Adele Knits

What Adele Knits does

Adele Knits is a privately held, vertically integrated circular knit fabric manufacturer founded in 1970 by the Brown family in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company produces polyester and nylon knit fabrics across five primary verticals: automotive seating substrates (its anchor segment where it has held approved-supplier status with the automotive industry's Big Three for over 20 years), sports performance and team apparel fabrics, swimsuit liners (over 4 million yards supplied annually under the Helanca brand), orthopedic and medical device fabrics, and ProKnit-branded surface preparation products (tack cloths, tube wipers, flat cut wipers, microfiber cloths) used in paint and finishing operations.

The manufacturing platform spans knitting, jet dyeing, paddle dyeing, finishing, and quality assurance within a single 200,000-square-foot facility, operating 85 knitting machines with weekly output capacity exceeding 300,000 pounds. Technical differentiation rests on proprietary brand registrations (ProKnit with honeycomb design, Aquadele moisture management, FiberGuard soil release, Helanca) and process capabilities such as pressurized high-temperature jet dyeing and computer-controlled finishing systems that deliver consistent product parameters style-by-style. The facility houses certified clean rooms and high-tech wash rooms for wiper and tack cloth processing.

The business operates as a B2B contract and stock manufacturer with quote-based pricing on custom orders, 2-day processing for stock items, and 2-4 week lead times on non-stock items. Distribution is direct-to-enterprise through an internal customer service team supplemented by a domestic distribution network with on-site technical service. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified and serves primarily Southeast US customers across automotive, industrial, sports apparel, swimwear, and healthcare end markets. Revenue and financial metrics are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Adele Knits

Legal name

Adele Knits Inc.

Website

https://adeleknitsinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Adele Knits is a privately held, vertically integrated circular knit fabric manufacturer founded in 1970 in Winston-Salem, NC, producing polyester and nylon fabrics for automotive seating, team apparel, swimwear liners, orthopedic devices, and ProKnit surface preparation products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circular Knit Textile Manufacturing

NAICS

Knit Fabric Mills (31324), Apparel Knitting Mills (31512), Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133)

SIC

Knitting Mills (2250), Textile Mill Products (2200), Knit Outerwear Mills (2253)

akta.pro primary industry

Knitwear & Sweaters Manufacturers (CRAAAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Outerwear & Performance Apparel Cut & Sew (IMAOAEAB)

Keywords

• Circular knit fabrics
• Automotive textile substrates
• Swimsuit liner fabrics
• Surface preparation cloths
• Team apparel knit fabrics

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Circular Knit Fabric Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of circular knit fabrics including automotive seating substrates, foam lamination substrates, orthopedic device fabrics, intimates and activewear fabrics, team apparel fabrics, and swimsuit liners. Vertically integrated production from raw materials to finished products.
2. Surface Preparation Products: Sale of ProKnit branded surface preparation products including tack cloths, tube wipers, flat cut wipers, microfiber cloths, and robot hose covers for manufacturing and paint booth applications.
3. Custom Manufacturing Services: Custom fabrication and special order capabilities including small lot sizes, custom widths, and special color orders with quick response to development requests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Adele Knits is a vertically integrated circular knitter that designs, knits, dyes, finishes, and laminates polyester, nylon, and spandex circular knit fabrics for automotive seating and lamination, activewear, team apparel, swimwear liners, orthopedic devices, and industrial end uses. The company also manufactures branded surface preparation products under the ProKnit line, including tack cloths, tube wipers, flat cut wipers, microfiber cleaning cloths, and robot hose covers. Operations are concentrated at a single ISO 9001:2015-certified Winston-Salem, NC facility housing 85 knitting machines, jet and paddle dye ranges, and finishing equipment.

