National Fiber Technology

What National Fiber Technology does

National Fiber Technology (NFT) is a privately held, Lawrence, Massachusetts-based manufacturer founded in 1979 and revitalized in 2001 under the ownership of Kim Clark and Fred Fehrmann. The company produces custom-made performance fur fabrics, hair, and wigs for the entertainment industry, with a core technology built around proprietary 4-way stretch knit backings and a hand-operated, multi-step manufacturing process (cutting, picking, carding, gilling, knitting, opening, brushing, trimming, processing, packaging). Fiber lengths range from 1/8 inch to 10-12 inches using modacrylic and natural fibers (mohair, goat, yak), with custom Pantone-matched color blending.

NFT operates two business divisions: Textile Production (custom 4-way stretch performance fur fabrics) and Creative Production (custom creature, character, and costume element fabrication under the Atelier Monstres sub-brand). Revenue comes from three streams: (1) custom orders at $40-$80+ per square foot with an 8 sq ft minimum and $250 setup fee, (2) standard Favorites-Made to Order styles sold through a Shopify storefront, and (3) loose fiber sales by ounce/pound. Custom order lead times run 4-6 months; Favorites lead times are currently 8+ weeks due to demand.

Customers span film and television production studios, theme parks and attractions (Disney Parks, Universal Studios), theater and opera companies, museums, taxidermists, mascot creators, and puppeteers. Distribution is direct via custom-order consultative sales and Shopify e-commerce, supplemented by two 2023-acquired retail subsidiaries, Hairymann's Closet and Puppet Pelts. The company ships internationally and exhibits at IAAPA, with no disclosed outside funding.

Name

National Fiber Technology

Legal name

National Fiber Technology, LLC

Website

https://nftech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Fiber Technology is a Lawrence, Massachusetts-based manufacturer of custom-made performance fur fabrics, hair, and wigs for the entertainment industry, serving film studios, theme parks, theater, and museums with proprietary 4-way stretch technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Performance Textiles

NAICS

Knit Fabric Mills (31324)

SIC

Knitting Mills (2250)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber & Yarn (Natural, Synthetic, Blends) (CRAAAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Textured & Specialty Yarn Manufacturing (Textured/Chenille/Bouclé) (IMAOAAAF)

Keywords

• Custom fur fabrics
• Performance textile manufacturing
• Entertainment costume materials
• Character fabrication fabrics
• Custom wig production

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Fur Fabric Orders: Custom orders for specialized performance fur fabrics. Minimum 8 square feet per custom style with $250 setup charge per style per order. Set up fee waived if 40+ square feet of a particular style is ordered. Custom dye adds 4+ weeks to production time.
2. Favorites - Made to Order Products: Pre-designed fur fabric styles available for order through online shop. Sold by the square foot with 1 sq ft minimum. Products include various animal patterns (Bear, Lion, Gorilla, Werewolf, Fantasy, etc.) and natural fiber options (Mohair, Goat).
3. Loose Fiber Sales: Sell solid color loose Modacrylic fibers and loose fiber in color blends to match Favorites styles. Sold by the ounce or by the pound. Length is 9 inches in sliver (rope-like) form. Custom loose fiber blend without fur fabric requires 5 lb minimum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National Fiber Technology specializes in the manufacturing of custom-made hair, wigs, and fur fabrics for the entertainment industry. Its core product is performance fur fabric knit on a proprietary 4-way stretch backing (Lycra-like) that allows complete range of motion, with fiber lengths ranging from 1/8 inch to 10-12 inches. The company serves film, television, theme park, theater, special effects, and taxidermy customers through custom orders and a standard "Favorites - Made to Order" product line.

Product overview

National Fiber Technology (NFT) is a manufacturer of custom-made specialized performance fur fabrics, hair, and wigs for the entertainment industry. The company operates two main business focuses: Textile Production (custom 4-way stretch performance fur fabrics) and Creative Production (custom creature, character, and costume element building). NFT also has two retail divisions: Hairymann's Closet (specialty remnant fur fabrics) and Puppet Pelts (puppet-building materials, acquired 2023), plus Atelier Monstres (end-to-end production workshop). The company serves the entertainment industry including movies, television, theme parks, theater, special effects, taxidermy, and museums. Products are sold via Shopify e-commerce and direct custom orders, with pricing ranging from $40-$80+ per square foot depending on style and customization requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NFT (specialty textile production): Specialty textile production division creating custom 4-way stretch performance fur fabrics for the entertainment industry.
• Atelier Monstres

