Phifer
Phifer is a third-generation family-owned manufacturer founded in 1952, producing the world's largest volume of aluminum and fiberglass insect screening, plus sun control fabrics, outdoor furniture fabrics, engineered woven textiles, and aluminum wire for residential, commercial, and industrial markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1952
- HeadquartersTuscaloosa, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Phifer does
Phifer is a privately held, third-generation family-owned manufacturer founded in 1952 by J. Reese Phifer in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where it remains headquartered. The company employs more than 1,000 associates (firmographic range: 1,001–5,000), approximately one-third of whom have more than 20 years of tenure, and self-identifies as the world's largest producer of aluminum and fiberglass insect screening. Phifer operates U.S. manufacturing facilities in Tuscaloosa and Fayette, Alabama, and most recently expanded capacity through the October 2025 acquisition of Indiana Coated Fabrics (ICF) in Warsaw, Indiana.\n\nThe product portfolio spans precision-engineered insect screening (Phiferglass, PetScreen, UltraVue2, TuffScreen, BetterVue, SeeVue, Glas-Shield, Heavy Duty Aluminum, EmberScreen), interior and exterior solar control fabrics (SheerWeave, SunTex, SunScreen, Solar Insect Screening), outdoor furniture fabrics (Phifertex, Sunbrella Sling by Phifer), technical/industrial engineered woven textiles (filtration, reinforcement, ventilation) and custom-drawn aluminum round and flat wire (0.005"–0.375"). Core proprietary technologies include exclusive Microban® antimicrobial protection across all fabric products and the proprietary Water Shed Technology™ hydrophobic coating on UltraVue2 and BetterVue screening. The company holds ISO 9001 and GREENGUARD/GREENGUARD Gold certifications.\n\nPhifer operates a channel-led go-to-market model, selling to a global network of distributors that supply authorized dealers, professional installers, and DIY retailers. End-customer segments include DIY homeowners, professional screen dealers and installers, commercial/contract customers (hospitality, healthcare, office buildings), and industrial/technical buyers. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; DIY products on phifer.com redirect to retail partners via the 'Where to Buy' section, while B2B and commercial customers contact Phifer directly via phone, email, or live chat. The company maintains regional entities in Italy (Phifer Europe S.R.L.), India, and Asia, and supports a seven-language website (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch).
Phifer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Phifer
- Legal name
- Phifer Incorporated
- Website
- https://phifer.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1952
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Phifer is a third-generation family-owned manufacturer founded in 1952, producing the world's largest volume of aluminum and fiberglass insect screening, plus sun control fabrics, outdoor furniture fabrics, engineered woven textiles, and aluminum wire for residential, commercial, and industrial markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Phifer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Textiles
- NAICS
- Blind and Shade Manufacturing (33792), Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3329)
- SIC
- Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Ropes, Cords, Twines & Netting (Mooring/Lifting/Fishing/Load Restraint) (IMAOADAK)
Keywords
Where Phifer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tuscaloosa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Phifer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Insect Screening Products: Phifer generates revenue through the sale of precision-engineered insect screening products made from aluminum, fiberglass, stainless steel, and polyester. Products include standard screens, pet-resistant screens, no-see-um screens, and specialty screens sold through distributors, DIY retailers, and e-commerce channels.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | DIY consumer products (screens, fabrics) sold through retail channels |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Phifer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Phifer manufactures precision-engineered insect screening products (fiberglass, aluminum, stainless steel, and polyester mesh), interior and exterior sun control/shading fabrics, outdoor furniture fabrics, engineered woven technical textiles for industrial applications, and custom drawn aluminum wire products. The company sells primarily through a global distributor network to DIY retailers, professional installers, contract/commercial customers, and industrial buyers.
