What QST Industries, Inc. does

QST Industries, Inc. is a 145-year-old, family-owned textile manufacturer headquartered in Naperville, Illinois, that produces the internal construction components used in garment manufacturing — pocketing, waistbands, interlinings, elastics, linings, embroidery backings, paper products, flame-resistant materials, and reflective trims. The company operates proprietary product lines including Ban-Rol waistband interlining, Q-Thread button securing systems, Q-Loop anti-fray tape, Fuse & Stretch stretch waistbands, QST SHIELD flame-resistant pocketing (UL Certified NFPA2112-2023), and Quick Stretch clear elastic tape, supported by sustainability technologies such as a 5-step water reclamation system cutting freshwater use by up to 80% and a waterless finishing program that is 138x more water-efficient than standard processes. QST's products are certified to Oeko-Tex, REACH, bluesign, FSC, USMCA, and HIGG Index standards, with a formal UFLPA compliance program including third-party audits.

The company distributes these components to apparel brands and garment manufacturers worldwide through a direct B2B field sales model spanning 60+ offices in the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with wholly-owned subsidiaries in key manufacturing hubs including China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Romania, Germany, Spain, and Mexico. Named enterprise customers include Walmart, Victoria's Secret, Vineyard Vines, and the U.S. Military. Products are organized into end-market collections (Athletic Wear, Casual Wear, Denim, Eco, Tailored, Work Wear) and are sold via quote-based B2B transactions, supplemented by limited e-commerce ordering for selected products such as Polytab.

QST generates revenue through direct sales of catalog and custom-made textile components to enterprise apparel customers, with pricing set via B2B quotation rather than public price lists. The company employs more than 700 people globally, has been in continuous operation since 1880, and reports that 220 million people put their hands in QST pockets every day. Partnerships include a strategic alliance with 3M Scotchlite for retroreflective materials and integrations with major apparel CAD platforms (Gerber, Lectra, Tukatech, Investronica) for plotter paper products.

Name

QST Industries, Inc.

Legal name

QST Industries, Inc.

Website

https://qst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

QST Industries is a 145-year-old, family-owned textile manufacturer supplying garment construction components — pocketing, waistbands, interlinings, elastics, flame-resistant materials, and reflectives — to apparel brands and garment manufacturers worldwide through 60+ global offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apparel Textile Components / Garment Construction Materials

NAICS

Apparel Knitting Mills (31512), Nonwoven Fabric Mills (31323), Narrow Fabric Mills and Schiffli Machine Embroidery (31322)

SIC

Textile Mill Products (2200), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Knitting Mills (2250)

akta.pro primary industry

Textiles, Fabrics, Trims & Components Suppliers (CRAAAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nonwoven & Technical Fabrics (CRAAAMAD), Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH)

Keywords

• Garment construction components
• Apparel textile manufacturing
• Pocketing and waistbands
• Fusible interlinings
• Industrial sewing supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices26 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Textile Component Sales: QST generates revenue by selling garment construction components (pocketing, waistbands, interlinings, elastics, linings, embroidery backings, reflectives, specialty PPE, paper products) directly to apparel brands and garment manufacturers worldwide. Products are sold as both standard catalog items and custom-made components. QST operates through direct sales teams across 60+ global offices.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

QST Industries manufactures and sells textile components used inside garments — including pocketing, waistbands, interlinings, elastics, linings, embroidery backings, belt loop reinforcement, flame-resistant materials, and reflectives. These components are sold directly to apparel brands and garment manufacturers worldwide through a network of 60+ offices, providing the internal construction elements that give garments fit, structure, comfort, and durability.

Product overview

QST Industries, Inc. is a multinational manufacturing company in business since 1880, supplying garment construction components to apparel manufacturers worldwide. The company operates over 60 locations globally and employs more than 700 people. Its product portfolio is organized into a broad suite of core textile components — pocketing, waistbands, Ban-Rol waistband interlinings, interlinings, paper products, elastics (including sublimation elastics), embroidery backings, belt loop reinforcement (Q-Loop and Glu-Loop), flame-resistant products (QST SHIELD), reflectives (3M Scotchlite technology), linings, quilted linings, Fuse & Stretch waistbands, Q-Thread button securing systems, Polytab mural canvas, Quick Stretch clear elastic tape, Anker Tex Staples, and specialty PPE — as well as six end-market collections (Athletic Wear, Casual Wear, Denim, Eco, Tailored, and Work Wear) and tailored components (chest pieces, shoulder pads, sleeve heads). These products function as the internal construction elements of garments, providing fit, structure, reinforcement, comfort, safety, and aesthetic finishing, and are sold to major apparel brands and garment manufacturers globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• QST SHIELD: Flame Resistant Pocketing Collection with FR Technology to protect workers from exposure to dangerous flash fires in the workplace.
• Ban-Rol
• Q-Loop
• Glu-Loop
• F.I.T. Linings
• Ultrafuse

Products and services

• Pocketing QST's core pocketing fabrics with over 220 million daily end-users, available across heritage, fashion, flex, yarn-dye, printed, eco (recycled polyester, BCI cotton, organic cotton, hemp), USMCA-compliant, Turkish printed, flame-resistant (QST SHIELD), ultra-soft cotton-free T/C alternatives, and seasonal collections for apparel brands and garment manufacturers worldwide.
• Waistbands

Quantifiable outcome

• 220 million+ people put their hands in QST pockets every day
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 3M ScotchlitecoreTechnology or IntegrationQST collaborates with 3M Scotchlite Reflective Technology for the production and sale of retroreflective materials. Products include sewn-on reflective fabric, silver reflective adhesive transfer films, and flame resistant reflective fabrics. All flame resistant reflectives are UL Certified under NFPA2112-2023. The collaboration combines 3M's retroreflective lens technology with QST's garment component manufacturing and distribution capabilities.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights7 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qst-industries
• Facebookfacebook.com/qstindustries

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries11 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 QST Industries, Inc.