Textiles are everywhere—from the clothes we wear and the sheets we sleep in to industrial applications like geotextiles and filtration fabrics. But behind every fabric is a complex process involving different facilities—namely textile mills and textile factories. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they represent different stages of textile production.
Understanding the distinction between textile mills vs. textile factories and how they fit into the textile manufacturing process is essential for anyone involved in fashion, home goods, industrial textiles, or supply chain management.
This blog explores what textile mills and factories are, how they differ, their role in textile manufacturing, and examples of key players in each category.
A textile mill is a facility that processes raw fibers (natural or synthetic) into yarn and fabric. It focuses on upstream activities in the textile supply chain such as:
Many mills also include support systems like water treatment units, fiber storage, and pollution control equipment.
Key Differentiator: A textile mill focuses on raw material transformation, not final product assembly.
A textile factory is a facility that takes pre-made fabrics and assembles them into finished textile goods. Its processes involve:
Textile factories produce items like garments, home linens, and technical fabrics. They are part of the downstream production chain.
Textile mills typically refer to facilities that specialize in a specific stage of textile production—such as spinning, weaving, or dyeing. They often focus on raw material processing into yarn or fabric.
Textile factories is a broader term that can refer to any facility involved in producing textiles or finished textile goods, including garment manufacturing, textile printing, or nonwoven production.
In short:
A textile mill is usually a specialized production unit within the textile supply chain.
A textile factory can refer to any manufacturing site related to textiles, including mills, apparel factories, and finishing plants.
The textile industry encompasses the entire journey from fiber to finished product. (→ Learn more in our full blog on Textile Manufacturing)
Here’s how the stages are typically divided:
These processes transform raw fibers into usable fabric.
(→ Explore our blog on Textile Fibers)
Fiber → Yarn
Blow Room
Carding
Combing
Ring Spinning
Yarn → Fabric
Weaving: Interlacing warp and weft yarns
Knitting: Forming loops (weft or warp knitting)
Most mills are non-integrated, meaning they outsource dyeing and finishing to specialized facilities.
Fiber → Yarn: Blow room → carding → combing → ring spinning
Yarn → Fabric: Weaving (warp/weft interlacing) or knitting (loop formation)
Feature: Non-Integrated, Most outsource dyeing/finishing
These turn fabric into consumer-ready or industrial products. (→ Read more in our guide to Textile Fabrics)
Design → pattern making → cutting → sewing
Dyeing/printing → finishing (e.g., mercerizing)
Feature:Labor-Intensive: Emphasis on assembly-line workflows
1. Ermenegildo Zegna Wool Mill
Founded: 1910
Location: Trivero, Italy
Main Products: Luxury wool and cashmere fabrics and yarns
Profile: A world-renowned Italian mill known for producing some of the finest merino wool fabrics. Zegna controls the process from raw material sourcing to final fabric finishing, ensuring top-tier quality for luxury menswear.
2. Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC)
Founded: 1663
Location: Biella, Italy
Main Products: Worsted wool fabrics for suiting
Profile: With over 350 years of history, VBC is one of the oldest fabric mills in the world. Known for its innovation and tradition, it supplies premium fabrics to luxury brands globally, especially for bespoke tailoring.
3. Harrisons of Edinburgh
Founded: 1863
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Main Products: Woolen and worsted cloths for tailoring
Profile: A historic British mill specializing in traditional British worsteds, tweeds, and flannels. A preferred supplier to bespoke tailors worldwide, Harrison’s fabrics are prized for heritage and craftsmanship.
7 Modern Textile Mills
4. Arvind Limited – Cotton Textile & Denim Mill
Founded: 1931
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Main Products: Denim, cotton fabrics, shirting
Profile: One of India’s largest textile conglomerates, Arvind is a global leader in denim and sustainable cotton textiles, supplying brands like Levi’s, Gap, and Tommy Hilfiger.
5. Parkdale Mills – Spinning Mill
Founded: 1916
Location: North Carolina, USA
Main Products: Cotton and synthetic yarns
Profile: One of the largest cotton yarn manufacturers in the world, Parkdale operates dozens of advanced spinning mills and supplies fiber to major apparel producers in the Americas.
6. Toray Textiles Europe – Synthetic Fiber Mill
Founded: 1999 (Europe division)
Location: Nottingham, UK (HQ in Japan)
Main Products: Polyester, nylon, microfiber textiles
Profile: A division of Japan’s Toray Group, this mill produces technical and synthetic fabrics for sportswear, uniforms, medical use, and industrial applications.
7. Textile Dyeing & Finishing Co. Ltd. (TDFCL) – Dyeing & Finishing Mill
Founded: 1992
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Main Products: Fabric dyeing, printing, finishing for knit/woven goods
Profile:A key partner for global fashion retailers, offering eco-friendly dyeing and finishing processes that meet OEKO-TEX and GOTS standards.
8. Sandex Nonwoven – Non-Woven Fabric Mill
Founded: 2006
Location: Suzhou, China
Main Products: Spunbond, meltblown, composite nonwovens
Profile:A modern technical textile producer serving hygiene, medical, and filtration sectors, with exports to over 40 countries.
9. Zhejiang Xinao Textiles Inc. – Woolen/Worsted Mill
Founded: 1991
Location: Shaoxing, China
Main Products: Fine worsted wool fabrics and yarns
Profile: A vertical wool mill supplying suiting materials to global fashion brands. Xinao controls wool sourcing, spinning, dyeing, and weaving in-house.
