LES 4 F
LES 4 F (4F Knits) is a French B2B textile manufacturer founded in 1998 that designs and produces technical, sustainable knitted fabrics for workwear, PPE, and corporate image garment makers, headquartered in Nancy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersNancy, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What LES 4 F does
LES 4 F, operating commercially as 4F Knits (and DBA 4F FRANCE, 4F KNITS, PERFORMANCE), is a French textile manufacturer founded in 1998 and headquartered at 8 rue du Sergent Blandan, Nancy, France. The company designs and produces technical knitted fabrics for B2B customers in three primary end-use segments: corporate image/branding apparel, personal protective equipment (PPE), and professional workwear. Its portfolio is organized into four product ranges (IMAGE, TECHNIQUE, WORKWEAR, ACCESSOIRES) and ten proprietary yarn sub-brands including Cotton Club, Thermolife, Infinity, Natura, 2Life, Lyocell, Seaqual, Negastat, PowerShell, and Protex.
4F's manufacturing capability is centered on inherent functionalization—building fire-resistant, antistatic, electric arc, high-visibility, and thermal-comfort properties into the fiber rather than via surface treatments—and on eco-design using recycled and natural inputs, a program that began in 2008 and now spans over 100 product references. Quality control and R&D validation are managed through the internal 4F LAB, which performs surface and mechanical resistance, washing, and color-fastness testing, with capacity for approximately 20 advanced development projects per year; the lab is positioned to serve external partners and customers. The company holds a stack of differentiated certifications: ISO 9001 (through September 2028), ISO 26000 (first French textile company, 2010), Origine France Garantie (first knitter, 2015), and Oeko-Tex.
The business model is B2B direct sales: knitted fabrics are sold by weight (tons) to garment manufacturers and workwear producers via a dedicated "Service commercial / Performance" sales channel; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is understood to be negotiated by specification and volume. Distribution is international in scope, with confirmed active markets in France and Germany and a stated global customer footprint. Marketing relies on the corporate website (4f-knits.com), a secondary brand domain (perfo-textile.com), LinkedIn presence, and trade-fair participation including ENFORCE TAC. 4F is a private company affiliated with the Infinity Group under manager Igor Fosseux, with no disclosed funding rounds or ownership percentages and headcount reported in the 11–50 range.
LES 4 F firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LES 4 F
- Legal name
- 4F
- Website
- https://4f-knits.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- LES 4 F (4F Knits) is a French B2B textile manufacturer founded in 1998 that designs and produces technical, sustainable knitted fabrics for workwear, PPE, and corporate image garment makers, headquartered in Nancy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LES 4 F industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Technical Knitted Textiles
- NAICS
- Textile Product Mills (314)
- SIC
- Knitting Mills (2250)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Knitwear & Sweaters Manufacturers (CRAAAAAJ)
Keywords
Where LES 4 F is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nancy
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
LES 4 F business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Technical knitted fabrics sales: 4F generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of technical knitted fabrics to B2B customers in workwear, PPE, and corporate image industries. Products are sold by the ton as materials that customers use to create finished garments. The company offers multiple product ranges (IMAGE, TECHNICAL, WORKWEAR, ACCESSORIES) and manages yarn brands (Cotton Club, Natura, 2life, Infinity, Thermolife, Lyocell, Seaqual, Negastat, PowerShell, Protex).
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
LES 4 F product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LES 4 F (also operating as 4F Knits / 4F FRANCE) designs, develops, and manufactures technical and sustainable knitted fabrics for industrial customers. Its offering is structured in four product ranges (IMAGE, TECHNIQUE, WORKWEAR, ACCESSOIRES) covering corporate image, PPE/protective, everyday workwear, and garment accessories, supported by branded yarn lines (Cotton Club, Thermolife, Infinity, Natura, 2life, Lyocell, Seaqual, Negastat, PowerShell, Protex). The company also operates 4F LAB, an internal laboratory that validates R&D and provides quality control and third-party textile testing services.
