What Fabric Supply does

Fabric Supply Incorporated is a Minneapolis-based wholesale distributor founded in 1944 that supplies fabric, vinyl, upholstery supplies, carpet, fiber, and foam to manufacturers, upholsterers, and allied trades across the United States. The company operates from a 24,000 square foot warehouse in North Minneapolis (since the mid-1960s) and stocks 37 different foam types that it can custom-fabricate to customer specifications with same-day shipping on 95% of orders placed before 2PM. Its product portfolio is organized around canvas, vinyl, foam, fabric, leather goods, and supplies/tools, with strong positions in marine and outdoor fabrics (Top Gun, Top Notch, Odyssey, Sunbrella, Recacril) and a broad foam range spanning high-resilient, conventional, closed-cell, fabric-backed, and specialty foams.

The business model is a traditional wholesale distribution model with two go-to-market motions. The primary motion is sales-led, account-based B2B distribution to furniture manufacturers, automotive aftermarket, and marine fabricators across the U.S., with wholesale pricing gated behind a tax-ID-validated account. A secondary direct-to-consumer/craftsman motion runs through the same e-commerce site and the Upholsterer's Corner Flyer Specials section. Revenue is generated through product markups on bulk inventory purchases, with pricing largely quote-based for trade accounts and unit-priced for promotional SKUs (e.g., Aqua-Tite at $41.50/quart). The company has been privately held since 1992 (under the Heineman family via a management buyout from Airtex Corporation) and since 2017 under Randy and Jen Oelschlager, with no external investors, no funding rounds, and no app, API, or AI product surface.

Name

Fabric Supply

Legal name

Fabric Supply Incorporated

Website

https://fabricsupply.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fabric Supply is a Minneapolis-based wholesale distributor founded in 1944 that supplies fabric, vinyl, foam, carpet, and upholstery supplies to furniture, automotive, and marine manufacturers across the United States, with same-day custom foam fabrication from 37 stocked foam types.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Upholstery Supplies Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Textiles & Fabric / Piece Goods Wholesale (CRAOADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Textiles, Fabrics, Trims & Components Suppliers (CRAAAAAL)

Keywords

• Wholesale upholstery supplies
• Fabric distribution
• Foam fabrication services
• Marine canvas supply
• Automotive upholstery materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Material Sales: Sale of fabric, vinyl, upholstery supplies, carpet, fiber and foam to manufacturing and upholstery companies. Products sold at wholesale pricing to verified trade customers. Revenue generated through product markups on bulk inventory purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Fabric Supply is a wholesale distributor of fabric, vinyl, foam, carpet, fiber, and upholstery supplies serving furniture manufacturers, automotive aftermarket companies, and marine fabricators across the United States. The company stocks 37 different foam types at its 24,000 square foot Minneapolis warehouse and provides same-day custom foam fabrication with same-day shipping on 95% of orders placed before 2 PM. It also distributes premium outdoor and marine fabrics from brand partners including Marlen Textiles (Top Gun, Top Notch, Odyssey, Softouch, Aqua-Tite), Glen Raven (Sunbrella), and Recasens USA (Recacril).

Product overview

Fabric Supply is a wholesale distributor serving the furniture, automotive, and marine industries with a comprehensive product portfolio. The company offers canvas products including Top Gun (standard, 9, 1S, 2 Meter, FR, Vision variants), Top Notch (standard, 7, 9, 1S), Odyssey, Softouch, Sunbrella Marine Canvas, Aqualon/Dockside, Vivatex Army Duck, Surlast, and Recacril; foam products including High Resilient Foam, Conventional Foam, Closed Cell Foam, Fabric Backed Foam, Specialty Foam, and Special Purchase Foam; upholstery supplies and tools; thread products including Sunguard Polyester Thread; and vinyl products including Vinyl Short Cuts. The company differentiates through same-day foam fabrication capabilities (37 foam types) and same-day shipping on 95% of orders. Founded in 1944, the company is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Canvas Fabric Product Line Wholesale canvas and marine fabrics including Top Gun (standard, 9, 1S, 2 Meter, FR, Vision variants), Top Notch (standard, 7, 9, 1S), Odyssey, Softouch, Sunbrella Marine Canvas, Aqualon/Dockside, Vivatex Army Duck, Surlast All Weather Fabric, and Recacril Canvas, used for marine tops, covers, tarps, awnings, outdoor furniture, and boat covers.
• Foam Product Line Wholesale foam products including High Resilient Foam (HR-12, HR-18, HR-24, HR-2036, HR-2245, HR-2530, HR-2540, HR-2550, HR-3133, HR-70), Conventional Foam, Closed Cell Foam (Microfoam, Volara, Neoprene, Dynaflex), Fabric Backed Foam, Specialty Foam (Shredded, Drain-Dri, Round Bolsters, Foam Roll Stock), and Special Purchase Foam for furniture, marine, and automotive upholstery applications.
• Vinyl Short Cuts
• Upholstery Supplies and Tools Wholesale range of upholstery supplies and tools including adhesives, aerosols, automotive products, buttons, clips, fasteners, decorative trim, fiber, furniture legs, hook and loop, leather cleaning products, marine accessories, needles, pillow forms, staples, staplers, thread, hand tools, power tools, zippers, and webbing accessories.
• Sunguard Polyester Thread Polyester thread (size 92) on 4oz spool that resists deterioration from sunlight, mildew, and atmospheric acids, designed for outdoor use on canvas, umbrellas, awnings, boat cushions, convertible tops, tarpaulin, and outdoor furniture.
• Foam Fabrication Services Same-day in-house foam fabrication service that cuts almost any dimension from 37 different foam types stocked at the Minneapolis warehouse, with same-day shipping on 95% of orders placed before 2 PM.

