Antai Textile: 32 Years of Persistence in Innovation, AI Empowerment + Resilient Production Forge a New Engine for Textile Growth
In the midsummer of Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, the production workshop of Antai Textile is bustling with the roar of machines. Rolls of brightly colored acrylic sliver are being packaged and shipped out through intelligent assembly lines. Li Xiong, the Marketing Manager, stands in front of the monitoring screen, his fingers gliding over the flickering sales data – in the second quarter of this year, the company's orders for acrylic yarn and fancy yarn increased by 12% year-on-year, with gradient segment dyed yarn targeting young consumers in particularly short supply. Behind this achievement is the keen grasp of market trends by this enterprise rooted in the textile industry for 32 years, as well as its profound accumulation in technological innovation and production resilience.
From the AI Wave to Consumption Recovery: Anchoring Market Pulse with Data
"Our team will definitely attend that grand event in Haizhu, Guangzhou on July 15th," Li Xiong points to the preview news of the "Analysis Report on Artificial Intelligence Applications in the Textile and Apparel Industry (2025)" on the computer screen, his tone filled with anticipation. As a "scout" at the forefront of the market, he is well aware of the value of this first systematic AI application report in the industry – the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Big Data and Modern Textile and Apparel Industry Alliance signifies that the industry will accelerate its shift from "experience-driven" to "data-driven".
Antai Textile has long been ahead of the curve. At the end of last year, the company collaborated with local universities to establish a small AI research and development laboratory, and is now using algorithms to analyze consumer data from the past three years: "Look," Li Xiong pulls up a set of charts, "the search volume for 'personalized fabrics' among young people has increased by 35% annually. Our fancy yarn production line immediately adjusted its parameters, such as adding antibacterial fibers to loop yarn and incorporating gradient colors into slub yarn. These innovative products contributed 28% of revenue growth in the first half of this year."
This coincides with the overall recovery trend of the industry. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that in 2025, the yarn output of enterprises above designated size increased by 4.9% year-on-year, and the consumer market remained active. "Not all yarns can benefit from this growth," Li Xiong explains. "Acrylic yarn, with its softness, warmth, and easy dyeing properties, is in particularly strong demand in children's clothing and homewear. Our colored acrylic sliver uses dope dyeing technology, which saves 30% more energy than traditional dyeing and has higher color fastness. This is exactly the 'cost reduction + environmental protection' advantage that brand customers value most now."
From Raw Material Fluctuations to Production Resilience: Safeguarding Supply Chain Stability with Craftsmanship
"Manager Li, don't worry about the acrylonitrile raw material; the inventory and alternative plans are all ready," a call comes in from Factory Director Huang of the Production Department, with the regular hum of machine operation in the workshop in the background. The news of the temporary shutdown for maintenance of Shandong Haijiang's acrylonitrile plant in early July had many peers on edge – as the core raw material for acrylic fiber, fluctuations in acrylonitrile supply directly affect production costs.
However, in Antai Textile's raw material warehouse, the reporter sees rows of storage tanks labeled "Emergency Reserve". Factory Director Huang smiles and reveals the secret: "We have a 'dual-track supply chain' mechanism. On one hand, we sign long-term agreements with leading suppliers like Lihuayi to lock in basic prices; on the other hand, we have set up a transit warehouse at the Lianyungang Port, with a permanent 15-day safety stock. As soon as the maintenance news came out, we immediately activated the contingency plan and replaced some with imported acrylonitrile, so production was barely affected."
Entering the production workshop, one can better feel the "new vitality" of this old factory. Among over 300 spinning machines, 60% have completed intelligent transformation. Factory Director Huang points to an operating fancy yarn machine and says: "This is a German Schlafhorst equipment introduced last year, which can simultaneously realize three processes: twisting, wrapping, and slubbing. Previously, 3 people managed 1 machine; now 1 person can manage 3 machines, and production efficiency has tripled." It is precisely such hard power that has allowed Antai Textile to steadily seize the order growth amid the 2.96% rise in the textile manufacturing index in July.
32 Years of Unchanged Original Aspiration: Weaving the Industry's Future with Yarn
From establishing a factory on a farmland in Zhangjiagang in 1993 to now becoming a benchmark enterprise for acrylic yarn in East China, Antai Textile's growth history is also a microcosm of China's textile industry transformation. "In the beginning, we only produced ordinary acrylic yarn, making whatever customers wanted; now, we predict trends half a year in advance and bring samples to discuss innovation with customers," Li Xiong pulls out a thick book of customer cooperation cases, which includes both eco-friendly acrylic sliver customized for international fast fashion brands and artistic fancy yarn developed for local designer brands.
Speaking of the upcoming Guangzhou event, Li Xiong and Factory Director Huang have already reached a consensus: "Joining the industry talent alliance is not only about learning AI technology but also about sharing our process experience in the acrylic yarn field." Factory Director Huang adds, "Next, we plan to use AI to optimize dyeing formulas, expanding the color variety of colored acrylic sliver from over 200 now to 500, so that each yarn can tell a more vivid story."
Outside the workshop, the setting sun gilds the neatly stacked yarn rolls with a golden edge. This textile enterprise, which has always stood at the forefront of the industry, is using 32 years of persistence and innovation to weave each fine yarn into a link connecting tradition and the future, as well as weaving a new vision for the high-quality development of China's textile industry.