What Robert Kaufman Co does

Robert Kaufman Co., Inc. is a wholesale textile converter founded in 1942 and headquartered in Gardena (Los Angeles), California, operating as an independent private company. The company produces and distributes quilting, craft, and apparel fabrics through an authorized wholesale network of quilt shops, fabric retailers, and manufacturers, with no direct-to-consumer sales. Its product portfolio spans more than 500 fabric collections anchored by flagship lines including Kona Cotton, Essex Yarn Dyed, Artisan Batiks, and Mammoth Flannel, alongside specialty collections such as House of Denim, House of Linen, greenSTYLE organics, and internationally sourced brands like Sevenberry (Japan) and Uniwax (Ivory Coast). Licensed fabric partnerships with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, The Pokemon Company, and over 50 individual fabric designers form a core element of the assortment.

The company's underlying technology includes in-house digital fabric printing at its Gardena facility, using a patented water-based pigment ink system that is non-toxic, biodegradable, and compliant with Oeko-Tex 100 and GOTS standards, capable of printing on cotton, polyester, rayon, silk, linen, nylon, wool, and blends up to 60 inches wide. The company also co-develops and operates the QuiltingCalc mobile application with Quilter's Paradise, providing conversion and fabric-estimation calculators to quilters on iOS and Android.

Revenue is generated primarily through wholesale fabric sales by the bolt/yard (FOB Los Angeles warehouse), tiered digital printing services ($30/yd strike-off; $30/yd for 5–25 yds; $10/yd for 26–99 yds; volume quotes for 100+ yds), licensing royalties from designer and entertainment IP agreements, precut product formats (Charm Squares, Fat Quarter Bundles, Quilt Kits), and pattern sales. Customer segments span quilting SMBs (quilt shops and hobbyists) as the primary base, fabric manufacturers and converters as the digital printing customer set, and fashion/apparel designers as a secondary segment. The go-to-market relies on trade shows, a customer login portal, designer spotlights, RSS feeds, and the QuiltingCalc utility app as a product-led growth tool.

Name

Robert Kaufman Co

Legal name

Robert Kaufman Co., Inc.

Website

https://robertkaufman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Robert Kaufman Co., Inc. is a wholesale textile converter founded in 1942, producing 500+ fabric collections (Kona Cotton, Essex, Artisan Batiks) sold through authorized quilt shops, fabric retailers, and manufacturers, with in-house digital fabric printing and licensed brand partnerships including Dr. Seuss and Pokemon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Quilting Fabrics

NAICS

Broadwoven Fabric Mills (31321), Knit Fabric Mills (31324)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Cotton (2211)

akta.pro primary industry

Textiles & Fabric / Piece Goods Wholesale (CRAOADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denim & Twill Mills (IMAOABAG), Denim & Twill Fabrics (CRAAAMAE)

Keywords

• Wholesale quilting fabrics
• Digital fabric printing
• Cotton textile manufacturing
• Licensed character fabrics
• Quilting patterns and precuts

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Fabric Sales: Core revenue stream from wholesale textile sales to quilt shops, fabric retailers, and manufacturers. Products include Kona Cotton, Essex, Artisan Batiks, yarn dyes, prints, flannels, knits, and fashion fabrics. Sold in bolts with pricing FOB Los Angeles warehouse.
2. Digital Printing Services: Custom digital fabric printing services for manufacturers and designers. Strike-off charges of $30/yard plus fabric cost; production pricing of $30/yard (5-25 yds) or $10/yard (26-99 yds) plus fabric; 100+ yards priced based on volume and design complexity. Design work billed at $55/hour.
3. Licensing Royalties: Revenue from licensing agreements with designer brands including Dr. Seuss Enterprises, The Pokemon Co., and various fabric designers whose collections are produced and sold through the wholesale network.
4. Precut Products: Sale of precut fabric products including Charm Squares, Fat Quarter Bundles, Roll Ups, Ten Squares, Mini Charms, Quilt Kits, and Skinny Strips for quilting projects.
5. Pattern Sales: Sale of quilting patterns and project ideas, including free patterns and designer patterns. Patterns presented on the website are copyrighted by Robert Kaufman Co., Inc.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wholesale converter and manufacturer of quilting fabrics operating from Los Angeles, California, distributing 500+ fabric collections including Kona Cotton, Essex, and Artisan Batiks lines to authorized quilt shops and fabric retailers. Also offers custom digital fabric printing services, precut fabric bundles, and quilting patterns through B2B wholesale channels.

Product overview

Robert Kaufman Co is a wholesale textile and fabric company operating the www.robertkaufman.com B2B e-commerce platform and the QuiltingCalc mobile app (co-developed with Quilter's Paradise). The product portfolio centers on its core fabric catalog — hundreds of fabric SKUs across multiple lines — with flagship lines including Kona Cotton (and its variants: Kona 60, Kona Premium, Kona Wide, Kona Sheen), Essex Yarn Dyed (and variants), Artisan Batiks, Mammoth Flannel, Sevenberry (Japanese-style licensed brand), House of Denim (indigo/denim specialty), and House of Linen. The company also offers precut fabric formats (Charm Squares, Fat Quarters, Roll Ups), quilt patterns (designer and free), a digital fabric printing manufacturing service (Gardena, CA facility), and a greenSTYLE sustainability collection. The QuiltingCalc mobile app provides quilting calculators for conversion and fabric estimation. The platform is organized by fabric type (Solids, Yarn Dyes, Prints, Basics, Knits, Flannels, PFD, Others), theme (Animals, Geometric, Seasonal, Reproductions, etc.), and featured designers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kona Cotton: A signature solid cotton fabric line offered in various forms including Kona Cotton, Kona Premium, Kona Wide, and Kona Sheen.
• Artisan Batiks
• Essex
• QuiltingCalc
• House of Denim
• House of Linen

