There is no such thing as a crewneck-only factory. That is the most useful thing anyone can tell you before you email a single supplier. Sweatshirt manufacturers make crewnecks and hoodies on the same fleece lines, in the same buildings, with the same people. The global hoodies and sweatshirts market was worth $241.11 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $442.64 billion by 2034, a 7.08% CAGR (Fortune Business Insights, 2025). That money runs through one supplier base, not two.
So where does a crewneck differ from a hoodie? In the spec. Collar rib instead of a hood. No drawcord, no eyelets. Set-in versus raglan sleeves. French terry versus brushed-back fleece. And a GSM number that decides almost everything about how the garment feels in the hand.
This directory profiles 6 US fleece and sweatshirt manufacturers, then walks the construction decisions that actually change your quote. Hoodie silhouettes are covered separately in our guide to hoodie types, and OneAim offers a dedicated custom hoodie manufacturing service if that is your product.
Heads up: We're OneAim, a group of documented United States clothing factories. The companies below are independent fleece and knitwear makers listed on public sources, not members of our group. OneAim's role is separate: we place your production with a documented factory in our group built for your product.
Key Takeaways
- Crewnecks and hoodies share a supply chain. The same fleece knitting and cut-and-sew lines make both. Your differentiation is spec, not supplier.
- The market is large and growing fast. $241.11 billion in 2025, forecast to $442.64 billion by 2034 at a 7.08% CAGR, with North America taking 40.42% (Fortune Business Insights, 2025).
- Blanks and custom are different purchases. Los Angeles Apparel and BELLA+CANVAS mainly sell blanks you decorate. Camber, Essentials Made and Apparel Branders publish custom or private-label programmes that start from your own spec.
- Published minimums run from 72 pieces to 25,000. Camber states custom programmes from 6 dozen, Essentials Made's capsule run is 72 pieces per style, and BELLA+CANVAS custom orders start at 25,000 units per style and colour.
- GSM is the single most important number in your brief. Lightweight French terry and 14oz heavy fleece are different garments, different machines, and different prices.
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What actually makes a sweatshirt a crewneck?
Four things, and none of them are the hood's absence alone. A crewneck has a ribbed round collar knitted separately and set into the neckline, ribbed cuffs, a ribbed waistband, and a body of looped or brushed knit fabric. Strip the hood, drawcord, eyelets, and hood lining off a hoodie and you don't automatically get a good crewneck. You get a hoodie missing parts.
The collar is where crewnecks live or die. It's a rib tube, usually 1x1 or 2x2, set into the neck opening under tension, often with a taped seam across the back. Get the rib width, stretch recovery, and neck-drop measurements wrong and the collar bags out after five washes. That one component is why some factories make beautiful hoodies and mediocre crews.
How did we choose these sweatshirt manufacturers?
We started from the companies' own websites, read in October 2026, and kept only those that pass three checks there: a US location, a statement that the fleece is made in the United States, and sweatshirts or fleece in the published range. Where a company's own pages were thin, we added one trade-press source and say so in the profile.
That filter removed several famous names. Most of the big blank brands make their fleece outside the United States, and a directory of US manufacturers is the wrong place for them. We also left out names that appear only in SEO listicles or on agent storefronts. Appearing on such a list is not evidence that a factory exists behind the name.
Everything below is company-stated and not independently audited. We flag the caveats in every profile, so you can weigh a claim before you act on it.
Which US sweatshirt manufacturers make crewnecks?
Six companies, all making fleece in the United States: four in the Los Angeles area, one on Long Island and one outside Philadelphia. Read the "best for" line before you write to any of them. Some sell their own blank styles for you to decorate; others develop and cut your pattern.
Camber Sportswear (Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA)
The heavyweight specialist, at 2 DeKalb Pike in Norristown. Camber states that "All Camber products are manufactured in the USA" and that it serves the trade only. Its Cross-Knit sweatshirts are listed at a full 12 oz in a 90% cotton, 10% polyester blend, as a pullover hood, zip hood, crew neck or sweatpant. That's roughly 400-plus GSM, near the top of anything you'll find in fleece. It also invites brands to "Ask Us About Our Custom Style and Private Label Programs", with custom minimums stated as low as 6 dozen. Best for: heavyweight, workwear-leaning crews and a first private-label fleece run in the USA.
Los Angeles Apparel (South Los Angeles, California, USA)
One of the few remaining US operations that keeps manufacturing in one city. The company states "We control our manufacturing from start to finish. We rarely subcontract and we never use any off-shoring", and that it dyes and finishes its textiles in California. Its Heavy Fleece range is sold as a 14oz collection and includes the HF-07 crewneck, and publishing that weight openly is rare. Blanks are sold to decorators through a separate wholesale site. It doesn't publish a private-label programme, so ask before you plan one. Best for: heavyweight, made-in-LA blank crewnecks where the fabric is the product.
