What M Wright & Sons Limited does

M Wright & Sons Limited is a UK specialist narrow-fabric manufacturer operating from Quorn Mills, Leicestershire, where it has been headquartered since 1870 (founded in Leicester in 1860). The company designs and weaves high-performance narrow webbing, binding tapes, elastics and 3D woven composite preforms using specialist fibres such as high-tenacity polyester and nylon, aramids (Kevlar, Nomex, Twaron, Technora), UHMPE (Dyneema), Vectran, carbon, basalt and ceramic. Manufacturing is fully integrated on the same site, encompassing 100+ looms, what the company describes as the UK's largest narrow-fabric dyeing and finishing facility, sublimation printing for military camouflage, and in-house 30-ton tensile testing. Quality management is certified to ISO 9001:2015 and EN 9100:2018/AS9100 Rev D, with additional compliance to UK MoD specifications (UK/SC/5185, UK/SC/6600) and JAR/FAR 25.853 for aerospace flammability.

The firm serves safety-critical end markets including military and defence (UK MoD, NATO), civil and defence aerospace (Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Pratt & Whitney, GKN), fall protection, fire safety, healthcare and medical devices, industrial lifting and load restraint, sports and leisure, and marine. A dedicated Advanced Woven Composites Division (3DS) supplies dry 3D woven composite preforms for structural applications, co-developed under Innovate UK-funded programmes with Composite Metal Technology and Ford Motor Company targeting automotive and aerospace metal-matrix composite insertion. Commission dyeing, finishing and sublimation printing are also offered to third parties.

M Wright & Sons generates revenue primarily through custom B2B manufacturing orders using quote-based pricing, with low minimum order quantities and short lead times supporting both prototype and production phases. Revenue streams are one-time project-based sales of manufactured goods (narrow fabrics, webbing, 3D preforms, industrial laundry tapes) plus a services stream from commission dyeing, finishing and printing. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-enterprise via an internal sales team handling enquiries by phone, email and website contact form; the company does not sell through retail or e-commerce. The business is privately held, family-run across six (and now entering seventh) generations, with no disclosed institutional ownership or external funding beyond non-dilutive Innovate UK grants.

Name

M Wright & Sons Limited

Legal name

M Wright and Sons Ltd

Website

https://mwright.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1860

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

M Wright & Sons is a UK specialist narrow-fabric manufacturer weaving high-performance webbing, bindings, elastics and 3D woven composite preforms for aerospace, defence, healthcare, industrial, fall protection and sports customers. It is family-run since 1860 and holds AS9100 aerospace certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Textiles

NAICS

Narrow Fabric Mills and Schiffli Machine Embroidery (313220)

SIC

Textile Mill Products (2200)

akta.pro primary industry

Narrow Fabrics & Webbings (Tapes/Ribbons/Straps) (IMAOABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH), Elastic, Tapes & Webbing Manufacturing (Elastic Bands/Binding/Strapping/Webbing) (IMAOALAD)

Keywords

• Narrow woven fabrics
• Technical textiles manufacturing
• Aerospace webbing
• 3D woven composites
• Military webbing

Headquarters

HQ city

Loughborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Narrow Woven Fabric Manufacturing: Design, manufacture and supply of woven narrow fabrics and webbing for safety-critical applications. Revenue generated from custom manufacturing orders for aerospace, defence, industrial, healthcare, and sports sectors. Products include webbing, binding tapes, elastics, and 3D woven composite preforms.
2. 3D Woven Composite Preforms: Design, manufacture and supply of dry 3D woven composite preforms using advanced high-performance fibres for incorporation into structural composite parts. Supports aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications.
3. Commission Dyeing, Finishing & Printing Services: Trusted by specialist manufacturers to deliver commission dyeing, finishing and sublimation printing services they cannot perform in-house. Provides additional revenue from external customers.
4. Industrial Laundry Products: Supply of woven laundry tapes, guide tapes and industrial textile products. Available in reels, cut lengths, or custom specifications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

M Wright & Sons designs, manufactures, and supplies custom high-performance narrow woven fabrics including webbing, binding tapes, and elastics, plus advanced 3D woven composite preforms. The company serves safety-critical sectors such as aerospace, defence, healthcare, fall protection, industrial, and sports & leisure. Manufacturing is fully integrated in-house at Quorn Mills, UK, encompassing weaving (100+ looms), specialist yarn processing, custom dyeing and finishing, sublimation printing, and in-house tensile testing.

Product overview

M Wright & Sons is a specialist textile manufacturer offering a portfolio of core narrow fabric products (Webbing, Binding, and Elastics) supported by sector-specific product lines for Military & Defence, Aerospace & Aviation, Fall Protection, Healthcare, Industrial, and Sports & Leisure markets. The company operates the largest narrow fabric dyeing and finishing facility in the UK, providing sublimation printing and specialist finishes. The Advanced Composites Division produces 3D woven composite preforms for structural applications. All products are backed by in-house R&D, testing services, and ISO/AS9100 certified quality management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 3DS: Advanced Woven Composites Division - designs and manufactures high-performance woven narrow fabrics and dry 3D woven composite preforms for structural composite components using advanced high performance fibres including Carbon, Kevlar, Basalt, Glass, and Ceramic.