Products and services

• Kona Cotton Flagship solid-color cotton quilting fabric line offering a wide spectrum of colors for quilting, apparel, and craft projects, sold wholesale to authorized fabric retailers.
• Essex Yarn Dyed Fabrics Yarn-dyed cotton/linen blend fabrics suitable for quilting, apparel, and home decor projects, distributed through authorized wholesale channels.
• Artisan Batiks Hand-dyed batik fabric collection offering distinctive patterns and color variations, distributed to quilting retailers.
• Digital Fabric Printing Service Custom short-run fabric printing service using proprietary digital pigment ink technology, enabling manufacturers and designers to produce custom-printed textiles with enhanced color fastness.
• Precut Fabric Bundles Pre-cut coordinated fabric bundles in formats such as jelly rolls, charm packs, and layer cakes, marketed to quilt shops and retailers for sale to quilters.
• Quilting Patterns Quilt patterns and project instructions sold through authorized quilt shops, designed for use with Robert Kaufman fabric lines.
• QuiltingCalc Mobile App Mobile application providing quilters with project planning, fabric calculation, and yardage tools, supporting the broader Robert Kaufman fabric ecosystem.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and notable.

• Quilter's ParadisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partnership for the QuiltingCalc mobile app. Robert Kaufman Fabrics and Quilter's Paradise combined expertise to create quilting calculators including fabric conversion tools, backing/batting calculators, and quilting geometry calculators (square-in-a-square, set-in and corner triangles). The app is available on both Google Play and Apple App Store.
• Darlene ZimmermanflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDesigner partnership with Darlene Zimmerman, a renowned quilter, designer, and textile historian. Collections include Cottage Treasures, Darlene's Favorites, Blast from the Past, My ABC Book, and more. Darlene specializes in 1930s-inspired reproductions and has authored multiple quilting books.
• Dr. Seuss EnterprisesflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed partnership for Dr. Seuss character fabrics including The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Happy Easter, Celebrate Seuss!, and various licensed collections. Multiple fabric designs available under this licensing agreement.
• The Pokemon Co.flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed partnership for Pokemon fabric collections including Pokemon, Pokemon Neon Lights, and Sunny Days Pokemon. Fabric designs featuring Pokemon characters for quilting and craft projects.
• EZ Quilting by WrightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDarlene Zimmerman's quilting tools including Companion Angle, Tri-Recs, Flip-n-Set, Easy Dresden, and specialty templates are manufactured and distributed through EZ Quilting by Wrights, complementing the fabric collections.
• Jody BergsmanotableOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerArtist and designer Jody Bergsma creates fantasy and whimsical artwork fabric collections for Robert Kaufman, including licensed artistic prints.
• Ann KellenotableOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDesigner Ann Kelle creates contemporary fabric collections featured on the Robert Kaufman platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Moda Fabrics: Wholesale quilting fabric converter competing head-to-head with Robert Kaufman across designer collections, precuts, and quilt shop distribution. Highly comparable in product category, customer base, and B2B wholesale model.
• Riley Blake Designs: Quilting fabric manufacturer and wholesaler with designer collections, licensed character fabrics, and precut programs serving the same independent quilt shop channel as Robert Kaufman.
• FreeSpirit Fabrics: Designer-focused quilting fabric brand (part of Coats) producing premium cotton quilting fabrics, often featuring artist collaborations and licensed IP, in the same wholesale channel as Robert Kaufman.
• Windham Fabrics: Cotton quilting fabric wholesaler offering designer collections, basics, and themed prints to quilt shops. Closely comparable in scale, product mix, and wholesale go-to-market.
• Marcus Fabrics: Reproduction and traditional-style quilting fabric converter, strong in 1930s reproductions. Directly comparable in the reproduction cotton quilting fabric niche where Robert Kaufman's Darlene Zimmerman line competes.
• Andover Fabrics: Quilting cotton fabric manufacturer offering licensed character lines, designer prints, and basics to the same quilt shop wholesale channel as Robert Kaufman.
• Hoffman California Fabrics: California-based quilting fabric manufacturer with a strong digital printing capability and a wide designer catalog. Highly comparable given shared domestic manufacturing footprint and digital print technology.
• Timeless Treasures: Quilting fabric wholesaler with broad cotton collections including licensed character prints and batiks. Competes in the same quilt shop distribution network as Robert Kaufman.
• Shannon Fabrics: Fabric manufacturer known for Cuddle minky and specialty textiles sold wholesale to fabric retailers. Comparable in being a B2B fabric wholesaler with a strong specialty niche, though focused on plush rather than cotton quilting.
• Wilmington Prints: Quilting cotton fabric converter offering themed designer collections and licensed prints through the same independent quilt shop channel. Comparable scale and product mix to Robert Kaufman.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RobertKaufman
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robert-kaufman-co.

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 Robert Kaufman Co