Royal Apparel (Hauppauge, New York, USA)
A made-in-USA knitwear maker founded in Manhattan's Garment District and now headquartered at 91 Cabot Court in Hauppauge, Long Island. Its cotton crew neck sweatshirt is labelled "MADE IN: USA" on its own product page. In January 2026, trade press reported that it bought a second Hauppauge building for manufacturing and that it keeps knitting, dyeing, cutting, sewing and finishing under US operations, supporting private-label development. No minimum is published. Best for: a USA-made fleece crew you can buy as a blank first and take to private label later.
Essentials Made (1330 S Santa Fe Ave, Los Angeles)
A garment-dye specialist working in cotton essentials: hoodies, crewnecks, sweatpants and tees. It handles pattern development, garment-dyed sampling, cut-and-sew and private label from a by-appointment facility on South Santa Fe Avenue.
This is the most transparent pricing on the list. The capabilities page publishes three tiers. A Capsule Run is 72 pieces per style, for two or more styles sharing the same fabric and dye lot, at an estimated $7,250 per style. A Growth Run is 150 pieces per style at an estimated $8,100 per style. A Standard Run is 300 or more pieces per style, quoted per project.
The company says all tiers include pattern development, garment-dyed sampling, cut-and-sew production and QC in Los Angeles, and that pattern development and the pre-production sample take about two weeks after the deposit. That is an unusually disciplined intake process for a factory this size, and it is the main reason we treat its published numbers as plannable rather than aspirational. Best for: garment-dyed cotton fleece brands. Service: cut-and-sew, full package.
Apparel Branders (Los Angeles, California, USA)
A Los Angeles private-label maker that runs its own knitting facility in the fashion district, with in-house marking, grading, cutting, sewing, printing, packing and shipping. Its own gallery shows French terry hoodie and jogger sets, and it lists tees, hoodies and joggers among the basics it develops for the private-label, corporate and fashion trade. It doesn't publish a fixed minimum; its enquiry form starts at sample-only and small batches of 50 to 150 units. Best for: a custom fleece programme where you want the knit fabric and the garment from one LA supplier.
BELLA+CANVAS (Los Angeles, California, USA)
The largest blank operation on this list, headquartered in Montebello in Los Angeles County. It states that it runs "one of the largest and most technologically advanced automated cutting facilities in the western hemisphere" in Los Angeles, and that its production "takes place in the USA and Central America". So check the label of the specific style you buy: not every BELLA+CANVAS sweatshirt is sewn in the US. Its fleece range includes the 8 oz style 3901 sponge fleece raglan sweatshirt. Custom orders start at 25,000 units per style and colour. Best for: decorating a soft, retail-feeling blank crew, with custom only at large volume.
Here's how the six manufacturers compare at a glance.
| Company | Location | Type | Fleece / crewneck relevance | Open to custom runs? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camber Sportswear | Norristown, PA, USA | US fleece manufacturer, trade only | 12 oz Cross-Knit crews, hoods and sweatpants | Yes, custom and private label from 6 dozen |
| Los Angeles Apparel | South Los Angeles, CA, USA | US manufacturer, no off-shoring (stated) | 14oz Heavy Fleece range incl. HF-07 crewneck | Blanks; private label not published |
| Royal Apparel | Hauppauge, NY, USA | USA-made knitwear | Made-in-USA cotton crew neck sweatshirt | Blanks plus private label; no published minimum |
| Essentials Made | Los Angeles, CA, USA | Garment-dye cut-and-sew | Garment-dyed hoodies, crewnecks, sweatpants | Yes, from 72 pieces per style |
| Apparel Branders | Los Angeles, CA, USA | Knitting plus cut-and-sew | French terry hoodies and joggers | Yes, private label; small batches from 50 |
| BELLA+CANVAS | Los Angeles, CA, USA (cutting); sewing USA and Central America | Blanks, large scale | 8 oz sponge fleece (style 3901) | Custom from 25,000 units per style and colour |
Source: company websites, checked October 2026, plus Impressions (January 2026) for Royal Apparel. All capacity, minimum and made-in claims are self-reported; verify before committing.
Citation capsule: Crewneck sweatshirts and hoodies are made on the same fleece lines by the same manufacturers. There is no separate crewneck factory universe. The differentiation between the two products sits in construction: a ribbed set-in collar instead of a hood, no drawcord or eyelets, set-in or raglan sleeves, French terry or brushed-back fleece, and a fabric weight in GSM.
The chart below shows where the money in this category actually sits by region.
How the market splits by region
Sweatshirt manufacturing FAQ
Who are the biggest US sweatshirt manufacturers?
