What National Nonwovens does

National Nonwovens, founded in 1905 as National Felt Company in Easthampton, Massachusetts, is a privately held specialty manufacturer of engineered nonwoven textiles. It operates needlepunch manufacturing equipment — claimed to be the first imported into the United States — supported by air-laid and carded cross-laid web forming, chemical bonding, lamination, thermo-bond construction, and an in-house dyeing facility with computer-controlled color matching. Reported production is over 15 million pounds of textiles annually, with total processing capacity exceeding 30 million pounds per year and the ability to produce dry-formed webs up to 200 inches wide at densities from 1.5 to 256 oz/yd².

The company sells through three primary revenue streams: (1) custom engineered technical nonwovens — including patented systems such as AcouStruct®, Atvantage®, ProTechtor®, KushnBlok®, Silnt®, and SureSorb® — to aerospace, medical, filtration, and protective apparel customers via direct B2B sales; (2) trademarked craft and wool felt products (WoolFelt®, XoticFelt®, WoolWisps®, FiestaFelt®, GlitzyFelt, ShenilleAppeal®) sold wholesale to fabric stores, quilt shops, and sewing distributors and direct-to-consumer through the Commonwealth Felt e-commerce site; and (3) specialty industrial textiles such as the Enhanced Car Wash Cloth for automotive OEMs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; wholesale operates on pay-as-you-go unit pricing via sales contact, and Commonwealth Felt retail sells with no minimum order requirements.

National Nonwovens is ISO 9001:2015 certified (issued 2018, valid 2024–2027) and holds California Prop 65, EU REACH, EU RoHS, and U.S. Conflicts Minerals compliance. Its customer base spans Aircraft Completion and Refurbishment Centers, medical device manufacturers, car wash OEMs, industrial gasket/vibration/wiping users, and the arts/education craft market. The company is led by CEO and President Michalina A. Centofanti following the April 2019 passing of her husband Anthony J. Centofanti, with Mark Lawrence promoted to Director of Research and Technology Development effective January 2023. No external funding, parent company, or M&A activity is disclosed.

Name

National Nonwovens

Legal name

National Nonwovens

Website

https://nationalnonwovens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Nonwovens is a privately held Easthampton, Massachusetts manufacturer of engineered nonwoven textiles serving aerospace, medical, industrial, and craft markets via custom needlepunch, chemical-bond, and lamination capabilities with proprietary patented product lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Nonwoven Textiles

NAICS

Nonwoven Fabric Mills (313230), Textile Product Mills (314)

SIC

Textile Mill Products (2200), Miscellaneous Fabricated Textile Products (2390)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonwoven Fabric Mills (Spunbond/Meltblown/Needle-punched) (IMAOABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH), Protective & Safety Textiles (FR/Arc/Heat/Cut/Chemical) (IMAOADAA)

Keywords

• Nonwoven textiles
• Needlepunch manufacturing
• Industrial felt fabrics
• Aerospace insulation materials
• Medical absorbent pads

Headquarters

HQ city

Easthampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technical Nonwoven Materials Sales: Manufactures and sells custom engineered nonwoven textiles to aerospace, medical, industrial, and protective apparel markets. Revenue generated through direct B2B sales of needlepunch, air-laid, chemical bond, felted wool, lamination, and thermo-bond materials.
2. WoolFelt® and Craft Materials: Wholesale and retail sales of trademarked WoolFelt®, XoticFelt®, WoolWisps®, and other felt products for arts, education, quilting, and craft markets. Products sold through Commonwealth Felt direct-to-consumer website and wholesale distribution.
3. Aerospace and Technical Materials: Specialized nonwoven materials for Thermal Acoustic Insulation Systems (TAIS), ballistics, and filtration applications. Long-term partnerships with Aircraft Completion and Refurbishment Centers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

National Nonwovens manufactures custom engineered nonwoven textile solutions using needlepunch, air-laid, carded cross-laid, chemical bond, lamination, and thermo-bond processes. The company produces branded product lines (WoolFelt, PurusFelt, AcouStruct, KushnBlok, ProTechtor, SureSorb, etc.) serving aerospace, medical, industrial, arts/education, and specialty markets, with annual production of 15 million pounds and total processing capacity exceeding 30 million pounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WoolFelt®: Trademarked wool felt fabric, the original wool felt renowned for all-natural heirloom quality. Available in 100+ colors, product lines range from wool-rayon fiber blends to 100% wool.
• PurusFelt®
• Silnt®
• KushnBlok®
• AcouStruct®
• Atvantage®
• Nukuls®
• ProTechtor®
• TechWick®
• Ultra-ProTechtor®
• SureSorb®
• SoftSorb
• ShenilleAppeal®
• XoticFelt®
• WoolWisps®
• FiestaFelt®
• GlitzyFelt

