What JB Martin does

JB Martin is the oldest continuous manufacturer of woven velvets, founded in 1832 in Lyon, France by Jean Baptiste Martin and operated continuously across six generations of family ownership. The company runs a vertically integrated production platform — weaving, dyeing, and finishing all on a single 220,000-square-foot mill on more than 300 acres in Leesville, South Carolina, sited near the Port of Charleston for global distribution. Core manufacturing technology centers on a face-to-face double weaving loom invented by the founder, which increased daily velvet output from 30 to 165 inches per loom, and a patented OASIS DYE SYSTEM cotton dyeing process that materially reduces water and energy use while eliminating dye waste water.

The product portfolio is organized across five end-markets: home furnishings (the primary segment, serving furniture manufacturers and decorative wholesalers); contract and hospitality (upholstery, drapes, pillows, bedding with FR finishes); theatre and performing arts (NFPA 701, CAN S109, California Title 19 certified velours for stages, auditoriums, and public spaces); apparel (cotton, cotton/lycra, rayon, polyester, viscose velvets for sportswear, eveningwear, costuming, and graduation apparel); and technical/industrial (engineered pile fabrics for paint rollers, photography light-lock material, composites, inflatables, and ballistic textiles). Cut & Sew and private-label drapery/pillow/bedding offerings extend the company from roll goods into finished goods.

JB Martin's revenue model is built on B2B unit-priced sales of velvet fabric, with flexible order sizes from 5 yards to 50,000+ yards that accommodate both small custom runs and large commercial programs. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct sales to furniture manufacturers, contract/hospitality accounts, and apparel producers (managed out of the New York executive office and supported by the South Carolina customer service team), alongside a worldwide wholesaler and distributor network for residential, contract, and specialty retailers. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors, parent, or subsidiaries, and sells globally across North America, Asia, and Europe via wholesale partners and direct manufacturer relationships.

Name

JB Martin

Legal name

JB Martin

Website

https://jbmartin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1832

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

JB Martin is the oldest continuous manufacturer of fine woven velvets, founded in 1832 and family-owned for six generations. The Leesville, South Carolina vertical mill produces velvets for home furnishings, theatre, apparel, hospitality, and industrial applications, selling direct to manufacturers and through global wholesalers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Velvet & Woven Upholstery Textiles

NAICS

Broadwoven Fabric Mills (31321), Textile Furnishings Mills (3141), Curtain and Linen Mills (31412)

SIC

Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221), Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Cotton (2211), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Textile Mill Products (2200)

akta.pro primary industry

Pile Fabrics & Terry Cloth Mills (Velvet/Corduroy/Terry) (IMAOABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decorative & Soft Furnishings Manufacturing (Cushion Covers/Throws/Quilts) (IMAOAKAG), Bed Linen & Bedding Manufacturing (Sheets/Pillowcases/Duvet Covers/Comforters/Blankets) (IMAOAKAA), Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH)

Keywords

• Woven velvet fabrics
• Upholstery textiles
• Flame retardant velvets
• Theatrical drapery fabrics
• Custom fabric manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Velvet Fabric Sales: JB Martin generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of woven velvet fabrics across multiple applications including home furnishings, apparel, theatre, and industrial uses. They sell directly to manufacturers and through wholesalers with flexible production requirements from five yards to fifty thousand yards.
2. Cut & Sew Products: Revenue from private label cut and sewn products including drapes, pillows and bedding. Offers custom colors, prints and finishes with low minimums. Can source compatible textiles from around the world.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

JB Martin manufactures fine woven velvet fabrics through a vertically integrated mill encompassing weaving, dyeing, and finishing operations. The company supplies velvets for home furnishings, furniture manufacturing, theatre/drapery, apparel, contract/hospitality, and industrial technical applications, working with fibers including Mohair, Linen, Wool, Cotton, Rayon, Solution Dyed Dralon Acrylic, and Conventional and IFR Polyester. Production volumes are flexible from 5 yards to 50,000+ yards with custom colors, prints, and finishes available.

