Sutherland Felt Company

What Sutherland Felt Company does

Sutherland Felt Company is a privately held industrial felt manufacturer and distributor founded in 1902 and headquartered in Madison Heights, Michigan. The company produces and inventories wool felt (SAE grades F-1 through F-26), needle-punched wool, polyester felt, PET felt, eco-felt, stiff felt, and filtration felt, operating one of the largest felt inventories in North America across 70,000+ square feet with over 500,000 yards of anti-squeak/rattle felt held in stock for the automotive sector. Its core offerings span raw felt materials sold by the yard or slit to width, fabricated products including crate lining felt, felt dots, squeegees, tape/stripping, and CNC cutting pads, and an architectural felt sub-brand portfolio (Designer Board Felt, Pure Felt, Eco-Lux Poly Felt) in 33-35 colors.

The company's underlying technology platform centers on industrial fabrication rather than software: two Gerber Paragon CNC cutting tables using AutoCAD-driven nesting software, heat-activated adhesive coating to 400°F via program-driven pinch rollers, computerized roll slitting to 0.625" widths, die cutting, and kiss cutting. Sutherland is an authorized 3M adhesive distributor and stocks adhesive systems from Avery, JDC, Sekisui, 3F, and CCT, allowing it to deliver spec-matched adhesive-backed felt qualified to DaimlerChrysler, GM, and Ford automotive specifications, with ISO 9001 certification and annual FMVSS302 flammability testing.

Revenue is generated primarily through unit-priced material sales and custom fabrication services, with a $100 minimum on direct inquiries and lower minimums via the thefeltcompany.com e-commerce storefront for SMB and consumer buyers. The go-to-market is sales-led across phone, email, and quote-request forms, serving six primary customer segments: automotive (anti-squeak/rattle, primary), architectural/design, equestrian/saddlery, furniture/floor protection, converting/die cutting, and broader industrial applications such as steel wiping and filtration.

Name

Sutherland Felt Company

Legal name

Sutherland Felt Company

Website

https://sutherlandfelt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sutherland Felt Company is a Michigan-based industrial felt manufacturer and distributor producing wool, polyester, and PET felts plus custom fabrication services for automotive, architectural, industrial, equestrian, and furniture customers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Felt Manufacturing

NAICS

Textile Furnishings Mills (3141), Narrow Fabric Mills and Schiffli Machine Embroidery (31322)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Textile Products (2390), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Felt & Battings Manufacturing (IMAOABAJ)

Keywords

• Industrial felt supply
• Wool felt manufacturing
• Polyester felt products
• Custom felt fabrication
• Automotive anti-squeak felt

Headquarters

HQ city

Michigan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Felt Material Sales: Sale of wool felt, polyester felt, and PET felt materials by the yard, slit to width, or as cut parts. Primary revenue stream from inventory-based product sales with varying thickness, density, and color options.
2. Custom Fabrication Services: CNC cutting, adhesive coating, roll slitting, die cutting, and kiss cutting services for custom felt parts. Turnaround typically 24-48 hours for standard orders.
3. Adhesive-Laminated Felt Products: Supply of press-ready felt laminated with adhesive of choice, slit to width, sold in full width logs or as slit rolls.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sutherland Felt Company manufactures and supplies industrial felt products including wool felt (pressed and needle punched), polyester felt, PET felt, and Eco Felt materials, as well as custom fabricated felt parts. The company also provides value-added fabrication services such as CNC cutting, adhesive coating, roll slitting, die cutting, and kiss cutting for customers across automotive, architectural, equestrian, and industrial markets.

