What Lightweight Manufacturing does

Lightweight Manufacturing, founded in 2007 and headquartered at 1139 Sumner Ave in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, is a specialty B2B manufacturer and subcontractor serving the architectural fabric and tent rental industries. The company engineers and manufactures custom fabric panels using industrial and architectural coated fabrics (PVC-coated, PTFE-glass, polyethylene, and fluoropolymer substrates from Serge Ferrari, Verseidag Duraskin, and Seaman), employing multiple welding technologies including radio frequency (RF) welding at 27.12 MHz, hot air, hot wedge, and hot bar welding. It maintains certified manufacturing capability for Serge Ferrari TX-30 topcoat architectural fabrics and offers a portfolio of proprietary keder products including Eurokeder 2200 DTEX, Double Coated Keder, and the Kedermaker line, alongside aluminum extrusion rails for connecting fabric panels to frames.

The company operates dual divisions, Lightweight Manufacturing (fabrication) and Lightweight Design (engineering), both associated with Seaman Integrated Solutions under President Dirk Cos. Revenue streams include custom fabric panel manufacturing (professional services), keder product wholesale and e-commerce distribution through kederextrusions.com, and structural engineering and design services including rental structure certification. Go-to-market is primarily sales-led, enterprise field sales with consultation, quote, and free-sample requests via direct phone (610-435-4720) and email, serving customers in the United States and Canada. The company is a member of industry associations including ESTA, NECPA, ATA, and MATRA, and offers up to 25-year pro-rated manufacturer warranties on its highest-quality architectural fabrics, positioning itself as a confidential subcontractor that protects client brands and project confidentiality.

Name

Lightweight Manufacturing

Legal name

Lightweight Manufacturing

Website

https://lightweightmanufacturing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lightweight Manufacturing is a Pennsylvania-based B2B specialty manufacturer and engineering services firm that designs, fabricates, and certifies custom tensile fabric panels and keder products for tent rental companies, architectural firms, and the marine industry across the United States and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Fabric Manufacturing

NAICS

Fabric Coating Mills (313320), Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Textile Products (2390)

akta.pro primary industry

Coated & Laminated Industrial Fabrics (Tarpaulins/Awnings/Inflatables/Architectural Membranes) (IMAOADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coated & Laminated Base Fabric Mills (Pre-finish Substrates) (IMAOABAI), Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH)

Keywords

• Tensile fabric structures
• Custom fabric panel manufacturing
• Keder products
• Architectural coated fabrics
• Structural engineering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitehall

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Fabric Panel Manufacturing: Manufactures custom fabric panels made with industrial architectural coated fabrics, advanced laminates, and films requiring heat sealing. Works with fabric from leading distributors including Serge Ferrari, Verseidag Duraskin, and Seaman fabrics.
2. Keder Products Wholesale: Wholesale distribution of keder products including sewing keder, single flag keder, double flag keder, and keder rail extrusions. Also offers Renew Keder for repairs and alterations.
3. Structural Engineering and Design Services: Provides structural engineering and design services for tensioned fabric structures including certification for rental structures and site-specific engineering. Company operates in subcontractor role to maintain client confidentiality.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lightweight Manufacturing manufactures custom fabric panels using industrial architectural coated fabrics, advanced laminates, and films requiring heat sealing for tensile fabric structures. The company distributes keder products (sewing, single flag, double flag, and keder rails extrusions) and provides structural engineering and design services for tensioned fabric structures, including certification for rental structures and site-specific engineering. Operating as a subcontractor, the company works with leading fabric distributors including Serge Ferrari, Verseidag Duraskin, and Seaman fabrics.

Product overview

Lightweight Manufacturing offers a comprehensive portfolio of tensile fabric solutions centered around keder products and custom fabric panel manufacturing. Core offerings include Keder rope-edge products (including Double Coated Keder, Eurokeder, Kedermaker, and Renew Keder) and Keder Rails & Extrusions for connecting fabric panels to frames. The company manufactures custom fabric panels using industrial and architectural coated fabrics including PVC-coated, PTFE-glass, polyethylene, and fluoropolymer materials from brands like Serge Ferrari, Verseidag Duraskin, and Seaman. Engineering and design services for tensile fabric structures complement the product portfolio, along with specialized services for rental tent companies. The product line serves architecture, tent rental, and industrial fabric industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kedermaker: Product line for keder rope edge products manufactured by Lightweight Manufacturing, including sewing, single flag, and double flag keder variants.
• Eurokeder
• Renew Keder

