Fabric Coating Mills
Description
Establishments in this sector specialize in applying protective and decorative layers to various textile materials through processes such as coating, laminating, varnishing, waxing, or rubberizing. These operations transform raw fabrics into finished products designed to enhance durability, water resistance, or aesthetic appeal for consumer goods. Typical business activities involve preparing substrate textiles, applying chemical treatments or polymer films, drying, curing, and quality control to ensure the coating bonds correctly with the fabric weave. Operators range from small family-owned workshops focusing on niche applications like upholstery or custom apparel to larger manufacturing facilities producing bulk quantities for industrial uses. The industry serves a diverse market, supplying manufacturers in the furniture, construction, automotive, and clothing sectors with pre-treated textiles that require further assembly before reaching end consumers. While most facilities handle only the finishing step, some integrated plants may also manage upstream washing or downstream cutting and sealing. The scope often includes both domestic production for regional distribution and international exports of specialized coated materials used in high-performance textiles. Production scales vary significantly, with some sites processing thousands of yards daily while others handle smaller batches for bespoke orders. This segment remains critical for modern textile supply chains, adding essential value through chemical and mechanical enhancements that extend product life and functionality.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 313 | Textile Mills 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Textile Mills subsector group establishments that transform a basic fiber (natural or synthetic) into a product, such as yarn or fabric that is further manufactured into usable items, such as apparel, sheets, towels, and textile bags for individual or industrial consumption. The further manufacturing may be performed in the same establishment and classified in this subsector, or it may be performed at a separate establishment and be classified elsewhere in the Manufacturing sector. The main processes in this subsector include preparation and spinning of fiber, knitting or weaving of fabric, and the finishing of the textile. The NAICS structure follows and captures this process flow. Major industries in this flow, such as preparation of fibers, weaving of fabric, knitting of fabric, and fiber and fabric finishing, are uniquely identified. Texturizing, throwing, twisting, and winding of yarn contain aspects of both fiber preparation and fiber finishing and are classified with preparation of fibers rather than with finishing of fibers. NAICS separates the manufacturing of primary textiles and the manufacturing of textile products (except apparel) produced from purchased primary textiles, such as fabric. The manufacturing of textile products (except apparel) from purchased fabric is classified in Subsector 314, Textile Product Mills, and apparel from purchased fabric is classified in Subsector 315, Apparel Manufacturing. Excluded from this subsector are establishments that weave or knit fabric and make garments. These establishments are included in Subsector 315, Apparel Manufacturing. |
| 3133 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in one of the following: (1) finishing textiles, fabrics, and apparel; (2) converting fabrics and textiles by buying fabric goods in the grey, having them finished on contract, and selling them at wholesale; or (3) coating, laminating, varnishing, waxing, and rubberizing textiles and apparel. |
| 31332 | Fabric Coating Mills 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 313320. |
| 313320 | Fabric Coating Mills 6-digit U.S. detail | Establishments in this sector specialize in applying protective and decorative layers to various textile materials through processes such as coating, laminating, varnishing, waxing, or rubberizing. These operations transform raw fabrics into finished products designed to enhance durability, water resistance, or aesthetic appeal for consumer goods. Typical business activities involve preparing substrate textiles, applying chemical treatments or polymer films, drying, curing, and quality control to ensure the coating bonds correctly with the fabric weave. Operators range from small family-owned workshops focusing on niche applications like upholstery or custom apparel to larger manufacturing facilities producing bulk quantities for industrial uses. The industry serves a diverse market, supplying manufacturers in the furniture, construction, automotive, and clothing sectors with pre-treated textiles that require further assembly before reaching end consumers. While most facilities handle only the finishing step, some integrated plants may also manage upstream washing or downstream cutting and sealing. The scope often includes both domestic production for regional distribution and international exports of specialized coated materials used in high-performance textiles. Production scales vary significantly, with some sites processing thousands of yards daily while others handle smaller batches for bespoke orders. This segment remains critical for modern textile supply chains, adding essential value through chemical and mechanical enhancements that extend product life and functionality. |
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Classification References
- 01Establishments primarily engaged in dyeing and finishing textiles are classified in Industry 313310, Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills.
Index Items
Garments, oiling (i.e., waterproofing)
Laminating purchased textiles
Leather, artificial, made from purchased fabric
Metallizing purchased textiles
Oilcloth manufacturing
Oiling of purchased textiles and apparel
Plastics coating of textiles and apparel
Raincoats waterproofing (i.e., oiling)
Rubberizing purchased capes
Rubberizing purchased cloaks
Rubberizing purchased clothing
Rubberizing purchased coats
Rubberizing purchased textiles and apparel
Tapes, varnished and coated (except magnetic), made from purchased fabric
Textile waterproofing
Varnishing purchased textiles and apparel
Vinyl coated fabrics manufacturing
Waterproofing apparel, fabrics and textile products (e.g., oiling, rubberizing, waxing, varnishing)
Waxing purchased textiles and apparel
How Item Can Help
Optimizes the storage and movement of diverse fabric rolls and chemical reagents to prevent spoilage and ensure traceability during complex coating processes.
Streamlines the order-to-delivery process by coordinating intricate mix ratios and short lead times for high-value custom garment projects.
Predicts inventory shortages for specialty dyes and analyzes waste data to minimize environmental impact and reduce operational costs for large batch production.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 313320.
Textile and Apparel Manufacturers Association
A major US industry association providing advocacy, research, and resources for the textile and apparel sector.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics Industry Page
Official government data on occupation wages, employment statistics, and industry details for Textile Coating Mill Workers.
MachineryMarkets Fabric Coating Equipment Directory
An industry directory listing manufacturers of equipment and machinery used in the fabric coating process.
