John Foster
John Foster is a Bradford, United Kingdom-based textile manufacturer founded in 1819 that produces worsted cloth, mohair cloth, men's suitings, and cashmere cloth for apparel and tailoring industry customers. It operates as a small specialty mill with 11–50 employees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1819
- HeadquartersBradford, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
John Foster firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- John Foster
- Website
- https://john-foster.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1819
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- John Foster is a Bradford, United Kingdom-based textile manufacturer founded in 1819 that produces worsted cloth, mohair cloth, men's suitings, and cashmere cloth for apparel and tailoring industry customers. It operates as a small specialty mill with 11–50 employees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where John Foster is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bradford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
John Foster business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
John Foster product offering
Product offeringCore offering
John Foster manufactures and supplies premium worsted cloth, mohair cloth, men's suiting fabrics, and cashmere cloth from its mill in Bradford, United Kingdom. The company serves apparel makers and tailors with woven woollen fabrics rooted in over two centuries of Yorkshire textile heritage.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Worsted Cloth Premium worsted woollen fabric manufactured at the Bradford mill, supplied to apparel makers and tailors for use in suiting and tailored garments.
- Mohair Cloth Mohair woven cloth manufactured for use in premium menswear suiting and tailored apparel.
- Cashmere Cloth Cashmere woven cloth supplied to apparel manufacturers and bespoke tailors for luxury suiting and outerwear applications.
- Mens Suitings Woven suiting fabrics intended for use in men's tailored garments, including suits and formalwear, produced at the Bradford mill.
Companies that use John Foster
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
John Foster technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
John Foster competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bower Roebuck: UK cloth merchant offering high-quality suiting fabrics including worsteds. Comparable British fabric supplier serving the bespoke and luxury menswear trade.
- Huddersfield Fine Worsteds: British worsted fabric producer based in Huddersfield, supplying suiting cloths to tailors and apparel brands. Comparable in fiber focus, geography, and B2B menswear customer base.
- Dormeuil: French-founded luxury cloth merchant with British manufacturing ties, specializing in worsted and cashmere suitings. Direct peer in the premium suiting fabric category with a similar B2B menswear customer base.
- Drago: Italian wool mill (Drago Biella) producing high-quality worsted and other suiting fabrics for tailors and luxury menswear brands. Comparable in fabric type and customer base, with a regional Italian focus.
- Holland & Sherry: London-based heritage cloth merchant founded in 1836, supplying luxury worsted and other premium suiting fabrics to tailors and luxury menswear brands globally. Closely comparable British heritage mill serving the same menswear suiting trade.
- W. Bill: London-based cloth merchant specializing in luxury suiting fabrics for tailors. Comparable peer serving the bespoke menswear trade with a similar premium fabric portfolio.
- Scabal: Belgian fabric maker and tailor's merchant offering luxury worsted, cashmere, and mohair suitings. Directly comparable premium fabric maker serving bespoke and luxury menswear customers.
- Dugdale Bros & Co: Huddersfield-based heritage worsted manufacturer producing suiting fabrics for tailors and luxury brands. Closely comparable British worsted mill with similar fiber focus and customer overlap.
Broad incumbents
- Loro Piana: Italian luxury textile maker renowned for cashmere and fine wool fabrics, now part of LVMH. Comparable in materials (worsted/cashmere/mohair) but materially larger, more brand-led, and vertically integrated.
- Ermenegildo Zegna: Italian luxury menswear group with significant in-house worsted and wool fabric production at its Lanificio Zegna mill. Comparable in fiber focus and menswear customer overlap, but operates at far greater scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
John Foster social profiles
Digital presenceJohn Foster financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
John Foster leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
John Foster funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
John Foster M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about John Foster
What does John Foster do?
John Foster manufactures and supplies premium worsted cloth, mohair cloth, men's suiting fabrics, and cashmere cloth from its mill in Bradford, United Kingdom. The company serves apparel makers and tailors with woven woollen fabrics rooted in over two centuries of Yorkshire textile heritage.
When was John Foster founded?
John Foster was founded in 1819. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is John Foster based?
John Foster is headquartered in Bradford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are John Foster's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bower Roebuck, Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, Dormeuil, Drago, Holland & Sherry, W. Bill, Scabal and Dugdale Bros & Co. Broad incumbents are Loro Piana and Ermenegildo Zegna.
Does John Foster have an API?
No public API is recorded for John Foster.