What Retex does

Retex a.s. is a Czech manufacturer of needle-punched and airlaid nonwoven textiles founded in 1950 and headquartered in Moravský Krumlov, operating as a privately held subsidiary of the Brno-based Holdingtex group. The company produces technical textiles across five product platforms (green roof substrates, insulation including the proprietary Envizol Train line for rolling stock, technical textiles for healthcare and security, automotive interior nonwovens, and MOKRUTEX/UNTEX geotextiles), using needle-punching, Malivlies stitch-bonding, and Arachne technologies with up to 80% recycled fiber inputs. Manufacturing is anchored by a 1,850 m² production line capable of 20 tons of daily output, and the firm holds IATF 16949, IRIS (ISO 22163), ISO 9001/14001/45001/50001, and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and STeP certifications, qualifying it as a tier supplier to automotive and rail OEMs.

Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales of manufactured nonwoven roll goods to enterprise industrial customers, with no public pricing; the model is quote-based, hardware sales across eight end-markets (automotive, rail vehicles, white goods, construction, healthcare, security, furniture, and fashion/footwear). GTM is enterprise field sales with dedicated commercial and logistics functions and a single-channel distributor (YOLITO) for Chile. Director-stated 2023/2024 revenue is approximately 670 million CZK (a record), with exports into Germany (rail insulation), Israel (green roof substrates), and other markets; the firm is one of the largest employers in the South Moravian region with 251-500 staff. Key named customers include Škoda Auto, Škoda Transportation, and German tram operators operating Škoda ForCity Plus vehicles.

Name

Retex

Legal name

Retex a.s.

Website

https://retex.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Retex is a Czech manufacturer of needle-punched and airlaid nonwoven textiles serving automotive, rail, appliance, construction, healthcare, and security industries, headquartered in Moravský Krumlov with exports to Germany, Israel, and Chile.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Nonwoven Textiles

NAICS

Nonwoven Fabric Mills (31323), Textile Mills (313), Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133)

SIC

Textile Mill Products (2200), Miscellaneous Fabricated Textile Products (2390)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonwoven Fabric Mills (Spunbond/Meltblown/Needle-punched) (IMAOABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive & Transportation Technical Textiles (Interiors/Airbags/Seatbelts/Acoustic) (IMAOADAE), Protective & Safety Textiles (FR/Arc/Heat/Cut/Chemical) (IMAOADAA), Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH), Recycled Textile Compounding & Nonwoven Reprocessing (Insulation/Felts/Geotextiles) (IMAOAMAH)

Keywords

• Nonwoven textiles
• Automotive textiles
• Geotextile manufacturing
• Technical textiles
• Acoustic insulation materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Moravský Krumlov

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Nonwoven Textile Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of needle-punched and airlaid nonwoven textiles for industrial applications including automotive, rail vehicles, white goods, construction, healthcare, and geotextiles. Products sold directly to major manufacturers with export to international markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Retex manufactures and sells needle-punched and airlaid nonwoven textiles for industrial applications in automotive, rail vehicles, white goods, construction, healthcare, and geotextile sectors. Products include automotive interior carpets and insulation, fire-resistant rolling stock insulation (Envizol Train), geotextiles for construction, antibacterial textiles for healthcare, and green roof substrates, all primarily produced from recycled materials.

Product overview

Retex is a technology company specializing in the manufacture and development of needle-punched and airlaid nonwoven textiles and their treatments. The company operates a multi-segment product portfolio organized into five production categories: Green Roofs (Aquadesk products), Insulations (including Envizol Train for rolling stock), Technical Textiles (including MALIVLIES, MEPAR, NONWEX antibacterial, ARALAN sorbents, and footwear materials like MATEX and VUTEX), Automotive (interior textiles including DILURET, VELOUR, FELT, CARPET), and Geotextiles (MOKRUTEX and UNTEX product lines for separation, filtration, drainage, and reinforcement). All products are manufactured using recycled materials (PET bottles and discarded textiles) with a focus on circular economy principles. The company employs needle punching, Malivlies stitch-bonding, and Arachne technology for production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Envizol Train: Composite thermal and acoustic insulation material for rolling stock, made from recycled polyester fibres with non-flammable treatment; used in trains and tramvaje.
• MOKRUTEX
• NONWEX
• MALIVLIES
• MEPAR
• DILURET / DILOUR
• UNTEX
• VUTEX
• VAFIX
• RONVAT
• MATEX
• ARALAN
• MALERVLIES
• GEOSORP
• GEOCHRAN
• GETEX
• MEPOX M

