to 450# test. Available in blue, green, or white on 1 lb or 5 lb spools.
• Custom Braided Specialty Cord and Yarn Custom design specialty cord under 1/8 inch in diameter with diameter range capacity from 0.001 to 0.125 inches. Processes include braiding, twisting, coating, heat stretching, and finishing for Nylon, Polyester, Aramid, LCP, and UHMWPE fibers. Common end uses include sporting goods, industrial products, and textile products.
• Oblivion Hybrid Squash String Hybrid string set designed for squash, the first hybrid string set in Ashaway's squash product line.
• Crossfire Family Tennis Strings Family of hybrid tennis strings offering a range of hybrid stringing options including Crossfire ZX, Crossfire ZX Tour, Crossfire +Plus, Crossfire 18, Crossfire 17, and Crossfire II.
• ZyMax Fire Family Badminton Strings Family of micro-gauge badminton strings for chronic string breakers, incorporating BETA Polymer Technology and textured surface coatings for superior performance.
• SuperKill Family Racquetball Strings Family of racquetball strings including polyurethane-based MultiKill 17 and PowerKill with Power Filament Technology, designed for power players who like to cut and spin.
• MonoGut ZX Series Black Tennis Strings 100% Zyex monofilament tennis strings (16 and 17 gauge) in black color, now also offered in bulk reels, rivals natural gut in performance with superior durability.
• Rogue Duo Hybrid Badminton Strings Hybrid string sets for badminton combining multiple string constructions for performance variety.
• Zero Poly Tennis Strings Monofilament tennis string alternatives designed for players seeking polyester-like performance without polyester.
• Zyex-Based Guitar and Violin Strings Patented Zyex PEEK-based musical instrument strings for violin and guitar, leveraging Ashaway's polymer extrusion technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• PEEK outperforms nylon by factor of 5.5 in thread-on-thread abrasion tests at room temperature
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ZYEX Ltd. (Victrex)coreTechnology or IntegrationZYEX Ltd. supplies Ashaway with ZYEX polyetheretherketone (PEEK) polymer, a high-performance engineering thermoplastic. This material is the basis for Ashaway's MonoGut ZX tennis strings and other ZX-based racket strings. ZYEX is a registered trademark of Victrex Ltd. and is the branded fiber form of PEEK polymer. The partnership enables Ashaway to offer strings with gut-like dynamic stiffness and superior tension holding.
• DuPontcoreTechnology or IntegrationDuPont supplies Ashaway with nylon fibers and aramid (Kevlar) fibers. Ashaway uses DuPont's Kevlar aramid fibers in products like Kevlar +Plus strings and Crossfire ZX hybrid strings. Nylon has been used since 1939 when Ashaway produced the first synthetic sport fishing line using DuPont's revolutionary nylon invention.
• Canadawide Sports Inc.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive Canadian distributor for Ashaway racket string products. Located in St. George, Ontario, Canada. Handles distribution of full line of Ashaway strings throughout Canada including squash, badminton, racquetball, and tennis strings.
• Goode SportmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Welwyn Garden City, England. Handles distribution of Ashaway racket strings throughout the United Kingdom.
• Allied-Sports bvmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch distributor for Ashaway products in the Netherlands. Located in Boxtel, The Netherlands. Handles distribution throughout the Dutch market.
• Red Elephant ImportsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouth African distributor for Ashaway racket strings. Located in Brakpan, Gauteng, South Africa.
• Sportco LimitedmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew Zealand distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Auckland, New Zealand. Handles distribution throughout New Zealand.
• RSL EuropemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDanish distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Odense, Denmark.
• Sport Scandinavia ABmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwedish distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Uppsala, Sweden.
• Sportmatic ASmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorwegian distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Oslo, Norway.
• Victor Finland OymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinnish distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Suinula, Finland.
• Guangzhou Ya Sha Wei Sports Co. Ltd.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChinese distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Guangzhou, China.
• Kimony's Inc.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Tokyo, Japan.
• Youngsan InternationalmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKorean distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Seoul, Korea.
• Mars Sporting GoodsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTaiwan distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Taipei, Taiwan.
• Southern Sports Pty. Ltd.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distributor for Ashaway squash and badminton products. Located in Adelaide, South Australia.
• McFarlane Royal TennismajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distributor for Ashaway royal tennis products. Located in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• Rec-Com OutdoorsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor for Ashaway Tuna Leader commercial fishing line. Located in Green Cove Springs, Florida.
• Seattle Marine & Fishing SupplymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor for Ashaway Tuna Leader commercial fishing line. Located in Seattle, Washington.
• Pacific SportsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Ashaway products in UAE. Located in Singapore but serves UAE market.
• Phoenix Trading Investment Co., Ltd.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVietnamese distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Hanoi, Vietnam.
• Sport-Beat GMBHmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlovenian distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Kaltenkirchen, Germany but serves Slovenian market.
• Worldwide Exports Management, LLCmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenezuelan distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Coral Gables, Florida, USA but serves Venezuelan market.
• Kulturális És Sport Szolgáltató Szociális SzövetkezetmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlovakian distributor for Ashaway products. Located in Kéthely, Hungary but serves Slovakian market.
• Wilson, Head, Li Ning (Market Competitors)minorOthersMentioned as major companies in the global tennis market along with Ashaway, indicating competitive positioning rather than partnership. The tennis market news article lists these as competitors in the racket sports equipment industry.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tecnifibre: Tecnifibre is a French specialty manufacturer of racket strings (tennis, squash, badminton) and rackets, making it one of the most direct comparables to Ashaway's racket string business. Both companies emphasize material science (Tecnifibre with polyurethane and polyamide technologies) and serve professional players, though Tecnifibre has stronger tennis brand recognition in Europe.
• Luxilon: Luxilon is a Belgian manufacturer specializing in co-polyester and high-performance synthetic tennis strings, comparable to Ashaway's premium string offerings. Both serve professional and high-end amateur tennis players with technically-advanced strings, and both compete in the same material-science-driven segment of the racket string market.
• Gamma Sports: Gamma Sports is a US-based manufacturer of tennis strings, racquetball strings, and stringing machines, making it a direct North American peer to Ashaway. Both serve the same tennis and racquetball stringing markets with specialty synthetic products, though Gamma is more focused on stringing accessories and machine technology.
• Scientific Anglers: Scientific Anglers is a leading US-based fly fishing line manufacturer producing flylines, backing, and leaders. Like Ashaway, Scientific Anglers serves the sport fishing industry with specialized braided and coated line products, and both have long operating histories in the same niche fly fishing market.
• Cortland International: Cortland is a US-based specialty manufacturer of braided cordage, fishing line, and industrial rope products. Comparable to Ashaway's custom braided products and fishing line businesses, Cortland serves similar commercial fishing, sport fishing, and industrial customers with advanced fiber-based braided products.