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day shipping on 95% of orders placed before 2PM
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered historical, core and minor.

• Expanded Vinyl Mill (South America)historicalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984In 1984, Fabric Supply sent representatives to Columbia, South America to create an alliance with a major expanded vinyl mill that still exists today.
• Maslan Duran Vinyl CompanyhistoricalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1956In 1956, Fabric Supply became a full line distributor of 'supported' vinyls for Maslan Duran Company.
• Maslan Duran Vinyl CompanyhistoricalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1946Maslan Duran vinyl company partnership established in 1946, marking Fabric Supply's first major distribution relationship. Fabric Supply became a distributor for Maslan Duran vinyl products and began distributing jute burlap to the local upholstery trade.
• Marlen TextilescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFabric Supply distributes Marlen Textiles brands including TOP NOTCH, TOP GUN, ODYSSEY, SOFTOUCH, Top Gun Vision, and Aqua-Tite products. These are premium outdoor fabric and water repellent brands.
• Glen Raven, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFabric Supply distributes Sunbrella brand marine canvas, a registered trademark of Glen Raven, Inc. Sunbrella is a well-known acrylic material for marine applications.
• Recasens USAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFabric Supply distributes Recacril brand canvas, registered to Recasens USA. Recacril is a solution-dyed acrylic fabric for marine applications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Jo-Ann Stores: Jo-Ann is a broad incumbent: the largest US specialty retailer of fabrics, sewing supplies, and upholstery materials serving DIY and craft consumers. Overlaps with Fabric Supply on product categories but serves a fundamentally different (B2C) channel with no foam fabrication service.
• Michaels Companies: Michaels is a broad incumbent in the craft and hobby retail space, with some fabric and DIY upholstery adjacency. Comparable as a large, established channel participant but operates in a substantially different retail craft niche.
• Amazon (Home & Fabric Category): Amazon's fabric, foam, and upholstery supply assortment represents a broad incumbent that increasingly serves small manufacturers and DIY consumers online. Comparable as a competitive channel for distribution, though it competes on breadth and price rather than service depth.

Direct peers

• Decorator's Best: Decorator's Best is a direct peer: a wholesale distributor of designer upholstery fabrics, trims, and supplies serving interior designers and workrooms, overlapping with Fabric Supply's wholesale trade customers in the furniture and upholstery channel.
• OnlineFabricStore: OnlineFabricStore is a direct peer operating as an online wholesale and retail fabric and home décor marketplace, serving both DIY and small upholstery customers — comparable in channel strategy to Fabric Supply's e-commerce wholesale model.
• Sailrite: Sailrite is a direct peer: a wholesale and retail supplier of marine canvas, outdoor fabrics, foam, and upholstery tools serving DIY boaters, marine upholsterers, and small manufacturers with a strong e-commerce and catalog model — directly comparable to Fabric Supply on product mix and customer base.
• Canvas Etc. Canvas Etc. is a direct peer distributing marine canvas, outdoor fabrics, and upholstery materials to OEMs, marine shops, and DIY customers — directly comparable to Fabric Supply's canvas and marine product lines.
• Greenhouse Fabrics: Greenhouse Fabrics is a direct peer: a wholesale distributor of upholstery fabrics and vinyls serving furniture manufacturers, workrooms, and interior designers — overlapping closely with Fabric Supply's furniture industry customers and product portfolio.
• Foam Factory: Foam Factory is a direct peer specializing in custom-cut foam and foam products sold direct to consumers, upholsterers, and small manufacturers. Comparable to Fabric Supply's foam fabrication service across dozens of foam types, though with a stronger DTC posture.
• FoamOnline: FoamOnline is a direct peer specializing in custom-cut foam products for upholstery, marine, and seating applications — directly competing with Fabric Supply's foam fabrication offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FabricSupplyIncorporated
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fabric-supply-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Fabric Supply