Products and services

• MOKRUTEX Geotextile Product Line Needle-punched nonwoven geotextiles (MOKRUTEX PES, MOKRUTEX PP, MOKRUTEX PES K) made from 100% polyester or polypropylene, used for separation, filtration, drainage, and reinforcement functions in road construction, building foundations, and earthworks. Weight range 200-1000 g/m².
• UNTEX Nonwoven Product Line High-quality needle-punched nonwoven textiles (UNTEX HQ PP, UNTEX HQ PES, UNTEX VSS, UNTEX PP, UNTEX PES) made from 100% recycled polypropylene or polyester fibers, used as geotextiles in construction, cleaning textiles, and packaging protection layers. Includes flame-retardant (VSS) variant.
• MALIVLIES Stitched-Bonded Nonwoven Textiles Stitched-bonded nonwoven textiles made by Malivlies technology from 70% PES and 30% viscose, used for healthcare sorption applications, industrial insulation, and fashion/footwear. Weight range 120-260 g/m².
• MEPAR Aramid Protective Textiles Stitch-bonded textile made by Arachne technology from 50% meta aramid and 50% para aramid with aramid yarn. Non-flammable protective fabric for seats, special clothing, and industrial barriers. Weight 160-310 g/m².
• MEPOX M Protective Fabric Stitch-bonded textile made by Arachne technology from PAN cut fiber. Black non-flammable protective fabric for seats, special clothing, and industrial barriers. Weight 120-160 g/m².
• NONWEX Antibacterial Textiles Needle-punched nonwoven textiles with silver-based antibacterial effect (NONWEX AG30, NONWEX AG50) made from polypropylene fibers containing silver. Used in healthcare for medical mattresses, antibacterial sheets, and protective equipment.
• ARALAN Sorbent Fabric Universal sorbent fabric bonded by stitching yarn, made from 100% recycled fibers with PES stitching yarn. Hydrophilic and oleophilic with 10 kg oil sorption capacity per kg material.
• MALERVLIES Absorbent Fabric Universal absorbent fabric with non-slip and impermeable layer, needle-punched nonwoven laminated with anti-slip transparent PE foil. Made from 100% recycled fibers with sorption capacity 7 kg oil per 1 kg material.
• MATEX Footwear Textile Needle-punched nonwoven textile reinforced by applying a binder, made from 100% PES staple with PVAC or latex binders. Used in shoe manufacturing. Weight 290-600 g/m², width 160 cm.
• VUTEX Recycled Nonwoven Fabric Needle-punched nonwoven fabric strengthened mechanically and with PVAC binder, made from 100% recycled cotton and synthetic fibers. Used in furniture, plastic, and shoe industries. Weight 400-600 g/m².
• RONVAT Thermal Insulating Fabric Stitch-bonded nonwoven fabric made from 100% PES staple fibers with stitching cotton yarn and spunbond PP or PES cover fabric. Used as filling and thermal insulating fibrous layer. Weight 150-300 g/m².
• VAFIX Padding and Insulation Fleece Stitch-bonded nonwoven textile with both-side binder spray, made from 100% PES staple fibers and stitching PES yarn. Used as padding and insulation fleece. Weight 100-300 g/m².
• GEOSORP Construction Textile Needle-punched nonwoven textile laminated with black PE film, made from 100% polypropylene. Functions include separation, filtration, reinforcement, and sorption. Used in roads, railways, earthworks, foundations, and drainage. Weight 300-500 g/m².
• GEOCHRAN Construction Textile Needle-punched nonwoven textile laminated with black PE foil, made from polypropylene or polyester fibers (including recycled). Used for special construction applications. Weight 400-600 g/m².
• GETEX Separation Fabric Nonwoven textile from 100% recycled cotton and synthetic fibers. Used as separation fabric for temporary storage in construction industry. Weight 200-700 g/m².
• DILURET Automotive Interior Carpets Needle-punched nonwoven decorative, visual, and underlay carpet for automotive interiors. Made from PES, PP, PE staple fibers with latex binder, velouring, and shearing treatments. Delivered in rolls, formats, or die-cut pieces.
• VELOUR/VELURET Automotive Carpets Needle-punched nonwoven textile used for decorative and car floor carpets, roof panels, and door linings in automotive applications.
