Prato’s industrial district is the most important European wool centre. It extends over a 700 sq. m. area inhabited by 320.000 people; it is situated half way between Milan and Rome. The number of textile firms is 8.000 employing 45.000 workers, and they cover all stages of the textile spinneret, from spinning to  fabric finishing. All stages of textile spinneret are to be found over a few kilometres distance.

Prato’s firms are specialised in manufacture of fabrics for clothing, both for men and women, in carded and combed wool, cotton, linen, silk and synthetic fibres; knitwear yarns (carded and combed wool, various fibres mixes); knitwear garments; textile items of various types (ecological furs – buttered, flocked fabrics, non fabrics and so on) for the clothing, footwear and furnishing industries, for technical, sanitary and geotextile employment; machinaries for the textile industry particularly for wool processing (carded spinning, twisting, finishing), for non fabrics and weaving (warping machines).

The following are the figures of yearly production: knitwear yarns (70.000 tons per year), fabrics for clothing (340 million metres), fabrics for furnishings and upholstery (45 million metres), other types of fabric (40 million metres), knitwear (1.100 billions).

The organisational plan is based on the production’s articulate division amongst many small and medium sized independent firms, each specialised in a single activity (spinning, dyeing, twisting, warping, weaving, finishing) which make it resemble a huge laboratory. “Third parties processing” is the most common relationship between firms.

The products of Prato’s industry are destined to clothing, knitwear and the great organised distribution which operates with its own brands. As far as the serviced market segments go, the part of fabrics and knitwear yarn used in high fashion and luxury prêt-à-porter represents 15% of the global production. The most significant share of Prato’s productions (50%) is bought by clothing and knitwear firms whose garments reach the public in qualified stores such as boutiques or department stores. The orders’ average size, in these cases, is higher. The remaining part of production (35%) is output on lower market bands; in this case the knitwear and tailored garments’ travelling channels are retailers and supermarkets.

The constant growth of foreign sales is highlighted by the data relating to woollen fabric exports; these amounted to 4.500 tons at the end of the ‘40s; they grew to a yearly value of 17.000 tons in the following ten years and have now reached 35.000 tons on a domestic total equal to about 50.000 tons.

Currently 70% of Prato’s exports, amounting to 5.400 billion liras, are directed to the European Union countries, mostly Germany, France and Great Britain. Other important markets are the Far East (15% of the total) and North America (10%).