Top 10 Best Textile Manufacturers in Boston

Boston's Textile Heritage

The American Industrial Revolution began in the river valleys around Boston. In the early nineteenth century, the Boston Manufacturing Company in Waltham created one of the first integrated textile mills in the country, and investors known as the Boston Associates built the mill cities of Lowell and Lawrence. For more than a century, Massachusetts was a global center of cloth production.

Although much traditional textile manufacturing moved elsewhere, the region's expertise did not disappear. Today, Greater Boston is home to companies producing high-performance fabrics, filtration media, technical textiles, and smart materials. These manufacturers combine a proud heritage with advanced research and engineering.

The Modern Textile Industry

Modern textile manufacturing in Massachusetts focuses on specialized, high-value products. These include performance fabrics for outdoor apparel, nonwoven materials for filtration and medical uses, fabrics for military and protective equipment, and advanced fibers with embedded electronics. Universities and research institutes support innovation in fiber science and sustainable materials.

The Top 10 Textile Manufacturers in Boston

1. Polartec

Polartec, with deep roots in the Merrimack Valley, is famous for inventing modern synthetic fleece. It produces performance fabrics used by outdoor brands, military organizations, and athletes worldwide, with a growing focus on recycled and sustainable materials.

2. Hollingsworth & Vose

Hollingsworth & Vose, based in East Walpole, is one of the oldest family-owned manufacturers in the United States. It produces advanced nonwoven materials and filtration media used in air and liquid filtration, batteries, and industrial applications.

3. New Balance

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, is one of the few major athletic brands that still manufactures footwear in the United States, including at factories in Massachusetts. Its domestic production involves textile cutting, stitching, and assembly, supporting skilled manufacturing jobs in the region.

4. Duro Textiles

Duro Textiles, based in Fall River, provides dyeing, printing, and finishing services for fabrics used in apparel, home furnishings, and military applications. It is known for technical finishing capabilities that add performance features to fabrics.

5. Merrow

Merrow, also based in Fall River, has a long history in industrial sewing machines and textile finishing. The company manufactures specialized machines and has expanded into producing finished textile products, carrying forward a long tradition of New England sewing innovation.

6. Advanced Functional Fabrics of America

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, known as AFFOA, is a Cambridge-based Manufacturing USA institute focused on developing fabrics with embedded electronics, sensors, and new capabilities. It brings together universities, manufacturers, and government partners to commercialize next-generation textiles.

7. Ministry of Supply

Ministry of Supply is a Boston-born apparel brand founded by MIT graduates. It designs performance professional clothing using advanced textile technologies, including on-demand three-dimensional knitting that reduces waste and enables customization.

8. Brahmin

Brahmin, headquartered in Fairhaven near New Bedford, designs and manufactures leather handbags and accessories. The company maintains a strong connection to New England craftsmanship and production.

9. Velcro Companies

Velcro Companies has major operations in New England and manufactures hook-and-loop fasteners and other textile-based fastening solutions. Its products are used in apparel, healthcare, automotive, and aerospace applications.

10. Saint-Gobain ADFORS

Saint-Gobain has a significant research and manufacturing presence in Massachusetts. Its ADFORS business produces technical textiles and glass fiber reinforcement fabrics used in construction, insulation, and industrial products.

Textile Industry Trends

Sustainability is reshaping the textile industry. Manufacturers are using recycled fibers, reducing water and chemical use, and designing products for circularity. Smart textiles that monitor health, regulate temperature, or communicate data are emerging from research labs. Reshoring is another trend, as brands seek shorter supply chains and greater resilience. Massachusetts manufacturers benefit from proximity to research institutions and defense customers that value domestic production.

How to Work with Textile Manufacturers

Brands and businesses seeking manufacturing partners should evaluate capabilities, minimum order quantities, certifications, and sustainability practices. Working with local manufacturers can provide faster turnaround, easier collaboration, and greater quality control. Many companies also offer prototyping and product development support.

Research and Education Supporting the Industry

Massachusetts textile manufacturers benefit from strong research partnerships. MIT researchers work on fibers with embedded sensors and computing capabilities, while the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has long supported textile science and materials engineering. Defense research organizations in the region also invest in protective fabrics and soldier systems. These collaborations help manufacturers develop new products, attract skilled workers, and compete in high-value markets where performance matters more than low cost.

Workforce training programs are also helping a new generation learn technical sewing, machine operation, and quality control, ensuring that the region's manufacturing knowledge is passed forward.

Many former mill buildings in Lowell, Lawrence, and Fall River have also been adapted into innovation spaces, studios, and light manufacturing facilities, linking the region's industrial past to its creative future.

Final Thoughts

Boston's textile story spans two centuries, from the first mills of the Industrial Revolution to today's smart fabrics. The ten companies above show how the region continues to innovate in materials and manufacturing. For brands, designers, and engineers, Greater Boston remains a valuable place to source, develop, and produce advanced textiles.