• FELT Automotive Sound Insulation Heavy needle-punched and airlay nonwoven for sound and anti-vibration insulation in automotive applications. Used for car hood, dashboard, undercarriages, and wheel mudguards insulation. Materials include PES, PP, PE staple fibers with LDPE/HDPE powder or self-adhesive treatment.
• FLAT Automotive Interior Textile Needle-punched nonwoven textile for automotive interior applications, including door and wall coverings.
• Envizol Train Rolling Stock Insulation Composite thermal and acoustic insulation material for rolling stock, made from recycled polyester fibres with fire-resistant treatment. Unique in Europe for its manufacturing method. Supplied for Škoda ForCity Plus tram vehicles in German cities (approximately 5,000 square meters total).
• Green Roof Substrate Material (Aquadesk) Patented cultivation and hydroaccumulation boards for green roofs made from recycled textiles (old sweatshirts and sweaters), enabling vegetation on lightweight roof structures. Used for planting and water retention on roofs with minimal substrate height. Licensed for use in Israel and other markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of processed raw materials are recycled
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• YOLITOminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYOLITO is the exclusive distributor for Retex products in Chile, covering the South American market. Located at Av. Las Condes 7090, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Suominen: Finnish nonwoven producer serving wipes, hygiene, and industrial markets. Comparable to Retex in nonwoven substrate manufacturing and in serving industrial B2B customers across Europe.
• Thrace Group: Greek manufacturer of technical nonwovens and geotextiles serving construction, agriculture, and industrial markets. Comparable to Retex in geotextile product lines and in needle-punched nonwoven technology.
• Fitesa: Global nonwoven fabric producer focused on hygiene, industrial, and specialty applications. Comparable to Retex in industrial nonwoven substrate manufacturing and needle-punched/spunmelt technologies, though with a larger hygiene focus.
• Freudenberg Performance Materials: Global nonwoven textile manufacturer serving automotive, construction, apparel, and hygiene end markets. Directly comparable to Retex in needle-punched nonwovens for automotive interiors, technical textiles, and recycled-content substrates, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Fibertex Nonwovens: Danish nonwoven manufacturer producing needle-punched and spunlace fabrics for automotive, construction, and industrial uses. Direct competitor in geotextiles and automotive nonwovens, with comparable European industrial customer profile.
• Avgol Nonwovens: Israeli-headquartered nonwoven manufacturer with global production serving hygiene, industrial, and specialty markets. Comparable to Retex in nonwoven production technology and in operating from a smaller home-market base with international expansion.
• TWE Group: European manufacturer of nonwoven textiles for automotive, construction, filtration, and industrial applications. Highly comparable to Retex in needle-punched nonwovens, automotive interior substrates, and geotextiles, with similar European customer base.
• Ahlstrom: Specialty fiber and nonwoven materials manufacturer serving filtration, construction, and industrial end markets. Overlaps with Retex in technical nonwovens, fiber-based insulation, and sustainability-driven product lines.
• Low & Bonar (now Freudenberg): Technical textiles manufacturer (acquired by Freudenberg) producing needle-punched nonwovens for construction, automotive, and industrial filtration. Direct overlap with Retex in geotextile and technical nonwoven applications.

Broad incumbents

• Johns Manville: Broad insulation and engineered products manufacturer owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Comparable to Retex in nonwoven insulation, acoustic, and filtration substrates, but operates at much greater scale across building, industrial, and transportation markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Retex