J.B. MARTIN INC.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

For almost two centuries, JB Martin has been making the finest woven velvets in the world. Today, JB Martin is the oldest continuous manufacturer of woven velvets. Our enduring lineage traces its history back to the invention of the double shuttle loom. In 1832, Jean Baptiste Martin founded the company and revolutionized the velvet manufacturing industry with his new innovative loom that produced velvet five times faster than the existing technology. Velvet has been the company’s passion for over 180 years and our products are recognized worldwide as the standard of the industry. Today, the mill is located in South Carolina. Situated on over 300 acres, JB Martin’s 220,000 square foot mill is a vertical integrated facility that creates unique three-dimensional solutions to fit any and every application for our customers. For six generations, JB Martin has been a family run business and remains so today. For almost two centuries, JB Martin has been making the finest woven velvets in the world. Today, JB Martin is the oldest continuous manufacturer of woven velvets. Our enduring lineage traces its history back to the invention of the double shuttle loom. In 1832, Jean Baptiste Martin founded the company and revolutionized the velvet manufacturing industry with his new innovative loom that produced velvet five times faster than the existing technology. Velvet has been the company’s passion for over 180 years and our products are recognized worldwide as the standard of the industry. Today, the mill is located in South Carolina. Situated on over 300 acres, JB Martin’s 220,000 square foot mill is a vertical integrated facility that creates unique three-dimensional solutions to fit any and every application for our customers. For six generations, JB Martin has been a family run business and remains so today. The history of JB Martin starts all the way back in the early 1800s in Lyon, France. In 1832, Jean Baptiste Martin is credited with inventing the face-to-face double weaving loom for the production of velvet. This invention increased daily velvet production from 30 inches per loom to 165 inches. The success of the young company was fueled by Jean Baptiste Martin’s new invention and for decades the company thrived, producing plush (high pile velvet) for top hats, organza, black dyed silks for taffetas, moirés and ribbons. The superb quality of the material earned numerous awards, including the gold medal at the 1876 World’s Fair Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, as well as an invitation to set up shop in America. Seeking new markets, the company made the move in 1894 to Norwich, Connecticut and soon JB Martin velvet started showing up on the heads of the most fashionable Americans. In 1954, the company opened a plant in Leesville, South Carolina which has become the company’s main production facility. It’s hard to say if Jean Baptiste Martin would be surprised by the changes his company has seen throughout the years, but he would certainly be flattered to know that, well over a century and a half later, his name is still associated with innovation, expertise and quality. JB Martin’s production facility is located in Leesville, South Carolina, just outside of the state capital, Columbia. We efficiently transport our goods with reliability and care. We are strategically located close to the port of Charleston to be able to globally distribute our velvets to the world.