Products and services

• Webbing

Quantifiable outcome

• Kevlar offers tensile strengths five times greater than steel, enabling lightweight alternatives that maintain strength performance of metal components
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Composite Metal Technology (CMT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 November 2018Second Innovate UK Manufacturing and Materials funding success for 'Next generation low cost aluminium composite inserts for the emerging global market' project. MWS optimises weave patterns of ceramic fibre reinforcement preforms to reduce material costs. Partners anticipate significant uptake in automotive and aerospace industries.
• Quicksilverproject (Britain's World Water Speed Record)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2018Donated plain-weave Kevlar fabric for construction of 350mph 'superboat' outer hull structure. Collaboration with highly-skilled volunteer team aiming to improve safety aspect of high-speed marine craft and regain World Water Speed Record.
• Composite Metal Technology (CMT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2017Joint collaboration through the 3DS division for development of metal matrix composite (MMC) technology. Successfully attracted £1.6m Innovate UK funding for volume production of components reinforced with aluminium matrix composite inserts. MWS provides novel 3D fibre preform designs using adaptive weaving systems for Ford powertrain bracket prototypes.
• Ford Motor CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2017£1.6m Innovate UK-funded programme for new gravity die-casting process for aluminium components reinforced with metal matrix composites. Demonstrated through redesigned prototype powertrain bracket with reduced weight, increased stiffness, and improved NVH performance compared to standard aluminium component.
• CIMComp (EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2017M Wright & Sons R&D team working within Carbon Fibre Woven structures supporting composite manufacture and research within CIMComp. Research focused on next-generation composite manufacturing processes to reduce cost, increase performance, and improve sustainability.
• EPSRC Future Composites Manufacturing Research HubminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017£10.3m EPSRC investment expanding national research effort in polymer matrix composites. Hub led by University of Nottingham and University of Bristol with M Wright & Sons as one of 18 supporting companies contributing £13m in additional support. Total portfolio over £23m.
• Composites UKminorOthersTrade association member representing the UK composites industry. Provides industry networking, standards development, and market intelligence support.
• Technical Textiles (M Wright & Sons in the USA)minorOthersRepresentation of M Wright & Sons in the USA market through Technical Textiles association. Supports international business development and customer relationships.
• Institute for Family BusinessminorOthersMembership organisation supporting family businesses. Aligns with M Wright & Sons' sixth-generation family ownership heritage.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• DEVET (Deutsche Vertriebsgesellschaft für Elastomer- und Textilprodukte): German narrow fabrics manufacturer producing technical webbings, tapes and trims for industrial, automotive and safety applications. Comparable in narrow-fabric product range but primarily serving continental Europe rather than the UK market.
• Narrowtex: South African specialist narrow woven fabrics manufacturer serving automotive, industrial and safety markets. Comparable in narrow-fabric manufacturing model but geographically focused on African and select export markets rather than the UK aerospace/defence core.

Direct peers

• Bally Ribbon Mills: US-based specialty narrow woven fabric manufacturer producing engineered webbings, tapes and 3D woven structures for aerospace, defence, medical and industrial markets. Closest direct analogue to M Wright & Sons in terms of narrow woven product mix, safety-critical customer base and custom engineering model.
• Marlow Ropes: UK-based manufacturer of technical ropes, cords and webbing for marine, safety, defence and aerospace end uses. Comparable on UK heritage, narrow-format textile manufacturing and overlapping defence, height-safety and marine customers.
• TexTech Industries: US manufacturer of engineered technical textiles including narrow woven fabrics, tapes and high-temperature materials serving aerospace, defence and industrial filtration. Comparable to M Wright & Sons in custom-engineered narrow fabric capability and overlap in high-performance fibre applications.

Broad incumbents

• Koninklijke Ten Cate (TenCate Protective / Avient): Dutch heritage technical textiles group (now part of Avient) producing woven and composite fabrics for defence, aerospace and protective applications. Larger incumbent with overlapping aerospace, defence and high-performance woven substrate capability.
• Coats Group: UK-listed global industrial thread and textile components manufacturer serving apparel, footwear and performance materials markets. Adjacent rather than direct overlap, but comparable as a long-established UK specialty textile manufacturer with safety-critical industrial customers.
• Porcher Industries: French-headquartered global technical textiles group producing woven, nonwoven and composite reinforcement fabrics for aerospace, automotive, defence and industrial markets. Broader and larger than M Wright & Sons but materially overlaps in aerospace-grade woven substrates and high-performance fibre processing.

Others

• DuPont (Kevlar / Nomex): Owner of the Kevlar and Nomex high-performance fibre brands that M Wright & Sons processes. Not a competitor but the key upstream fibre supplier whose pricing, supply continuity and next-generation grade roadmap directly determine M Wright & Sons' cost base and product roadmap.
• DSM Dyneema: Owner of the Dyneema UHMWPE fibre brand used by M Wright & Sons in marine and safety webbing. Upstream supplier relationship rather than direct competition, but strategically important to M Wright & Sons' high-performance product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mwright1860

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 M Wright & Sons Limited