Cortland Company

What Cortland Company does

Cortland Company, operating through its legal entity Cortland Industrial LLC, is a US-based designer and manufacturer of advanced synthetic fiber ropes, lifting slings, subsea tethers, and synthetic strength members founded in 1979. The company operates two manufacturing facilities in Anacortes, Washington and Stafford (Houston), Texas, and serves nine industrial verticals including Commercial Marine, Defense & Aerospace, Industrial & Construction, Mining, Oceanographic, Oil & Gas, Theatrical, Utility, and Wind Energy. Its product portfolio is anchored by the proprietary Plasma 12×12 HMPE (High-Modulus Polyethylene) rope — described by the company as 86% lighter than steel of equivalent strength — complemented by patented sub-products including the BOB (Braid Optimized for Bending) construction and DNV Type Approved Selantic tethers rated for up to 50-year design life in deepwater service.

Cortland's technology platform centers on proprietary fiber processing and braiding architecture. The Plasma process aligns HMPE fibers at the molecular level, combined with a 12×12 braided construction that has remained the de facto industry standard for over 20 years. The company operates what it claims is the largest 12-Strand braider in the world and maintains in-house testing capability up to 1.3 million pounds for strength and fatigue validation. The product line spans standard rope constructions (Plasma 12 Strand, Plasma HiCo/LoCo creep variants, Toro, Vectran, Technora, nylon and polyester double braids), engineered lifting slings (Selantic Round Slings, SRS Round Slings, Extender Adjustable Slings, Plasma Braided Slings), Selantic subsea tethers, synthetic strength members for cable reinforcement, thermoplastic extrusions for protective jackets, and ROV-friendly engineered hardware (BFH, FFH, LTH hooks, delta plates, and the 2024-launched AeroLock Synthetic Connectors). Certifications include ISO 9001:2015, DNV Type Approval, ABS Type Approval, ASME B30.9 sling ratings, MIL-Spec compliance on select polyester lines, and registration on the US Defense Logistics Agency Qualified Suppliers List of Manufacturers (QSLM).

The business model is predominantly custom engineered B2B, with quote-based project pricing, multi-year contracts in some cases, and revenue streams comprising hardware sales, professional services (installation, inspections, splicing, termination work), and licensing royalties (notably the ETD DART mooring technology licensed to SAIC for NOAA tsunami warning buoy production). Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales for large custom projects with an inside sales team handling quote requests and initial technical consultations, supplemented by technical content marketing, case studies, and participation in industry events such as Oceanology International, Bauma, and the Offshore Technology Conference. Named customer relationships span government (NOAA), defense (SAIC), heavy equipment (Caterpillar, co-developer of a patented recovery/towing system), maritime (Foss Maritime), competitive sailing (Oracle Team USA), mining (Premier Coal), industrial (Barnhart), and academic research (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry).

Name

Cortland Company

Legal name

Cortland Industrial LLC

Website

https://cortlandcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cortland Company is a US-based designer and manufacturer of advanced synthetic fiber ropes, lifting slings, subsea tethers, and strength members serving marine, defense, oil & gas, mining, industrial, and wind energy customers with custom engineered solutions. Founded 1979.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Synthetic Fiber Ropes and Slings

NAICS

Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills (314994), Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (32522)

SIC

Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221), Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Ropes, Cords, Twines & Netting (Mooring/Lifting/Fishing/Load Restraint) (IMAOADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Elastic, Tapes & Webbing Manufacturing (Elastic Bands/Binding/Strapping/Webbing) (IMAOALAD), Narrow Fabrics & Webbings (Tapes/Ribbons/Straps) (IMAOABAD)

Keywords

• Synthetic fiber ropes
• Lifting slings
• Subsea tethers
• Marine umbilicals
• Strength members

Headquarters

HQ city

Cortland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Engineered Products: Custom manufactured synthetic fiber ropes, slings, and tethers designed to customer specifications; project-based orders with significant engineering input
2. Hardware and Components: Sale of termination hardware, fittings, and accessories including socketed terminations and custom hardware solutions
3. Professional Services: Field services including installation, inspections, and technical consulting; splicing services and custom termination work
4. Licensing Royalties: Technology licensing revenue from patented products including ETD DART system technology licensed to SAIC

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cortland Company designs, manufactures, and supplies custom-engineered synthetic fiber ropes, slings, tethers, and strength members for demanding marine, defense, industrial, mining, oceanographic, oil & gas, theatrical, utility, and wind energy applications. The company sells both standard product lines (Plasma®, Toro®, Vectran®, Technora®, Supertuf Plus, Tufflex Plus, Nylon/Polyester double braids) and fully custom-engineered solutions built to customer specifications, with proprietary Plasma 12×12 HMPE braiding technology as the flagship offering. Supporting services include engineering design, manufacturing, strength/fatigue testing up to 1.3 million pounds, splicing, terminations, hardware integration, and 24/7 field services.