Product overview

JB Martin is a vertical textile mill and the oldest continuous manufacturer of woven velvets, established in 1832. The company operates as a single unified manufacturing platform producing fine woven velvets across multiple market segments. The core products include Home Furnishings Velvets & Fabrics (furniture and decorative use), Theatre Velvet/Velours (flame retardant fabrics for performance and seating), Apparel Velvet Fabrics (fashion and costume materials), and Contract/Hospitality Velvet. Supporting product modules include Cut & Sew Products (custom drapes, pillows, bedding), Decorative Wholesalers distribution, and Engineered Solutions for industrial applications. A proprietary technology is the OASIS DYE SYSTEM, an environmentally friendly dyeing process. The company weaves, dyes, and finishes all under one roof at its South Carolina facility, working with fibers including Mohair, Linen, Wool, Cotton, Rayon, Solution Dyed Dralon Acrylic, and both Conventional and IFR Polyester.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Furnishings Velvets & Fabrics JB Martin's primary product line featuring woven velvets for furniture manufacturers and decorative wholesalers. The vertical mill offers weaving, dyeing, and finishing capabilities, working with fibers including Mohair, Linen, Wool, Cotton, Rayon, Solution Dyed Dralon Acrylic, and both Conventional and IFR Polyester.
• Theatre Velvet (Velours) Flame retardant woven velvets for stage drapes, school auditoriums, event draperies, performing art centers, houses of worship, and seating applications. Products include cotton velours and IFR polyester velours certified to pass NFPA 701, CAN S109, and California Title 19.
• Apparel Velvet Fabrics Velvet materials for the apparel and fashion industry, including sportswear, eveningwear, formalwear, accessories, costuming, and graduation apparel. Offerings include cotton velvets, cotton/lycra velvets, rayon velvets, polyester velvets, and viscose velvets in various textures such as embossed, crushed, and printed velvets.
• Contract and Hospitality Velvet Velvet fabrics designed for hospitality applications including furniture in reception areas, high-end suites, guest rooms, drapes, pillows and bedding. Offers open line printed velvets, custom printing options, custom color lab dips, and FR velvets with protective and FR finishes.
• Cut & Sew Products Private label cut and sewn products including drapes, pillows, and bedding. Specializes in custom colors, custom prints, and variety of custom finishes with low minimums. Can source compatible textiles from around the world.
• Engineered Solutions (Industrial Velvet) Special use pile fabric constructions for industrial applications including paint rollers, light lock material for photography industry, drop stitch materials for composites and inflatables, and cut resistant and ballistic textiles.
• Decorative Wholesalers Velvet Velvet fabrics distributed through residential, contract and specialty wholesalers worldwide, available in a variety of fibers and colors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Face-to-face loom invention increased daily velvet production from 30 inches to 165 inches per loom
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSample collections of JB Martin velvet lines have been donated to the Design Lab of the Fashion Institute of Technology on 27th Street in Manhattan, New York where they are displayed in a specially designed JB Martin Velvet Room. This partnership supports education and showcases the company's heritage and product quality.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gerriets: Gerriets is a leading European manufacturer of theatrical and stage textiles, including flame-retardant velvets and stage drapery, serving the same performing-arts and public-venue FR-velvet category where JB Martin is a world leader.
• Maharam: Maharam is a leading U.S. design-driven textile company supplying upholstery, drapery, and panel fabrics (including pile constructions) to architecture, hospitality, and contract interiors, comparable to JB Martin's contract/hospitality velvet offerings.
• Fabricut: Fabricut is a major U.S. converter/wholesaler of decorative textiles including upholstery velvets, trims, and drapery fabrics, serving the same furniture, hospitality, and design channels as JB Martin.
• Pindler: Pindler is a U.S. converter and wholesaler of decorative upholstery, drapery, and bedding fabrics, including velvets, serving furniture manufacturers, designers, and decorators—overlapping with JB Martin's decorative-wholesaler and home-furnishings segments.
• Duralee (Robert Allen): Duralee and its Robert Allen brand produce and distribute high-end decorative upholstery and drapery fabrics, including velvets, to designers, furniture manufacturers, and hospitality—directly comparable to JB Martin's core home furnishings and contract business.
• J&C Joel: J&C Joel is a global manufacturer and supplier of flame-retardant stage curtains, theatrical velvets, and venue drapery, competing in the same flame-retardant theatrical velvet and public-space drapery market as JB Martin's theatre product line.
• Kravet: Kravet is one of the largest U.S. distributors and converters of decorative upholstery and drapery fabrics, including extensive velvet and pile-fabric assortments to furniture manufacturers, designers, and hospitality—directly comparable to JB Martin's home furnishings and contract/hospitality channels.

Broad incumbents

• Glen Raven (Sunbrella): Glen Raven is the parent of Sunbrella and a broad incumbent U.S. textile manufacturer producing performance and decorative fabrics at scale for furniture, hospitality, and awning markets—comparable in size, vertical integration, and U.S. manufacturing footprint though not a dedicated velvet mill.

Regional players

• Rubelli: Rubelli is a historic Italian velvet and silk furnishing fabric maker serving luxury residential, hospitality, and theatre markets globally; it is a direct velvet peer but primarily competes in Europe and high-end luxury channels versus JB Martin's North American base.

Emerging players

• Crypton: Crypton specializes in performance-treated upholstery fabrics (stain, moisture, and microbial resistance) for hospitality and contract markets, overlapping with JB Martin's hospitality segment on functional fabric requirements though not a pile-fabric mill.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JB-Martin-111049683138
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jb-martin

Compliance3 records

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 JB Martin