Product overview

Sutherland Felt Company is an industrial felt supplier offering a broad portfolio of felt materials and fabricated products. The core offering consists of various felt materials (SAE Wool Felt, Polyester Felt, Needle Punched Wool, Eco Felt, Stiff Felt, Filtration Felt) which serve as the foundational raw materials. These materials are transformed into finished products including Crate Lining Felt, Felt Dots/Floor Protection Pads, Felt Squeegees, Felt Tape & Stripping, and CNC Cutting Pads. Specialized sub-brands include Designer Board Felt (60% recycled PET, 35 colors), Pure-Felt (100% wool, 35 colors), and Eco-Lux Poly Felt (recycled polyester, 33 colors). The company provides fabrication services including CNC cutting, adhesive coating, roll slitting, die cutting, and kiss cutting. Markets served include automotive (anti-squeak/rattle), architectural/design, furniture/floor protection, equestrian/saddlery, steel wiping, and filtration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Designer Board Felt: Made from 60% recycled PET fiber, available in 35 colors for architectural and acoustic applications. Sheets are 48" x 96" x 9.5mm thick.
• Pure Felt
• Eco-Lux Poly Felt
• Tuf-Cut

Products and services

• Crate Lining Felt White polyester felt used to line crates and protect valuable exhibit and trade show displays. Available with or without adhesive backing, in widths from 1/2 inch to 54 inches and thicknesses of 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch. Targeted at trade show builders and exhibitors.
• Felt Dots / Floor Protection Pads Kiss-cut felt circles for furniture, craft, and general padding/protection applications. Available in black or white, diameters from 0.25 inch to 3+ inches, plain or adhesive backed. Sold to furniture manufacturers, schools, and individual consumers.
• Felt Squeegees High-density wool felt squeegees for sign, graphics, and automotive industries. Used to apply digital prints or specialty vinyl without scratching. Available in various shapes and sizes, with optional one-, two-, or three-color logo printing.
• Felt Tape and Stripping Pre-cut felt stripping available with or without adhesive backing. Used for weather stripping, window channels, vibration dampening, lubrication, seals, and gaskets. Over 1,000,000 feet in stock, slittable to 1/8 inch widths.
• CNC Cutting Pads Sacrificial cutting pads and mats for flatbed CNC, vinyl cutters, and XY cutters. Heat-set breathable material in various sizes including 5 feet by 10 feet by 0.110 inch and 4 feet by 5 feet by 0.125 inch.
• SAE Wool Felt 100% wool pressed felt available in natural (cream) Australian/New Zealand wool and grey South American (Uruguay) wool. Manufactured per SAE standards F-1 through F-26, with various densities and thicknesses from 1/8 inch to 1 inch. Sold by the yard, slit to width, or as cut parts.
• Needle Punched Wool Felt Low-cost alternative to pressed wool, made by vertically needling fibers together. Available in thicknesses from 1/8 inch up to 1 inch. Includes F-15N and F-26N grades, with needle-punched equivalents to SAE grade F-3 and F-7.
• Polyester Felt Synthetic needle-punched felt made from virgin polyester fibers or recycled plastics. Available in black or white, with thicknesses from 0.020 inch to 2 inch and densities from 100 GSM to 1628 GSM. Used for anti-squeak, floor protection, weather stripping, filtration, and more.
• Eco Felt 100% natural tan wool, minimally processed right off the sheep. Low-cost alternative to SAE pressed wool, available in 7 thicknesses from 1/8 inch to 1 inch. Used for saddle pads, insulation, and stuffing.
• Stiff Felt Firm polyester sheets made from low-melt fiber with a heat-pressed, board-like feel. Available in 48 inch by 60 inch sheets, in 1/8 inch (32 oz) and 1/4 inch (59 oz) thicknesses. Used for floor protection, spacers, cutting table surfaces, and pin boards.
• Filtration Felt Polyester and polypropylene filtration felts for liquid and air filtration markets. Micron ratings from 1 to 200 microns available.
• Architectural Felt Line (Designer Board Felt, Pure Felt, Eco-Lux Poly Felt) Architectural felt line comprising Designer Board Felt (60% recycled PET, 48 inch by 96 inch by 9.5mm sheets, 35 colors, ASTM E84 Class A), Pure Felt (100% Australian wool, 72 inch wide by 3mm, 35 colors), and Eco-Lux Poly Felt (100% post-consumer recycled polyester, 60 inch wide, 33 colors, 3.5mm thickness). Used for wall panels, ceiling coverings, and acoustic control applications.
• Anti-Squeak / Anti-Rattle Felt Thin-gauge polyester felt for automotive applications, supplied in rolls with or without PSA adhesive. Thicknesses from 0.5mm to 6mm, widths from 0.5mm to 60 inch. FMVSS302 tested annually. Over 500,000 yards in stock.
• Saddle Pad Material Wool and polyester felt for equestrian saddle pad applications. Available in F-10, F-11, and F-15N grades in various thicknesses from 1/2 inch to 1 inch.
• Felt Fabrication Services Custom fabrication services including CNC cutting (Gerber Paragon, up to 72 inch wide by unlimited length), adhesive lamination (heat-activated up to 400 degrees F, cold bonding), roll slitting (down to 1/8 inch widths), die cutting, and kiss cutting. Most orders ship within 24-48 hours; in-stock items within 24 hours.

