UFI

Unifi, Inc.

A North Carolina textile maker that spins plastic bottles into yarn. Unifi turns post-consumer PET bottles into recycled polyester fiber sold under its Repreve brand, used by clothing and outdoor-gear labels like Nike, Patagonia, and The North Face, plus carmakers and home-furnishing brands. Founded in 1971 by executives who left Universal Textured Yarns, the company grew into one of the largest makers of synthetic yarn in the US. The name rhymes with "butterfly" — and its Repreve line has turned billions of discarded bottles into new fabric.