Alex Begg
Alex Begg is a 1866-founded Scottish luxury textile manufacturer producing cashmere, silk and wool knitwear and accessories at two Scottish mills, supplying prestigious fashion houses on bespoke B2B contracts while operating the Begg x Co consumer label and showrooms in the US and Japan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1866
- HeadquartersAyr, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Alex Begg does
Alex Begg is a privately-held luxury textile manufacturer founded in 1866 in Paisley, Scotland, now operating from two vertically integrated mills in Ayr (West Coast) and Hawick (Scottish Borders). The company produces knitwear, scarves, blankets and accessories woven from cashmere, silk and wool blend yarns, combining century-old traditional techniques — including wooden milling machines and hand-harvested Italian teasel brushing — with modern weaving and finishing equipment. Its in-house 360-degree production spans warping, weaving, hand-cut finishing and inch-by-inch quality checks, supported by a heritage shawl archive preserved at Paisley Museum dating to the 1860s.
The business operates a dual-channel model. The primary engine is B2B contract manufacturing for "the world's most prestigious fashion houses," plus independent fashion designers, interior designers, architects and luxury retail stores, with bespoke commissions and exclusive projects priced on a quote basis at minimums of 15m for sampling and 40m for bulk, with a standard 12-week design-to-finished-product lead time. The secondary channel is the Begg x Co house label — a wholly-owned consumer brand — sold through a factory outlet store in Ayr and supplemented by showrooms in the United States and Japan served by traveling account managers. Custom colour matching to British Standards, labelling and embroidery services round out the offering. The company is owned by Moorbrook Textiles Limited, part of the Lindengruppen conglomerate.
Its customer segments span luxury fashion houses, interior design professionals, architects and luxury retail, with the workforce of under 150 colleagues described as a tightly skilled community with tenure from one month to 36 years. Distribution is primarily direct via field account managers, showroom visits and digital enquiry channels, with cashmere sourcing certified through Sustainable Fibre Alliance membership and farm audits in Mongolia and China. The company is privately held with no venture capital, private equity or public listing information disclosed.
Alex Begg firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alex Begg
- Legal name
- Moorbrook Textiles Limited
- Website
- https://alex-begg.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1866
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Alex Begg is a 1866-founded Scottish luxury textile manufacturer producing cashmere, silk and wool knitwear and accessories at two Scottish mills, supplying prestigious fashion houses on bespoke B2B contracts while operating the Begg x Co consumer label and showrooms in the US and Japan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alex Begg industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Textile Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Apparel Knitting Mills (3151), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599), Knit Fabric Mills (31324), Apparel Manufacturing (315)
- SIC
- Knit Outerwear Mills (2253), Knitting Mills (2250), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Knitwear & Sweaters Manufacturers (CRAAAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scarves/Shawls/Winter Neckwear Manufacturing (IMAOAFAD), Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAI)
Keywords
Where Alex Begg is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ayr
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Alex Begg business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- B2B Luxury Manufacturing: Contract manufacturing for world's most prestigious fashion houses. Works with global brands, independent fashion designers, interior designers, architects, and retail stores on bespoke commissions and exclusive projects.
- House Label (Begg x Co): Own label products sold through factory outlet store and potentially other retail channels.
- Factory Outlet Retail: Direct sales of luxury accessories and knitwear through factory outlet store in Ayr, Scotland.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom manufacturing quotes based on project specifications |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Alex Begg product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alex Begg manufactures luxury knitwear and accessories from the finest cashmere, silk, and wool blend yarns at its mills in Ayr and Hawick, Scotland. The company sells these products under its own Begg x Co house label and provides bespoke contract manufacturing, custom colour matching, and finishing services to the world's most prestigious fashion houses, interior designers, architects, and retail stores.
Product overview
Alex Begg is a luxury textile manufacturer offering two primary product lines: their house label Begg x Co featuring finished luxury accessories (knitwear, scarves, blankets), and a B2B contract manufacturing service for prestigious fashion houses. Their vertically integrated operation spans warping, weaving, and finishing capacity in-house. They also offer complementary services including custom colour matching to British Standards, bespoke design development, and finishing services (labelling, embroidery, monogramming). The company operates from mills in Ayr and Hawick, Scotland, working primarily with cashmere, silk, and wool blend yarns.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Begg x Co: House label brand offering luxury textile products including scarves and accessories.
