Polartec, LLC Competition

What keeps arctic explorers warm and marathon runners dry? Polartec's high-tech fabrics do. Founded in 1906 as Malden Mills, the company -- which introduced Polarfleece more than 30 years ago -- makes more than 400 types of all-season synthetic textiles used primarily in the manufacture of performance apparel and outerwear under the eponymous Polartec brand. Its textiles are fundamental to active garments produced for retailers such as L.L. Bean, The North Face, and Timberland, as well as the military. Malden Mills' assets were acquired by newly created company Polartec, owned by private equity firm Versa Capital Management.