Most of the world's fleece volume is made outside the United States, so the US list is short. Of the six here, BELLA+CANVAS runs the largest operation, with a large automated cutting facility in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Apparel keeps its manufacturing in Los Angeles, and Royal Apparel added a second Hauppauge manufacturing building in 2026. For a custom run, size matters less than whether the factory will cut your pattern at your quantity.
Is there such a thing as a crewneck-only factory?
No, and anyone claiming otherwise is selling you something. Crewnecks and hoodies are produced on the same fleece knitting and cut-and-sew lines at every manufacturer we researched. What differs is the spec: a ribbed set-in collar instead of a hood, no drawcord or eyelets, and choices on sleeve construction and fabric weight. Choose your factory on fleece capability, not on the word "crewneck".
What is the difference between French terry and fleece?
French terry has uncut loops on the inside face; fleece has those loops brushed and cut into a soft nap. Terry breathes better, drapes closer, and suits year-round and premium product. Fleece is warmer, softer, and the default for cold-weather and heavyweight crews. Weight matters as much as type: a light terry sits near 260gsm, while a 14oz heavy fleece approaches 480gsm.
Should I choose set-in or raglan sleeves?
Set-in gives a structured shoulder and a flat, uninterrupted front panel, which is what most large chest prints want. Raglan removes the shoulder seam, adds mobility, and reads sportier and more vintage. BELLA+CANVAS's style 3901 is a raglan, so it is an easy real garment to compare against a set-in crew before you decide.
Can I get crewneck sweatshirts made in the USA?
Yes. Camber makes 12 oz Cross-Knit crews in Norristown, Pennsylvania and states that all its products are made in the USA. Los Angeles Apparel makes heavyweight fleece crewnecks in Los Angeles, including the HF-07. Royal Apparel labels its cotton crew neck sweatshirt as made in the USA. For your own pattern, Essentials Made and Apparel Branders cut and sew in Los Angeles. These footprint claims are company-stated and not independently audited.
How big is the sweatshirt market?
The global hoodies and sweatshirts market was valued at $241.11 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $442.64 billion by 2034 at a 7.08% CAGR, with North America accounting for $97.46 billion, or 40.42% of the total (Fortune Business Insights, 2025). These are commercial vendor estimates, and rival vendors put 2025 nearer $210 billion to $240 billion depending on scope.
What minimum should a small brand expect for custom sweatshirts?
It depends on the maker, and only some publish one. Camber states custom and private-label minimums as low as 6 dozen. Essentials Made's Capsule Run is 72 pieces per style when two or more styles share a fabric and dye lot, and its Growth Run is 150. Apparel Branders' enquiry form starts at small batches of 50 to 150 units. BELLA+CANVAS custom orders start at 25,000 units per style and colour, which is why most small brands buy its blanks instead.
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Sources
- Fortune Business Insights, Hoodies & Sweatshirts Market Report, 2025. Source of the $241.11B (2025), $442.64B (2034), 7.08% CAGR, North America $97.46B / 40.42%, Europe $76.98B and Asia Pacific $40.52B figures. Commercial vendor estimate; rival vendors differ by scope.
- Camber Sportswear, checked October 2026. Source of the Norristown address, the made-in-USA statement, the 12 oz Cross-Knit specification, trade-only sales and the custom and private-label programmes from 6 dozen. Company-stated.
- Los Angeles Apparel, Our Values and 14oz. Heavy Fleece collection, checked October 2026. Source of the "never use any off-shoring" and California dyeing statements and the 14oz Heavy Fleece range. Company-stated.
- Royal Apparel, cotton crew neck sweatshirt and About Royal Apparel, checked October 2026. Source of the made-in-USA label and the Garment District founding.
- Impressions, "Royal Apparel expands US manufacturing in Hauppauge", 22 January 2026. Source of the 91 Cabot Court headquarters, the second Hauppauge building and the US knitting-to-finishing and private-label description.
- Essentials Made, cut and sew manufacturing in Los Angeles, checked October 2026. Source of the address, the 72 / 150 / 300+ piece tiers, the $7,250 and $8,100 estimates and the two-week sampling statement. Company-stated.
- Apparel Branders, checked October 2026. Source of the Los Angeles knitting facility, in-house cut-and-sew services, private-label offer and order tiers. Company-stated.
- BELLA+CANVAS, USA Strong, Contact us and style 3901, checked October 2026. Source of the Los Angeles cutting facility, "USA and Central America" production, the Montebello headquarters, the 25,000-unit custom minimum and the 8 oz style 3901 specification. Company-stated.
- OneAim Apparel internal sourcing and quote observations, 2024 to 2026.
Every company named above appears in this source list. Minimums, prices, fabric weights and manufacturing-footprint claims are the companies' own published statements, labelled as such in the text, and we did not independently audit them. No factory in this article is a OneAim group member, and none paid to appear. Reviewed and updated 12 October 2026 by Will Godax.