Products and services

• WoolFelt The original trademarked wool felt product line from National Nonwovens, renowned for all-natural heirloom quality. Available in over 100 colors, ranging from wool-rayon fiber blends to 100% wool. Used for heritage quilts, penny rugs, soft sculpture, and modern decor.
• PurusFelt Innovative mechanically interlocked scrimless filter design featuring pure fiber for filtration. Includes Style FIL039 for face masks with MERV 10 rating and 98.2% PFE. Washable up to 30 times, reusable, printable, and embroiderable.
• XoticFelt First felt made from bamboo-rayon blend. Utilizes an innovative blend of bamboo and rayon making an extremely soft craft felt fabric.
• WoolWisps Roving made from 100% virgin wool for needle felting, wet felting, and dimensional fiber art applications.
• FiestaFelt Acrylic felt celebrating the beauty of color in a washable, colorfast fabric.
• GlitzyFelt High-quality acrylic felt that sparkles, for craft applications.
• AcouStruct Patented self-supporting structural acoustical system for overblankets, ceilings, bulkheads, floor decking, and cabinetry insulation. Used in aerospace thermal acoustic insulation systems.
• KushnBlok Composite cushioning felt serving as a highly resilient nonwoven fire-blocking pad for seats, carpet underlayments, and headliners in aerospace applications.
• Silnt Acoustical absorption insulator and acoustical damping quiet nonwoven for flooring, ceilings, insulating systems, overframe blankets, crew/rest compartments, and privacy partitions.
• ProTechtor Ballistic shield utilizing advanced needling technology for vehicle and body armor, shelters, explosive sheathings, and high energy devices.
• Ultra-ProTechtor First fire-blocker for all dress covers, with superior design for reduced weight loss when used to protect foam and batting for seating.
• Atvantage Composite insulating core providing compressive strength, flame retardancy, acoustic attenuation, and thermal insulation for aerospace applications.
• TechWick Technical wicking felts featuring advanced moisture absorption and containment, capillary motion, and dust and lint control.
• SureSorb Patented super absorbent clinical pads that minimize exposure and transmission of aerosol and solution-based pathogens by absorbing, encapsulating, and retaining bio-hazardous fluids. Used for autopsy table pads and morgue stretcher pads.
• SoftSorb Ultra-soft materials engineered for bed pads and adult incontinent pads, designed for comfort and performance.
• ShenilleAppeal Colorfast letter jacket scrim felt for chenilling applications.
• Enhanced Car Wash Cloth Specialty buffing and polishing cloth designed for the car wash industry.
• Commonwealth Felt Direct-to-Consumer Retail Direct-to-consumer retail division selling WoolFelt, XoticFelt, FiestaFelt, GlitzyFelt, and craft products to individual consumers via commonwealthfelt.com with no minimum order requirements.
• Nonwoven Manufacturing Capabilities Custom engineered nonwoven manufacturing capabilities including air-laid and carded cross-laid web forming with chemical bond, composites, felted wool, needlepunch, lamination, and thermo-bond constructions. Production capacity exceeds 30 million pounds per year with 15 million pounds of textiles produced annually.
• WoolFelt Medieval Times Collection WoolFelt color collection featuring 6 new colors (Silver Sword, Medieval Battlefields, Fair Maiden, Dragon Scales, Wine Goblet, Mummy Brown) reflecting the Middle Ages theme.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98.2% Particle Filtration Efficiency (PFE) at 3.0 µm with MERV 10 rating for PurusFelt® FIL039
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aircraft Completion and Refurbishment CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Nonwovens partners with Aircraft Completion and Refurbishment Centers providing unparalleled manufacturing capabilities and needling technology for aerospace interior applications including Thermal Acoustic Insulation Systems (TAIS).
• CIC Management, LLC (NQA)minorOthersThird-party certification body that performed the on-site audit and issued the ISO 9001:2015 certificate.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DuPont: Diversified chemicals/materials major with Tyvek® flash-spun nonwoven and industrial protective fabrics. Comparable to National Nonwovens in technical nonwovens (filtration, protective apparel), though at vastly greater scale and via a different process.
• Johns Manville: Berkshire Hathaway-owned building and industrial materials manufacturer with nonwoven and glass fiber divisions. Comparable to National Nonwovens as a broad incumbent in industrial/engineered nonwovens, though not a needlepunch specialist.
• Berry Global (now part of Magnera / Glatfelter combination): Global nonwovens and packaging giant with broad healthcare, hygiene, and industrial nonwoven portfolios. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose scale and breadth contrast with National Nonwovens' specialty, custom-engineered positioning.

Direct peers

• Hollingsworth & Vose: U.S. specialty nonwovens producer focused on filtration, battery, and industrial substrates. Comparable to National Nonwovens' PurusFelt® filtration and AcouStruct® acoustic composites business.
• The Felters Group: U.S.-based specialty felt and nonwoven manufacturer serving industrial, acoustic, and apparel markets. Closest U.S. peer to National Nonwovens' WoolFelt® craft and industrial felt business.
• Freudenberg Performance Materials: Global engineered nonwovens manufacturer (needlepunch, spunlaid, wetlaid) serving automotive, construction, healthcare, and apparel. Comparable to National Nonwovens in technical nonwoven substrates for filtration, acoustics, and industrial applications.
• Ahlstrom: Finland-based specialty nonwovens and fiber-based materials supplier serving filtration, medical, and industrial markets. Comparable to National Nonwovens' technical and medical nonwoven segments.
• Suominen Corporation: Public Finnish nonwovens manufacturer focused on wipes, medical, and hygiene substrates via spunlace and needlepunch. Comparable to National Nonwovens in needlepunch capability and medical/industrial nonwoven end-uses.
• TWE Group: European nonwoven manufacturer with a strong needlepunch platform serving automotive, filtration, and industrial markets. Closest direct competitor to National Nonwovens' technical/aerospace and industrial nonwoven business across similar needlepunch and lamination capabilities.

Emerging players

• Lydall: Specialty engineered nonwoven and filtration materials producer with focus on industrial air/liquid filtration and thermal/acoustic applications. Comparable to National Nonwovens' Silnt®, AcouStruct®, and PurusFelt® filtration platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 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 National Nonwovens