Product overview

Adele Knits is a vertically integrated textile manufacturer producing circular knit fabrics and surface preparation products. The core product portfolio centers on Circular Knit Fabrics for automotive seating substrates, foam lamination, orthopedic devices, intimates and activewear, team apparel (with FiberGuard Soil Release technology), and Helanca swimsuit liners (supplying over 4 million yards annually). The surface preparation line under the ProKnit brand includes Tack Cloth, Tube Wipers, Flat Cut Wipers, and Microfiber Cloths for paint and finishing applications. Manufacturing capabilities encompass 85 knitting machines with 300,000+ pound weekly capacity, jet dyeing, paddle dyeing, and computer-controlled finishing. The company operates from a 200,000+ square foot facility in Winston-Salem, NC, holding ISO 9001:2015 certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ProKnit: Product line including ProKnit Tack Cloth, ProKnit Tube Wipers, and ProKnit Flat Cut Wipers featuring exclusive honeycomb design for enhanced dirt-holding capabilities
• Aquadele
• FiberGuard
• Helanca

Products and services

• Circular Knit Fabrics Polyester, nylon, and spandex circular knit fabrics produced in multiple constructions for automotive seating substrates, foam lamination substrates, orthopedic devices, activewear, intimates, team apparel, swimwear liners, and other industrial end uses. Made to order to customer specifications and finished in-house via jet dyeing, paddle dyeing, and finishing.
• ProKnit Tack Cloth A ProKnit-branded surface preparation cloth used in industrial finishing operations to pick up dust and lint prior to painting or coating. Sold to industrial manufacturers and refinishers.
• ProKnit Tube Wipers Tube-shaped ProKnit wiping products used in industrial cleaning and surface preparation applications.
• ProKnit Flat Cut Wipers Flat cut ProKnit wiping cloths designed for industrial surface preparation and cleanup tasks.
• Microfiber Cleaning Cloths Microfiber cloths produced by Adele Knits for industrial and general-purpose cleaning applications.
• Robot Hose Covers Circular knit protective covers manufactured for industrial robotic hose and cable applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production capacity of over 300,000 pounds of fabric weekly
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Milliken & Company: Milliken is one of the largest US-based diversified textile manufacturers with broad portfolios in performance fabrics, automotive textiles, and specialty industrial products. It is a broad incumbent competing with Adele Knits in automotive substrates and performance knit fabrics, with much greater scale and product breadth.
• Glen Raven: Glen Raven is a US textile manufacturer best known for Sunbrella® performance fabrics with operations spanning performance, marine, and technical textiles. It is comparable to Adele Knits as a US-based specialty/performance textile incumbent with branded product lines.
• Unifi: Unifi is a larger publicly traded manufacturer of synthetic yarns and performance fibers, including recycled-content Repreve® yarns, serving apparel, automotive, and home markets. It is comparable as a US-based performance textile incumbent, though more focused on fiber/yarn than finished knit fabric.
• Mount Vernon Mills: Mount Vernon Mills is a US-based diversified textile manufacturer with operations in flame-resistant, military, and industrial fabrics. It is comparable to Adele Knits in US manufacturing heritage, B2B customer base, and industrial textile exposure.

Direct peers

• Apex Mills: Apex Mills is a US knitter of technical, industrial, and specialty knit fabrics serving automotive, military, medical, and industrial filtration end-markets. It competes directly with Adele Knits in circular knit substrates for engineered and technical applications.
• National Spinning Company: National Spinning is a US-based producer of spun yarns and knit fabrics serving apparel, industrial, and home furnishings markets. It is comparable to Adele Knits as a vertically oriented US textile manufacturer with overlapping customer bases in performance and industrial knit products.
• Sage Automotive Interiors: Sage Automotive Interiors is a major supplier of automotive interior fabrics, including warp and circular knit substrates for seating and door panels. It is a direct competitor to Adele Knits in the automotive seating substrate segment where Adele has its longest-tenured Big Three relationships.
• Bruin Textiles: Bruin Textiles is a circular knit fabric manufacturer producing performance, stretch, and specialty knits for apparel and industrial end-uses. It is comparable to Adele Knits in circular knit construction, end-market diversity, and small-to-mid scale US manufacturing.
• Beverly Knits: Beverly Knits is a US-based circular knit fabric manufacturer producing stretch, performance, and specialty knit fabrics for automotive, medical, military, and industrial end-uses. It is the most directly comparable peer given its overlapping product mix (circular knit substrates), end-markets, and US-based manufacturing model.
• Inman Mills: Inman Mills is a South Carolina-based circular and yarn producer with a long history serving apparel, industrial, and specialty textile customers. It is comparable in heritage, geography, and product mix to Adele Knits, particularly in circular knit fabric production.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Adele Knits