Products and services
- Luxury Knitwear
Quantifiable outcome
- 12-week standard lead time from design to finished product
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Alex Begg
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Alex Begg technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Alex Begg partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Begg x CocoreHouse label brand operated by Alex Begg, offering luxury accessories under the Begg x Co brand name. Positioned as a premium consumer-facing brand alongside B2B manufacturing operations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Alex Begg competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hawick Knitwear: Scottish Borders cashmere knitwear specialist operating out of Hawick, sharing Alex Begg's craft heritage, Scottish Borders infrastructure, and luxury accessories focus.
- Loro Piana: Italian luxury textile and apparel house specialising in cashmere, merino wool and silk — directly comparable in raw materials, finishing craft, and ultra-premium customer positioning.
- Johnstons of Elgin: Long-established Scottish cashmere and fine wool manufacturer in Elgin with mills producing woven and knitted accessories for luxury brands and its own label — the most direct comparable to Alex Begg's Ayr/Hawick operations.
- Joshua Ellis: British luxury textile weaver producing cashmere, wool and silk scarves, throws and accessories — closely aligned woven accessories manufacturing heritage and B2B customer profile.
- John Smedley: British heritage knitwear manufacturer producing fine-gauge knitwear from cashmere, wool and cotton for global luxury and contemporary brands — directly comparable B2B knitwear model with vertical UK manufacturing.
- Barrie (Chanel-owned knitwear mill): Scottish cashmere knitwear mill in Hawick acquired by Chanel, producing luxury knitwear for the maison and other brands — overlapping location, heritage techniques, and luxury fashion house customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Dormeuil: French luxury textile manufacturer and merchant specialising in wool and cashmere suiting fabrics — comparable premium fibre heritage, fashion house customer segment, and global distribution model.
- Holland & Sherry: British heritage textile house producing luxury wool, cashmere and silk suiting fabrics for fashion houses and tailors — overlapping premium textile and fashion house customer base at a larger, broader scale.
- Brunello Cucinelli: Italian ultra-luxury apparel and accessories house using cashmere and fine yarns with an emphasis on artisanal craftsmanship — overlaps on raw materials, craftsmanship positioning, and premium pricing.
Regional players
- Mackintosh: British heritage outerwear and textile maker producing waxed cotton garments and luxury accessories from UK mills — comparable UK-based luxury manufacturing heritage and craftsmanship narrative.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Alex Begg social profiles
Digital presenceAlex Begg financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alex Begg leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Alex Begg subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Alex Begg funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alex Begg 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 Alex Begg
What does Alex Begg do?
Alex Begg manufactures luxury knitwear and accessories from the finest cashmere, silk, and wool blend yarns at its mills in Ayr and Hawick, Scotland. The company sells these products under its own Begg x Co house label and provides bespoke contract manufacturing, custom colour matching, and finishing services to the world's most prestigious fashion houses, interior designers, architects, and retail stores.
Is Alex Begg a public or private company?
Alex Begg is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Alex Begg founded?
Alex Begg was founded in 1866. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Alex Begg based?
Alex Begg is headquartered in Ayr, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Alex Begg make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. B2B Luxury Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are house Label (Begg x Co) and factory Outlet Retail.
Who are Alex Begg's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hawick Knitwear, Loro Piana, Johnstons of Elgin, Joshua Ellis, John Smedley and Barrie (Chanel-owned knitwear mill). Broad incumbents are Dormeuil, Holland & Sherry and Brunello Cucinelli. Mackintosh is listed as a regional player.
Does Alex Begg have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alex Begg.
What industry is Alex Begg in?
Alex Begg's product category is Luxury Textile Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAAAJ, Knitwear & Sweaters Manufacturers, with a secondary code of IMAOAFAD, Scarves/Shawls/Winter Neckwear Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 3151 and its SIC code is 2253.