Product overview
LES 4 F is a French textile manufacturer founded in 1998, specializing in sustainable technical knitted fabrics. The company operates a single unified product portfolio organized into four product ranges: GAMME IMAGE (high durability fabrics for corporate branding), GAMME TECHNIQUE (technical protective fabrics for PPE), GAMME WORKWEAR (comfortable sustainable workwear fabrics), and GAMME ACCESSOIRES (garment accessories). Supporting these ranges are ten specialized yarn sub-brands including COTTON CLUB, INFINITY, NATURA, 2LIFE, LYOCELL, SEAQUAL, THERMOLIFE, NEGA-STAT, POWERSHELL, and PROTEX, which provide specific material properties from recycled content to fire resistance. The company also operates 4F LAB, an internal laboratory for quality control and R&D testing. All products are manufactured in France with a focus on eco-design and circular economy principles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cotton Club: Brand for corporate image knitted fabrics
- Infinity
- Natura
- 2Life
- Lyocell
- Seaqual
- Thermolife
- 4F LAB
- PROTEX
- NEGA-STAT
- POWERSHELL
Products and services
- GAMME IMAGE (Corporate Image Range)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 eco-design product references developed since 2008
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use LES 4 F
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LES 4 F technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
LES 4 F partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered notable and minor.
- Rotary Club of Nancy MajorellenotablePartnership in the Polaire Mendès project for producing fleece jackets from recycled materials for homeless people. The Rotary Club of Nancy Majorelle took over the project and provided organizational support and funding coordination.
- BragardnotableBragard coordinated the manufacturing of fleece jackets in the Polaire Mendès project. Based in Epinal, they coordinated production including work in reintegration workshops.
- Des Femmes en Fil (Nantes)minorSocial reintegration association in Nantes that carried out part of the fleece manufacturing in reintegration workshops, particularly for women in social exclusion.
- Textile AlsaceminorRegional textile industry association member. 4F is listed as a member on their website.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
LES 4 F competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Schoeller Textil: Schoeller Textil is a Swiss manufacturer of technical knitted and woven textiles for sportswear, workwear, and protective applications. Comparable to 4F for its emphasis on innovation in functional knitted fabrics, including protective and high-performance finishes.
- Lauffenmühle: Lauffenmühle is a German manufacturer of technical textiles, including protective and workwear fabrics, with a long industrial heritage. Comparable to 4F as a European mid-sized technical fabric producer focused on protective and functional textile applications.
- Concordia Textiles: Concordia Textiles is a Belgian manufacturer of technical textiles for workwear, healthcare, and industrial applications. Comparable to 4F in serving European B2B workwear and protective-garment converters with certified technical fabrics.
- Carrington Textiles: Carrington Textiles is a UK-based manufacturer of workwear, protective, and corporate-image fabrics with a multi-decade European footprint. Highly comparable to 4F in target end-markets (workwear, defense, PPE) and B2B sales motion to garment converters.
- Klopman International: Klopman International is one of Europe's largest producers of woven and knitted technical fabrics for workwear, PPE, and corporate uniforms. Closely comparable to 4F as a B2B technical fabric supplier serving workwear and PPE converters across Europe with similar product positioning.
- Sinterama: Sinterama is an Italian producer of technical yarns and fabrics for automotive, workwear, and protective applications. Comparable to 4F as a European technical textile specialist supplying B2B customers in industrial and protective end-uses.
Broad incumbents
- TenCate Protective Fabrics: TenCate Protective Fabrics is a long-established producer of inherently flame-resistant and protective textiles for defense, industrial, and emergency-response end-uses. Comparable to 4F in the inherent-protection technology space but operates at a much broader, incumbent scale than 4F.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
LES 4 F social profiles
Digital presenceLES 4 F compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
LES 4 F financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LES 4 F leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
LES 4 F funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LES 4 F 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 LES 4 F
What does LES 4 F do?
LES 4 F (also operating as 4F Knits / 4F FRANCE) designs, develops, and manufactures technical and sustainable knitted fabrics for industrial customers. Its offering is structured in four product ranges (IMAGE, TECHNIQUE, WORKWEAR, ACCESSOIRES) covering corporate image, PPE/protective, everyday workwear, and garment accessories, supported by branded yarn lines (Cotton Club, Thermolife, Infinity, Natura, 2life, Lyocell, Seaqual, Negastat, PowerShell, Protex). The company also operates 4F LAB, an internal laboratory that validates R&D and provides quality control and third-party textile testing services.
Is LES 4 F a public or private company?
LES 4 F is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was LES 4 F founded?
LES 4 F was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LES 4 F based?
LES 4 F is headquartered in Nancy, France, in the Europe region.
How does LES 4 F make money?
One revenue line is on record: technical knitted fabrics sales.
Who are LES 4 F's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Schoeller Textil, Lauffenmühle, Concordia Textiles, Carrington Textiles, Klopman International and Sinterama. TenCate Protective Fabrics is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does LES 4 F have an API?
No public API is recorded for LES 4 F.
What industry is LES 4 F in?
LES 4 F's product category is Technical Knitted Textiles. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAAAJ, Knitwear & Sweaters Manufacturers. Its NAICS code is 314 and its SIC code is 2250.