Product overview
Phifer is a manufacturer of precision-engineered textiles headquartered in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, producing insect screening, sun shading fabrics, outdoor furniture fabrics, aluminum wire, and engineered woven products. The core product portfolio includes: Phifertex (outdoor furniture fabrics with Microban protection), SheerWeave (interior roller shade fabrics), SunTex and SunScreen (exterior sun control fabrics), and a comprehensive range of insect screening products including PetScreen, UltraVue 2, TuffScreen, BetterVue, SeeVue, and Phiferglass. The company also offers Engineered Woven Products for technical applications and custom-drawn Aluminum Wire. Phifer sells primarily through distributors to DIY consumers, professional installers, and industrial customers, with recent expansion into coated fabrics through the acquisition of Indiana Coated Fabrics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SheerWeave: Interior roller shade fabrics for residential and commercial spaces
- Phifertex
- PetScreen
- SunTex
- SunScreen
- UltraVue
- BetterVue
- TuffScreen
- SeeVue
- Phiferglass
- Glas-Shield
- EmberScreen
- Sunbrella Sling
Products and services
- Phifertex Outdoor Furniture Fabrics Leading brand of high-performance sling fabrics for outdoor furniture, the only outdoor furniture fabrics in the world with Microban antimicrobial protection, available in jacquard, wicker, and PVC/olefin blend designer patterns.
- SheerWeave Interior Roller Shade Fabrics Interior roller shade fabrics providing the balance of light, comfort, and beauty for residential and commercial window covering solutions; available with various openness factors and GREENGUARD Gold certification.
- SunTex Exterior Sun Control Fabrics Exterior sun control fabrics that block 65% to 97% of the sun's heat and glare, designed for fixed frames or retractable shading systems in residential and commercial applications.
- Engineered Woven Products Technical textiles woven from aluminum, steel, bronze, stainless steel, fiberglass, and polyester in custom mesh combinations with coating, finishing, and packaging capabilities for filtration, reinforcement, and ventilation applications.
- Aluminum Wire Products Custom drawn aluminum round or flat wire used in fasteners, metallizing, food packaging, and nose wire for masks, available in diameters from 0.005" (0.127 mm) to 0.375" (9.5 mm) with multiple packages, heat treatments, and surface finishes.
- PetScreen Pet-Resistant Screening Pet-resistant screening designed to be tear and puncture-resistant to resist damage by dogs and cats, ideal for high-traffic areas, windows, doors, and patio enclosures.
- UltraVue 2 Clear Insect Screening Nearly invisible fiberglass screening with proprietary Water Shed Technology hydrophobic coating that repels water and resists dirt, providing unobstructed views with enhanced visibility (eVis) for windows.
- TuffScreen No-See-Um Heavy-Duty Screening Heavy-duty tightly woven mesh screening that keeps out small insects including no-see-ums, with 10-year warranty and available in widths up to 132 inches for pool, patio, and porch enclosures.
- Phiferglass Fiberglass Screening Industry-standard fiberglass screening with vinyl protective coating for lasting beauty, color, and flexibility, resistant to rust and corrosion.
- Solar Insect Screening 20x30 vinyl-coated fiberglass fabric that stops up to 65% of the sun's heat while providing insect protection, improving daytime privacy and outward visibility.
- SunScreen Solar Window Screening Woven vinyl-coated fiberglass screening that reduces solar heat gain by up to 70% and reduces heat loss in winter, also functioning as insect screening.
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Screen Aluminum screen with wires 45% larger than standard aluminum screen, providing enhanced durability and barrier against squirrels and critters.
- Glas-Shield Pool and Patio Screening Laminated fiberglass screening ideal for pool and patio enclosures, keeping bugs and debris out while offering greater privacy.
- SeeVue Stainless Steel Screening Stainless steel screening offering excellent visibility, durability, and airflow, safe for use with pressure-treated lumber.
- BetterVue High-Visibility Screening High visibility screening with improved airflow and better light transmittance, designed for use with low-E glass windows.
- Sunbrella Sling by Phifer Premium Sling Fabric Premium sling fabric combining the durability of PVC with the softness of Sunbrella acrylic, produced under a licensing agreement with Glen Raven, Inc. for outdoor furniture applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Sun control fabrics block 65% to 97% of the sun's heat and glare, reducing energy costs by up to 25%
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Phifer
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Phifer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Phifer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Glen Raven, Inc. (Sunbrella)corePhifer partnered with Glen Raven, Inc. to create Sunbrella® Sling by Phifer®, a premium sling fabric that combines the durability of PVC with the softness of Sunbrella® acrylic. This partnership leverages Phifer's weaving and PVC coating expertise with Glen Raven's Sunbrella® brand recognition to produce a differentiated product in the outdoor furniture fabric market. The product is available through Phifer's standard distribution channels.