10. Kingdom Holdings Limited – Linen Mill
Founded: 2000
Location: Jiangsu, China
Main Products: Linen yarns and fabrics
Profile: A top global supplier of flax/linen yarn, known for exporting high-quality European-standard linen to brands in Europe and Japan.
Founded: 2004
Located: Nantong City (Chinese biggest home textile industrial agglomeration)
Main Products: Comforters, Bedding Sets, Blanket, Fitted sheets, Bedding sheets, Hotel linens, duvet covers, pillowcases, quilt and coverlets, bath lines, table cloth & Napkins, etc
Company Profile: Ruholiving founded in 2004, is a bedding sets manufacturer in Nantong, Jiangsu, China, where is the biggest home textile industrial agglomeration in China. 20+ years’ focusing on the market of home textiles, they won lots of good reputations.
Ruholiving has been the supplier of global top hotels, such as Holiday Inn, W Hotel, Hilton, Sofitel, Sheraton, etc.
2. Welspun Living
Founded: 1985
Located: India
Main Products:
Company Profile: Ruholiving founded in 2004, is a bedding sets manufacturer in Nantong, Jiangsu, China, where is the biggest home textile industrial agglomeration in China. 20+ years’ focusing on the market of home textiles, they won lots of good reputations.
Ruholiving has been the supplier of global top hotels, such as Holiday Inn, W Hotel, Hilton, Sofitel, Sheraton, etc.
3.Carpe Optimus
Founded: 2004
Located: Turkey
Main Products: Curtain, Guipure, TableCloth
Company Profile: A manufacturer of Curtains, Guipures and Table Linens for more than 18 years. As Carpe Optimus, their goal is to establish long-term relationships based on mutual trust and understanding.
4. Al-Haseeb Textiles
Founded: 1989
Located: Pakistan
Main Products: BED Collection, Bath Collection
Company Profile: Experience the fine luxury of our exquisite bed & bath linens available in a wide range of thread counts and blends.available in a wide range of thread counts and blends. Premier source for Asbestos Abetment, Mold Remediation and lead Abetment supplies often disposable clothing, overall, coveralls, painter towels, painter rags and disposable cotton T-shirts.
5. Ralph Lauren
Founded: 1967
Located: USA
Main Products: BED lines, Towels, Home Decor Items
Company Profile: Established in 1967, Ralph Lauren has evolved into a worldwide icon in the fashion and lifestyle industry. Based in New York City, the brand has extended its expertise into home textiles, delivering the same refined craftsmanship and sophisticated design found in its apparel collections. Renowned for its dedication to quality and timeless style, Ralph Lauren continues to be a top choice for customers with discerning taste across the globe.
2 Apparel Giants
1. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
Founded: 1987
Located: USA
Main Products: Luxury fashion (clothing, shoes, handbags), leather goods, accessories, watches, jewelry, perfumes.
Company Profile: LVMH is the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, owning over 75 prestigious brands. Its Fashion & Leather Goods division (which includes Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, etc.) drives most of its revenue. LVMH operates in multiple luxury segments including fashion, cosmetics, jewelry (e.g., Tiffany & Co.), and wines. Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, is often listed among the world’s wealthiest individuals.
2. Nike, Inc
Founded: 1964
Located: USA
Main Products: Athletic footwear, apparel, sports equipment, accessories.
Company Profile: Nike is the global leader in sportswear and athletic innovation. Its brand empire includes Nike, Jordan Brand, and Converse. The company is known for iconic technologies like Air Max, Flyknit, and Dri-FIT, and it partners with top athletes and sports teams worldwide. Nike has a dominant global presence both in retail and e-commerce.
3 Technical Textiles Factories
Technical textiles used in industries such as agriculture, automotive, and construction include products like filter fabrics, geotextiles, and safety belts, offering specialized performance for demanding applications.
1. Freudenberg Performance Materials
Founded: 1849
Located:Germany
Core Products: Nonwoven fabrics, composites, functional textiles for automotive, construction, medical, and protective clothing.
Company Profile: Freudenberg is a global leader in nonwoven and technical textiles, operating in over 30 countries. Their materials are used in filtration systems, automotive interiors, wound care, geotextiles, and performance apparel.
2. Toray Industries, Inc.
Founded: 1926
Located:Tokyo, Japan
Core Products: Carbon fiber composites, industrial textiles, synthetic fibers (like nylon, polyester), membranes.
Company Profile: Toray is a major Japanese chemical and textile company, heavily involved in high-performance technical textiles used in aerospace, sports equipment, environmental engineering, and medical fields. Their innovations include Toray Ultrasuede and Toraysee microfibers.
3. SRF Limited (Technical Textiles Business)
Founded: 1970
Located:Gurugram, India
Core Products: Industrial yarns, belting fabrics, coated fabrics, laminates, and cord fabrics.
Company Profile: SRF is one of the largest manufacturers of technical textiles in India, exporting to over 75 countries. Their products serve key sectors like automotive (tyre cord), agriculture (coated fabrics), and defense (ballistic materials).
Textile mills and factories are the core supply source of the textile industry, transforming raw fibers into finished fabrics through a range of manufacturing processes. From spinning and weaving to dyeing and finishing, these facilities support a wide array of applications—from everyday clothing to high-performance technical textiles. Understanding their operations and examples helps highlight their critical role in both traditional and modern industrial supply chains.
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