Quantifiable outcome

• In-stock items ship within 24 hours; most orders ship within 24-48 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 3McoreTechnology or IntegrationSutherland Felt is an authorized 3M adhesive distributor, stocking a wide variety of PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive) products including 3M 6035PC, 3M 9490LE, and 3M 9672LE acrylic adhesives. This partnership enables automotive-grade adhesive specification compliance with Daimler Chrysler, GM, and Ford specifications.
• Gerber ScientificcoreTechnology or IntegrationOperates Gerber Paragon CNC cutting systems - high tech computerized dieless knife cutting tables for cutting soft and semi-rigid materials. Uses AutoCAD files with sophisticated nesting software.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Atlas Felt & Supply: Industrial felt supplier and converter offering wool felt, polyester felt, and pressure-sensitive adhesive laminated parts. Directly comparable in product mix, automotive focus, and custom fabrication services model.
• American Felt & Filter Company: Wool and synthetic felt manufacturer serving industrial, filtration, and craft markets for over a century. Comparable in longevity, broad felt product range, and custom fabrication services including die cutting and slitting.
• Aetna Felt Corp: Manufacturer and fabricator of industrial wool felt, technical felt, and felt components for industrial and consumer applications. Directly comparable as a custom felt fabricator serving automotive and industrial customers.
• Continental Felt Company: Industrial felt manufacturer producing wool felt, synthetic felt, and fabricated felt parts for filtration, gasketing, and NVH applications. Comparable product breadth and overlap in automotive and converting end-markets.
• National Felt Company: Industrial wool felt and synthetic felt manufacturer and converter serving automotive, acoustic, and industrial end-markets across North America. Directly comparable as a mid-sized felt producer with overlapping SKU coverage, custom slitting, and die-cut services.
• Filtration Felt Company: Specialty producer of needle punched and woven filtration felts in polyester, polypropylene, and wool. Directly comparable on the filtration felt SKU line within Sutherland's product mix.
• Felters Group: Long-established US industrial felt and synthetic nonwoven producer (formerly Felters of the South) serving automotive, aerospace, and industrial markets. Comparable as a vertically integrated felt manufacturer with similar wool/polyester/Spunfab product lines and die-cut conversion capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• 3M: Diversified industrial materials and adhesives conglomerate; Sutherland is an authorized 3M adhesive distributor. Overlap is principally as a supply partner and as a broad materials competitor to architectural and industrial felt applications.
• Filtration Group - Felt / Menardi: Established industrial filtration felt and filter media producer serving high-volume dust collection and liquid filtration markets. Comparable as an industrial filtration felt supplier, but operating at a meaningfully larger scale than Sutherland's filtration line.
• Ahlstrom: Global specialty nonwoven and industrial textile manufacturer producing filtration, construction, and décor nonwovens. Comparable at the materials level for filtration and architectural felt-adjacent product lines, but at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 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 Sutherland Felt Company