Broad incumbents

• Babolat: Babolat is one of the world's largest racket sports brands (tennis, badminton, squash) with a vertically integrated string business. While Ashaway focuses narrowly on strings, Babolat offers rackets, strings, shoes, and accessories globally, making it a broad incumbent that competes for the same string-using customer base with much greater marketing scale.
• Yonex: Yonex is the dominant Japanese racket sports brand, particularly strong in badminton where Ashaway also operates (ZyMax line). Both companies manufacture strings for multiple racket sports, though Yonex also produces rackets, shuttlecocks, and shoes with significantly larger scale and global brand presence.
• Wilson Sporting Goods: Wilson is one of the largest global racket sports brands with its own string line, identified in Ashaway's competitive landscape as a major market player. Both companies produce tennis, squash, and racquetball strings, but Wilson's portfolio is far broader (rackets, balls, apparel, team sports) and benefits from massive pro tour sponsorship and marketing scale.
• Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson): Ethicon is the dominant global manufacturer of surgical sutures and a division of Johnson & Johnson. Ashaway supplies bulk suture thread raw materials that feed into Ethicon's downstream finished suture products (and those of other medical device OEMs), making Ethicon a relevant downstream incumbent customer/competitor in Ashaway's largest revenue segment.

Emerging players

• Teleflex Medical: Teleflex Medical manufactures a range of surgical sutures, specialty fibers, and medical devices including suture products that compete with downstream offerings built from Ashaway's bulk suture threads. Both companies operate in the surgical suture space, though Teleflex is a much larger diversified medical device manufacturer while Ashaway is a focused raw material supplier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ashaway