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| Formerly | The Quantum Group, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | LLC (subsidiary) |
| Industry | Technical textiles |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Jeff Bruner |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Products | Elastomeric woven suspension fabrics, monofilament and multifilament yarns, Innegra fibers |
| Parent | QTI Fibers |
| Website | quantummaterialsllc |
Quantum Materials, LLC (founded as The Quantum Group, Inc.) is an American manufacturer of technical textiles, engineered yarns, and woven elastomeric suspension fabrics, headquartered in Colfax, North Carolina. The company is known for developing the Pellicle suspension fabric used in the Aeron chair manufactured by Herman Miller,[1] and since 2023 has owned the Innegra brand of high-performance polypropylene fibers.[2]
History
[edit]Founding and early work
[edit]The Quantum Group was founded in 1985 by Jeff Bruner, a textile engineer who had previously worked at Fiber Glass Industries and as a product development manager at Burlington Industries in Greensboro, North Carolina.[1] The company's early business included engineered yarns and fabrics for automotive seat suspensions supplied to General Motors and medical yarns developed for Meadox Medical.[1]
Pellicle and the Aeron chair
[edit]In the early 1990s, Herman Miller approached Quantum while seeking a supplier able to engineer a load-bearing woven suspension fabric for a new office chair being designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick. According to Bruner, Chadwick learned of Quantum through DuPont, whose elastomer the company was using in seat suspensions for General Motors.[1] The resulting fabric, branded Pellicle, replaced conventional foam and upholstery with an open, breathable elastomeric weave designed to distribute the sitter's weight and reduce heat buildup.[1]
The Aeron chair was introduced in 1994 and was selected for the permanent design collection of the Museum of Modern Art the same year.[1] Quantum has continued to weave suspension fabrics for Herman Miller seating.[1] The company's other woven products have included transparent window screening, tire cord, tubular belting, and filtration fabrics,[3] as well as the roof fabric used on Centre Court at Wimbledon.[4]
Acquisition and expansion
[edit]In 2017, The Quantum Group was acquired by Twitchell Technical Products, a Dothan, Alabama-based specialty materials company and portfolio company of private equity firm Highlander Partners. Bruner remained with the business as general manager and joined Twitchell's management team as chief technology officer.[5] Quantum, Twitchell, and Infinity Woven Products together form QTI Fibers, a vertically integrated manufacturer of coated fibers and fabrics.[2]
In 2018, the company partnered with Michigan-based ACME Mills to develop a lightweight fabric technology for aircraft seating.[6] In 2020, the company, by then operating as Quantum Materials, announced a US$3.5 million investment in new manufacturing equipment to expand domestic production of high-performance woven textiles, along with plans to increase its workforce by 10 to 15 percent.[3][6]
Innegra acquisition
[edit]In October 2023, Quantum Materials acquired the Innegra portfolio of patented high-performance polypropylene fibers and materials, which had been used in composite applications for over fifteen years.[2][7] Following the acquisition, the company expanded the fiber's available denier range from 625–2,800 to 430–3,800 and introduced several new Innegra-based yarn and fabric products.[8]
Products
[edit]Quantum Materials operates as a vertically integrated manufacturer, with in-house polymer processing, monofilament and multifilament yarn extrusion, texturing, twisting, and weaving.[3] Its products include elastomeric woven mesh suspension fabrics for office, outdoor, stadium, and transportation seating; industrial and filtration textiles; engineered yarns; and Innegra fibers and fabrics for composite applications.[3][8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Yaeger, Rachael S. (November 23, 2015). "30 Years Of Innovative Solutions". Textile World. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Quantum Materials acquires Innegra portfolio of high-performance fibers". CompositesWorld. October 25, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Quantum accelerates US expansion of technical textiles". Innovation in Textiles. February 26, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
- ^ "Twitchell Technical Products, a Portfolio Company of Highlander Partners, Acquires The Quantum Group" (Press release). Twitchell Technical Products via PR Newswire. May 3, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
- ^ Davis, Rachael (May 29, 2017). "The Quantum Group Acquired By Twitchell Technical Products". Textile World. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
- ^ a b "Quantum Materials: Triad fabric maker to invest $3.5 million in expansion". Triad Business Journal. February 25, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2026 – via City of High Point.
- ^ "Quantum Materials: Acquisition of Innegra fiber portfolio". Textile Technology. 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
- ^ a b "High-performance yarns, fabrics add to composite, textile offerings". CompositesWorld. February 22, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
External links
[edit]Category:Textile companies of the United States Category:Manufacturing companies based in North Carolina Category:American companies established in 1985 Category:Guilford County, North Carolina Category:2017 mergers and acquisitions