Manufacturing

Since our inception in 1985, we have called the UK home, working with the local Military units and Police forces. As we have grown, we have expanded our little operation to meet demand and moved production overseas. This has allowed us to supply more of the quality goods you expect from Arktis, to our customers, at fair and reasonable prices. This was essential if we were going to be able to remain competitive and go for some of the bigger tenders – unfortunately we would not be able to do it all from our little factory in Exeter! 

All our design, development, and quality control still happen from our Exeter HQ, which is also home to our small factory, where we do a lot of R+D, and still produce bespoke items, small batches, and prototypes.

When moving production to our trusted manufacturing partners, our key concern was quality. Our reputation is everything to us, built over 40 years, we are well aware it only takes one wrong order to ruin. So we have set up stringent procedures to ensure our quality is upheld. We undertake our own quality control process in-house, in addition to that from our manufacturers and 3^rd party QC. All materials used and processes mirror those that we have used here in the UK, wherever they are made in the world.

Where we get things made, and our manufacturing decisions, are largely based on the capability and specialisation of our suppliers. For example, our partners in Portugal have several facilities specialising in knits, stretch, wool and jersey fabrics, while in China they are experts in dealing with technical fabrics and waterproof laminates. We pick the right partner for the right job. Each supplier is visited in person and audited by the Arktis Team to ensure compliance.

Our Exeter base is still the home of all our products. This is where our design team plans, tests and receives feedback on our latest products. That includes liaising and testing with our international partners, be it Royal Marines headed to Norway, International Contractors or Specialist units from across Europe and beyond.

So, you can rest assured, no matter where the Arktis garment is made, it is still Arktis quality.

1. All Arktis Products are designed at our Exeter HQ. This includes prototyping, testing and quality control on all production runs. Our small, in-house factory manages both prototyping and small production runs.
2. Our selection of USA suppliers provide us with licensed camouflages in a variety of patterns from MultiCam to Tiger Stripe.
3. Clo, one of our lead insulation suppliers, is a UK-based company with manufacturing partners across Europe & Asia.
4. Our Romanian Manufacturers are selected for their specialisms, short runs and some licensed prints. Supplying garments in PolyCottons and NYCO, among other styles and materials
5. Our Polish manufacturers are often selected for specialist operations such as laser cutting and small or one-off runs, as well as for garments in Polycotton or NYCO using licensed patterns
6. Our manufacturing partners in Portugal specialise in jersey and wool products
7. Our Chinese manufacturers are experts in technical fabrics and garments, including 3-layer laminates with taped seams. Additional capacities include heavyweight fabrics and access to licensed prints
8. Our Cambodian manufacturers specialise in heavy-duty Cordura for items such as packs and bags
9. Our Bangladesh manufacturers are chosen for their specialisations with both insulation and simple Nylon fabrics
10. Our Indian manufacturers offer a depth of experience with our ripstops, nylons and more
11. We have manufacturers in Pakistan with experience in both garment and fabric production, specialising in Polycotton and NYCO
12. As of 2025 we are now shipping from our NI fulfillment center. This makes it cheaper and easier for our European customers than shipping from our HQ, while still receiving the same QC checks as before.