- Indiana Coated Fabrics (ICF)corePhifer acquired all assets of Indiana Coated Fabrics (ICF), a Warsaw, Indiana-based company specializing in custom PVC and urethane coated fabrics with over five decades of experience. The acquisition expands Phifer's manufacturing capabilities and product portfolio in the coated and laminated fabrics market. ICF will continue operating independently under its current name and management team. Both companies are committed to U.S.-based manufacturing and aim to accelerate product development and expand into new markets together.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Phifer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- 3M: Diversified industrial conglomerate with window film, sun control and specialty materials that partially overlap with Phifer's sun shading category. Broad incumbent rather than direct competitor, providing an upper-bound benchmark for category scope and scale.
- Hunter Douglas: Global leader in window coverings, architectural products and specialty fabrics. A broad incumbent whose sun control and shading fabric portfolio overlaps with Phifer's SheerWeave/SunTex lines as part of a much larger window coverings portfolio.
- Springs Window Fashions: Large US-based manufacturer of window treatments (parent of Mermet). Competes with Phifer in commercial and residential shading fabrics and operates at greater scale across the broader window coverings category.
- Bekaert: World's largest steel and wire products manufacturer with aluminum wire capabilities. Broad incumbent comparable to Phifer's drawn aluminum wire business but operating at vastly greater scale across multiple wire end-uses.
Direct peers
- Serge Ferrari Group: French manufacturer of flexible composite technical textiles for tensile architecture, sun protection, façade and outdoor furniture applications. Comparable to Phifer in engineered woven and coated fabrics serving commercial architecture and outdoor living segments.
- Twitchell Corporation: US manufacturer of coated technical textiles including Textilene mesh used in outdoor furniture, screening, and filtration. Overlaps with Phifer in woven coated fabrics for outdoor sling and engineered products.
- Saint-Gobain ADFORS: Saint-Gobain's reinforcement and insect screening business (formerly New York Wire), manufacturing fiberglass and aluminum insect screening. The most direct head-to-head competitor in Phifer's core insect screening category.
- Sattler AG: Austrian manufacturer of outdoor and sun protection textiles, including awning and outdoor furniture fabrics. Comparable to Phifertex and SheerWeave in coated woven fabrics for outdoor and architectural shading applications.
- Glen Raven, Inc. US manufacturer of Sunbrella performance fabrics for outdoor furniture, marine and awning end-uses. Glen Raven is both Phifer's licensing partner for Sunbrella Sling by Phifer and a direct competitor in the outdoor furniture and sun-shading fabric categories.
- Mermet Corporation: US-based (now part of Springs Window Fashions) manufacturer of sun control and shading fabrics for architectural roller shades and commercial fenestration. Directly comparable to Phifer's SheerWeave and SunTex product lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Phifer social profiles
Digital presencePhifer compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Phifer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Phifer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Phifer subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Phifer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Phifer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Phifer
What does Phifer do?
Phifer manufactures precision-engineered insect screening products (fiberglass, aluminum, stainless steel, and polyester mesh), interior and exterior sun control/shading fabrics, outdoor furniture fabrics, engineered woven technical textiles for industrial applications, and custom drawn aluminum wire products. The company sells primarily through a global distributor network to DIY retailers, professional installers, contract/commercial customers, and industrial buyers.
Is Phifer a public or private company?
Phifer is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Phifer founded?
Phifer was founded in 1952. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Phifer based?
Phifer is headquartered in Tuscaloosa, United States, in the North America region.
How does Phifer make money?
One revenue line is on record: insect Screening Products.
Who are Phifer's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are 3M, Hunter Douglas, Springs Window Fashions and Bekaert. Direct peers are Serge Ferrari Group, Twitchell Corporation, Saint-Gobain ADFORS, Sattler AG, Glen Raven, Inc. and Mermet Corporation.
Does Phifer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Phifer.
What industry is Phifer in?
Phifer's product category is Industrial Textiles. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOADAK, Industrial Ropes, Cords, Twines & Netting (Mooring/Lifting/Fishing/Load Restraint). Its NAICS code is 33792 and its SIC code is 2221.