Antai Textile: Driven by Technology and Market, Forging an Invisible Champion in the Textile Industry in Three Decades
In Zhangjiagang in July, as the summer heat intensifies, the production workshop of Antai Textile bustles with focused activity—intelligent spinning equipment operates at a steady rhythm, and rolls of brightly colored acrylic sliver are conveyed from the end of the production line, soon to be shipped to a sportswear brand's factory in southern China. Li Xiong, Marketing Manager, stands at the workshop observation window, holding a freshly printed industry report, and turns to Huang Chang, the Production Director beside him with a smile: "Director Huang, look at this data—Anta's outdoor brand saw 50-55% Q2 revenue growth, and Xtep's high-end running shoe line Saucony rose over 20%. It seems we've once again bet right with this batch of acrylic yarn for outdoor clothing."
This scene vividly embodies Antai Textile's three-decade adherence to "taking the market as a mirror and technology as the foundation." Since its establishment in Zhangjiagang in 1993, this enterprise specializing in R&D and production of acrylic yarn, acrylic sliver, colored acrylic sliver, and fancy yarn has evolved from a regional small factory into an industry invisible champion. What sustains its leading position is its敏锐 capture and rapid response to industry trends.
"Do you remember last month's AI conference in Guangzhou?" Director Huang gestures to the intelligent color-matching system being调试 in the workshop, his eyes reflecting the pride unique to technical professionals. "Back then, we concluded that 'smartification' in textiles isn't optional but imperative. Within a month of returning, we implemented this system—now, for colored acrylic sliver production, color accuracy deviation is controlled within △E ≤ 1.5, and the order-to-delivery cycle has shortened by 30%." He was referring to the core message from the inaugural China Textile & Apparel AI Conference on July 15: traditional textiles need technological reconstruction of production logic. Antai Textile didn't wait; instead, it rapidly integrated AI into production, achieving data-driven management across raw material proportioning, spinning tension, and dyeing control. This enables seamless handling of sportswear brands' high-end demands for "small batches, multiple colors, and fast delivery."
Li Xiong takes over, flipping to another page in the report: "It's not just the high-end market—value-for-money segments are booming too. 361 Degrees' online growth of 20% reflects consumers' pursuit of 'quality-price ratio.' Our acrylic yarn has inherent advantages: warmth comparable to wool but 30% lighter, with more stable costs than cotton. Look at recent cotton prices—the national B Index hit 15,475 yuan/ton, and Zhengzhou cotton's main contract rose 2.8%, yet our acrylic raw material price fluctuations are less than half those of cotton." He pauses, voice reflecting market insight: "National textile and apparel exports reached $143.98 billion in H1, up 0.8% YoY, but June exports dipped 0.1%, showing clients' growing cost sensitivity. Our cost-effective acrylic yarn helps export-oriented clients stabilize profits."
This market sensitivity stems from three decades of accumulation. From its first acrylic sliver production line in 1993 to now operating a provincial-level technology center with annual capacity exceeding 10,000 tons, Antai has focused on niche segments. Though less mainstream than cotton or polyester, acrylic products are irreplaceable in outdoor warmth, sport functionality, and fashion decoration. For outdoor clothing's windproof and warmth needs, their "light-warm acrylic yarn"—featuring hollow fiber structure—boosts warmth retention by 25%, earning core supplier status for Anta Outdoor. Colored acrylic sliver uses dope dyeing, eliminating post-dyeing processes, reducing clients' environmental costs, and achieving "yarn as finished color" to meet Xtep's high-end running shoes' color saturation requirements.
"Last month, an old client making high-end children's wear needed star-patterned fancy yarn for autumn collections," recalls Director Huang. "Previously, such custom fancy yarn took at least two weeks for sampling. Now with our intelligent pattern design system, we generate simulations the same day we receive requirements from Manager Li and deliver samples within three days. The client marveled, 'Antai is still Antai, but its efficiency no longer resembles an old textile factory.'" This "unconventional" efficiency underpins Antai's competitive strength—in H1, fancy yarn orders grew 18% YoY, with over 60% in sportswear and outdoor gear. Partnerships with Li-Ning and 361 Degrees have expanded from sole yarn supply to joint R&D.
In the freight parking lot outside, container trucks marked "To Ningbo Port" and "To Guangzhou Warehouse" are being loaded. Li Xiong watches the convoy, voice resolute: "Domestic apparel retail grew 3.1% Jan-Jun, with overall positive exports. Sportswear brands' dual ascent in high-end and value segments presents both opportunity and responsibility. Thirty years ago, Antai started in Zhangjiagang by 'focusing on specialization and excellence'; thirty years later, we'll rely on 'technology + market' dual-wheel drive to bring Antai yarn products into more households and global markets.
As the sun sets, the steady hum of workshop machinery seems to narrate a traditional textile enterprise's perseverance and innovation amid changing times—no dramatic transformation stories, just keen market insight, meticulous craftsmanship, and reverent dedication to "a single yarn." This may well be the secret behind Antai Textile's three-decade deep cultivation and sustained vitality in the textile industry.