Products and services

• Keder Products Keder rope-edge products connecting fabric panels to frames via aluminum extrusion rails, with fibers exposed on the outside for easier installation. Available in sewing, single-flag weldable, and double-flag keder variants. For tent rental companies, architectural firms, and marine applications.
• Double Coated Keder Double Coated Keder manufactured by wrapping regular coated fabric around an extruded core and adding a layer of traditional keder fabric on top. This construction greatly increases resistance against wear and provides better accuracy in panel width. For architectural fabric structures, tent rental companies, and engineering applications.
• Eurokeder Eurokeder is a 2200 DTEX RF welded keder product that resists premature wear. It features thicker fibers that provide better wear resistance compared to standard 1100 DTEX keder. For tensile fabric structure applications requiring high durability.
• Keder Rails and Extrusions Aluminum extrusion rails and keder track systems for securing fabric panels in tent and tensile structure applications. For tent rental companies and architectural fabric structure manufacturers.
• Fabric Panel Manufacturing Custom manufacturing of fabric panels using industrial, architectural coated fabrics, advanced laminates, and films requiring heat sealing from leading fabric distributors. For architectural firms, tent rental companies, and structural engineering projects.
• Engineering and Design Services Structural engineering and design services for tensioned fabric structures, including certification for rental structures and site-specific engineering. For architectural firms, tent rental companies, and fabric structure manufacturers.
• Services for Rental Tent Companies Specialized manufacturing services and materials for rental tent companies including fabric replacement, repairs, and alterations. For tent rental companies managing tensile and clearspan structures.
• Renew Keder Renew Keder product for repair and restoration of existing keder installations. For tent rental companies and existing tensile fabric structure owners needing keder replacement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 25-year pro-rated manufacturer warranty on highest-quality architectural fabrics
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit trade association for entertainment technology industries. ESTA members are responsible for creating important programs including Technical Standards Program, Entertainment Technician Certification Program, and Rental Guard. Lightweight Manufacturing is a member supporting the entertainment technology industry.
• NECPAminorOthersIndustry association partnership with NECPA (National Event Contractors Producers Association).
• ATA (American Tent Alliance)minorOthersIndustry association partnership with American Tent Alliance.
• MATRAminorOthersIndustry association partnership with MATRA.
• Signature Structures, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBethlehem, Pennsylvania-based tensile structure company that partnered with Lightweight Manufacturing for the Philadelphia Eagles facility reskin project. Signature Structures served as overall project manager for the installation. Jointly recommended and manufactured tensile solutions.
• Seaman Integrated Solutions (SIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent/affiliated company. Contact page identifies company as 'Seaman Integrated Solutions/Lightweight Manufacturing.' Dirk Cos serves as President of both Lightweight Manufacturing and Lightweight Design.
• Serge FerraricoreTechnology or IntegrationLeading fabric producer supplying architectural fabrics including Flexlight, Precontraint, Soltis, and TX-30 topcoat products. Lightweight is a certified manufacturer for Serge Ferrari TX-30 topcoat fabrics with specialized abraiding equipment.
• Verseidag DuraskinmajorTechnology or IntegrationFabric producer supplying Duraskin PTFE-glass fabrics and PVC coated fabrics for architectural applications.
• Seaman FabricsmajorTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of Seaman branded architectural fabrics including High Performance 8028, 8424, and Seaman 3820 FRLTC Clearspan Fabric.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Verseidag Duraskin (Saint-Gobain): German manufacturer of PTFE-glass and PVC-coated architectural fabrics (now part of Saint-Gobain). Lightweight distributes Verseidag Duraskin materials and manufactures custom panels using their fabrics, making it a principal input supplier and category peer.
• Seaman Corporation: US manufacturer of high-performance coated fabrics including Shelter-Rite and XR families used in tensile structures, geomembranes, and architectural applications. Lightweight is operationally affiliated with Seaman Integrated Solutions and distributes Seaman branded architectural fabrics, making it a closely aligned peer.
• Serge Ferrari: French manufacturer of high-performance coated and laminated fabrics for architectural, industrial, and furniture applications. Lightweight is a certified fabricator of Serge Ferrari's TX-30 topcoat fabrics, making Serge Ferrari a key supplier and the most directly comparable architectural fabric producer.
• Glen Raven / Sunbrella / Astrupa: US textile manufacturer best known for Sunbrella performance fabrics, with adjacent offerings in technical and coated textiles for industrial and architectural uses. A broad incumbent in coated/performance textiles comparable to Lightweight's industrial fabric business.
• Low & Bonar (Mehler Texnologies): European manufacturer of technical coated textiles (VALMEX, POLYPLAN, AIRTEX) for architectural, automotive, and industrial applications. Comparable to Lightweight as both fabricate and supply coated fabrics for tensile membrane structures.
• Sattler AG (Sattler PRO-TEX): Austrian manufacturer of technical textiles including coated fabrics for architecture, industry, and transport. Sattler produces architectural membranes similar to those Lightweight fabricates, making it a category- and end-use peer.

Direct peers

• Eide Industries: US fabricator of custom tensile fabric structures, awnings, and architectural shade products based in California. Both companies manufacture custom fabric panels and engineered tensile structures for architectural and commercial applications, making Eide a directly comparable specialty fabricator.
• Herculite Products Inc. US manufacturer of coated and laminated fabrics for industrial, architectural, and recreational applications. Both companies convert coated fabrics into finished industrial textile products, making Herculite a directly comparable specialty coated fabricator.
• Signature Structures LLC: Bethlehem, PA-based tensile structure company that partnered with Lightweight Manufacturing on the Philadelphia Eagles facility reskin project. Both companies operate in the same regional market delivering engineered tensile fabric structures, making Signature Structures a closely aligned direct peer.

Regional players

• Big Span Structures: US manufacturer of tension fabric structures for commercial, industrial, and architectural applications. Comparable to Lightweight as both produce engineered fabric structures, though Big Span is more design/build oriented versus Lightweight's subcontractor fabrication model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/LWManufacturing
• Facebookfacebook.com/lwmanufacturing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lightweight-manufacturing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Lightweight Manufacturing