Products and services

• Favorites - Made to Order Pre-designed performance fur fabric styles available for direct online purchase from NFT's Shopify storefront. Products are sold by the square foot with a 1 sq ft minimum and range from $40 to $80+ USD per square foot. Minimum production time is 8+ weeks. Designed for entertainment industry buyers, costume shops, and puppeteers needing quick access to proven fur fabric styles.
• Custom Orders Fully customized fur fabric production service where customers submit reference photos or artwork, receive samples for approval, then place orders via email. Minimum 8 sq ft per custom style with $250 setup fee per style per order (waived if 40+ sq ft of a particular style is ordered). Pricing ranges from $40 to $80+ USD per sq ft depending on style and special fibers/dyes required. Production time is 4-6 months, with an additional 4+ weeks if custom dye is needed. Targets enterprise entertainment customers requiring bespoke fur fabrics for film, TV, theme parks, and theater.
• Loose Fiber Sales Sale of solid color loose Modacrylic fibers and loose fiber color blends designed to match NFT's Favorites fabric styles. Sold by the ounce or pound in sliver (rope-like) form with 9-inch fiber length. Custom loose fiber blends without matching fur fabric require a 5 lb minimum order. Targets costume makers, doll makers, and craft creators.
• Hairymann's Closet Online boutique specializing in exclusive NFT fur fabric remnants and clearance items. Functions as the exclusive distributor of NFT surplus products, serving individual buyers, costume makers, and small workshops.
• Puppet Pelts Specialty retailer offering faux fur, custom fleece colors, eyeballs, noses, and all puppet-building fabrics and materials. Acquired in 2023 by NFT as a retail division. Serves puppeteers, puppet studios, and individual puppet makers.
• Atelier Monstres End-to-end production workshop for custom creature, character, and costume element fabrication for performance applications. Functions as a service extension of NFT's manufacturing capabilities, allowing customers to commission finished costume pieces rather than just raw materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 to 6 months production time for custom orders; 8+ weeks for Favorites-Made to Order
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Puppet PeltscoreOthers · 1 January 2023Puppet Pelts is a specialty retailer offering faux fur, custom fleece colors, eyeballs, noses, and all things puppet-related. Acquired by NFT in 2023 as a retail division.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gehring-Tricot Corporation: Gehring-Tricot is a US-based manufacturer of warp knit fabrics serving apparel, industrial, and technical markets. It is a broader incumbent in specialty knit fabric manufacturing, with capabilities overlapping NFT's knit backing technology.
• Monterey Mills: Monterey Mills is a US-based manufacturer of pile fabrics including faux fur and industrial pile textiles. It competes with NFT in the specialty fur and pile fabric manufacturing space, though its focus is broader across industrial and consumer markets.
• Bally Ribbon Mills: Bally Ribbon Mills is a US-based specialty textile manufacturer producing narrow woven fabrics for aerospace, medical, defense, and industrial applications. It represents a broader incumbent in specialty textiles with capabilities adjacent to NFT's custom fabric manufacturing.
• Dollfus & Muller: Dollfus & Muller is a France-based manufacturer of technical and specialty textiles for industrial and apparel applications. It is a broader incumbent in technical textiles with custom finishing capabilities comparable to NFT's specialty fabric offerings.

Direct peers

• Sally Corporation: Sally Corporation (now Sally Dark Rides) is a US-based designer and manufacturer of dark rides and animatronic attractions for theme parks worldwide. It both purchases performance fur fabrics from NFT and competes for creature/character fabrication projects in the theme park segment.
• Jim Henson's Creature Shop: Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a Hollywood creature fabrication studio with decades of creature work for film, TV, and theme parks. A longstanding NFT customer, it competes for the same creature-fabrication briefs and could integrate fabric manufacturing vertically.
• Dazian: Dazian is a US-based fabric supplier specializing in theatrical, scenic, lighting, and entertainment fabrics. It directly competes with NFT in supplying specialty performance fabrics to the entertainment industry, including creature, costume, and stage applications.
• Legacy Effects: Legacy Effects is a Hollywood special effects studio (successor to Stan Winston Studio) known for creature and animatronic work in film and commercials. It both purchases performance fur fabrics from NFT and competes in the creature fabrication market.
• Spectral Motion: Spectral Motion is a Hollywood creature and special effects fabrication studio producing animatronics, prosthetics, and creature suits for major film and TV productions. It operates in the same entertainment creature/effects value chain as NFT's downstream customers.
• Weta Workshop: Weta Workshop is a New Zealand-based prop and creature fabrication studio famous for its work on Avatar, Lord of the Rings, and Planet of the Apes. While a customer of NFT, it operates in the same high-end entertainment creature fabrication space and could in-source fabric production for select projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/NationalFiberTech
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalFiberTech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-fiber-technology-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/shopify/#

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 National Fiber Technology