Hollingsworth & Vose

What Hollingsworth & Vose does

Hollingsworth & Vose (H&V) is a privately held, US-based manufacturer of advanced filtration and industrial materials headquartered in East Walpole, Massachusetts. Founded in 1843 and operating with 1,001-5,000 employees, the company produces filtration media for air and liquid applications, with product lines spanning HEPA-grade air purification media, nanofiber filter media, PFAS-free filtration solutions, and specialty battery and industrial materials. Its core technology centers on engineered fiber webs, nanofiber coatings, and proprietary media formulations that meet regulatory and sustainability requirements across water treatment, biopharmaceutical processing, food and beverage, electronics manufacturing, automotive cabin air, and environmental compliance use cases.

The company monetizes through B2B industrial distribution, supplying filtration media directly to manufacturers, OEMs, and industrial processors globally; pricing details are not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market relies on direct enterprise relationships and industry exhibitions such as INDEX26 in Geneva, where H&V presents alongside peers like Mann+Hummel and is profiled in third-party market research reports (e.g., ResearchAndMarkets.com's Advanced Filtration Market report covering 77 companies). H&V maintains an EMEA commercial presence led by a Vice President and Managing Director, and organizes its business around application-focused units, including a dedicated Energy and Industrial Systems division.

H&V serves a horizontal mix of customer segments rather than a single vertical: industrial and environmental filtration is its primary segment, supplemented by food service (specialty coffee filter paper), air filtration (HVAC, healthcare PPE, automotive), and environmental compliance (PFAS removal). No named customer logos, revenue figures, or contract structures are publicly disclosed, and the ownership structure (whether independent, PE-backed, or family-controlled) is not evidenced in available sources. The company's strategic positioning emphasizes regulatory-aligned innovation (PFAS-free media) and high-growth adjacencies (nanofiber media, energy/battery materials) over consumer-facing brand building.

Name

Hollingsworth & Vose

Legal name

Hollingsworth & Vose

Website

https://hollingsworth-vose.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1843

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Hollingsworth & Vose is a privately held US manufacturer of advanced filtration media, producing nanofiber, PFAS-free, and liquid/air filtration materials for industrial, water treatment, biopharma, automotive, and specialty food service customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Filtration Media

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Filtration Media & Dust Collection Textiles (Air/Liquid Filtration) (IMAOADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Filtration & Media (Screen/Disc/Sand Filters, Filter Media) (AFABAHAC), Dust Collection & Air Filtration Equipment (Industrial) (IMAHALAF)

Keywords

• Industrial filtration media
• Battery separator materials
• Nonwoven filter media
• Nanofiber filtration
• Liquid filtration solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

East Walpole

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Hollingsworth & Vose manufactures advanced nonwoven filter media and specialty materials for liquid and air filtration applications, serving industrial, environmental, biopharmaceutical, food service, and energy/battery markets. The company produces engineered media including nanofiber-based filtration solutions and PFAS-free filtration offerings, supplying original equipment manufacturers and industrial customers globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PFAS-Free Filtration Solutions Filtration media that does not contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), developed for customers facing regulatory pressure and seeking safer, compliant filter media for liquid and air applications.
• Liquid Filtration Media

Quantifiable outcome

• Global air and liquid filtration market projected to reach $5 billion by 2029; water filtration growing at 12.5% CAGR to $19 billion
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Donaldson Company: Global manufacturer of filtration systems and replacement parts across industrial and engine applications. Directly comparable to H&V as a tier-1 industrial filtration player serving overlapping air and liquid filtration end markets.
• Mann+Hummel: Family-owned global filtration specialist producing filter elements and media for automotive, industrial, and water applications. Featured alongside H&V as a seminar presenter at INDEX26, making it a directly comparable peer in air and liquid filtration media.
• Pall Corporation (a Danaher company): Specialist in filtration, separation, and purification solutions for biopharmaceutical, food & beverage, and industrial customers. Comparable to H&V's liquid filtration media exposure, particularly in biopharma and process industries.
• Freudenberg Filtration Technologies: Division of Freudenberg Group producing industrial and automotive filtration media and finished filters. Highly comparable to H&V on filter media technology and broad air/liquid application footprint.
• AAF Flanders: Specialist manufacturer of air filtration products and solutions for commercial, industrial, and cleanroom environments. Directly comparable to H&V on the air filtration side of its portfolio.
• Cummins Filtration: Filtration business of Cummins Inc. supplying air, fuel, lube, and liquid filtration media and finished filters for on-highway and industrial applications. Comparable to H&V on industrial liquid and air filtration media.

Broad incumbents

• DuPont: Named alongside H&V in advanced filtration market research. Operates a large specialty chemicals/materials portfolio that includes filtration solutions, making it an incumbent peer with overlapping capability rather than a media-only specialist.
• Asahi Kasei: Diversified Japanese materials group also named in advanced filtration market coverage of H&V. Comparable through its membrane and separation media businesses serving industrial and water filtration customers.
• 3M: Industrial conglomerate with a long-standing filtration business serving HVAC, healthcare, and industrial customers. An incumbent peer whose broad portfolio overlaps with H&V's air filtration and PPE applications.
• Filtration Group: Private equity-backed platform aggregating filtration brands across air, liquid, and life sciences. Directly relevant as a roll-up consolidator and competitor serving overlapping industrial and life-science customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hollingswthvose

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hollingsworth & Vose