Product overview

Cortland Company is a global designer, manufacturer, and supplier of technologically advanced synthetic fiber ropes, slings, tethers, and strength members serving demanding marine, defense, industrial, mining, oceanographic, oil & gas, theatrical, utility, and wind energy applications. The product portfolio centers around proprietary Plasma® HMPE fiber ropes (including Plasma® 12×12, Plasma® 12 Strand, HiCo, and LoCo variants) as the flagship offering, complemented by Toro® heavy-duty ropes, Vectran®, Technora®, and other high-performance fiber ropes. The lifting solutions lineup includes Selantic® Round Slings, SRS™ Round Slings, Extender™ Adjustable Slings, and Plasma® Braided Slings. Subsea tether solutions feature Selantic® Tethers with DNV Type Approval for up to 50-year design life. Supporting products include BOB® (Braid Optimized for Bending) rope construction for active heave compensated applications, Synthetic Strength Members for cable reinforcement, Thermoplastic Extrusions for protective jackets, Engineered Hardware including ROV-friendly hooks and connectors, Wear Protection Solutions (SX, Cortland Cage, Asgard, DXC, XT, PNW), and specialized systems for oceanographic mooring, emergency towing, seismic, mining, and wind energy applications. The company also offers comprehensive custom engineering, testing (up to 1.3 million pounds), splicing, termination, and field services. With manufacturing operations in Washington and Texas and global distribution, Cortland provides both standard products and fully custom-engineered solutions tailored to exact customer specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plasma® 12×12 HMPE Rope Flagship HMPE (High-Modulus Polyethylene) fiber rope with proprietary 12×12 braided construction offering superior strength-to-weight ratio, up to 86% lighter than steel, field-spliceable design for easy repair. For marine, defense, industrial, and offshore operators needing high-strength synthetic alternatives to steel wire rope.
• Plasma® 12 Strand HMPE Rope Torque-free 12-strand braided HMPE fiber rope offering high strength, flexibility, and durability for lifting, towing, and mooring applications across marine and industrial markets.
• Plasma® HiCo Rope High creep-resistant HMPE rope variant designed for applications requiring minimal stretch under sustained loads, including deepwater mooring and long-duration deployments.
• Plasma® LoCo Rope Low creep HMPE rope variant optimized for applications demanding minimal elongation over time, including offshore mooring and static load scenarios.
• Toro® 12 Strand Rope High-performance 12-strand braided rope designed for heavy-duty lifting and industrial applications with excellent durability and strength characteristics.
• Toro® 12×12 Rope Heavy-duty 12×12 braided construction rope offering maximum strength for demanding industrial, lifting, and mooring operations.
• Vectran® 12 Strand & 12×12 Rope High-performance Vectran LCP fiber ropes offering zero creep, excellent fatigue resistance, and high strength for demanding marine and industrial applications.
• Technora® 12 Strand Rope High-modulus aramid fiber rope with excellent heat resistance, fatigue resistance, and dimensional stability for harsh environment applications.
• Supertuf Plus Rope DNV Type Approved high-performance rope designed for marine and offshore applications with superior durability and weather resistance.
• Tufflex® Plus Rope DNV Type Approved twisted staple rope construction offering excellent flexibility and durability for maritime and industrial use.
• Nylon Double Braid Rope Durable double-braided nylon rope offering excellent stretch and energy absorption for mooring and anchor lines.
• Polyester Double Braid Rope Strong double-braided polyester rope with low stretch and high UV resistance for marine and industrial applications.
• Spun Polyester Double Braid Rope MIL-Spec compliant spun polyester double braid offering excellent grip and durability for demanding applications.
• Selantic® Round Slings Endless-loop round slings made from high-performance synthetic fibers with protective nylon jackets. Used for heavy lifts in extreme environments with optional fluorescent jackets for subsea visibility.
• SRS™ Round Slings High-performance round slings with vertical capacities ranging from 40,000–500,000 lbs, available in standard lengths from 5–72 ft for heavy industrial lifting. Rated to ASME B30.9 standard with 5:1 work load limit ratio.
• Extender™ Adjustable Slings Adjustable high-performance synthetic rope slings with one permanent eye and one adjustable eye, allowing length adjustment for different applications. Made from Plasma® rope with 5:1 safety factor.
• Plasma® Braided Slings High-strength braided rope slings available in eye-and-eye or endless loop configurations. Up to 86% lighter than steel equivalents with proof-loading to 2x rated capacity.
• Selantic® Tethers DNV Type Approved synthetic mid-water arch tethers engineered for up to 50-year design life in harsh deep-sea environments. Features ROV-friendly connection system for subsea installation.
• Synthetic Strength Members High-performance synthetic over-braids providing steel-wire-equivalent strength at just 14% of the weight. Used for cable reinforcement with no electromagnetic interference, including solutions for tsunami warning buoys and ultra-long CTD research cables.
• Thermoplastic Extrusions Custom extruded cable jackets protecting strength members from mechanical damage and environmental elements. Extruded over HMPE, PET, LCP, Aramids with diameters up to 1.5 inches for various marine and industrial applications.
• Oceanographic Mooring Systems (ETD) Complete mooring solutions for oceanographic buoy systems including the patented Easy-To-Deploy (ETD) mooring line developed with NOAA for tsunami warning buoys.
• Emergency Tow Systems Emergency towing solutions using synthetic rope technology for rapid deployment in salvage and rescue operations.
• Winch Lines High-performance rope solutions designed for winch applications offering extended service life and superior performance compared to wire rope.
• Tug & Salvage Lines Synthetic rope solutions for tugboat operations, harbor assistance, and marine salvage operations designed for safety and ease of handling.
• Utility & Industrial Rope High-performance synthetic ropes for utility and general industrial applications requiring strength, durability, and safety.
• Seismic Ropes Synthetic rope solutions specifically designed for seismic survey and data collection operations.
• Mining Solutions Heavy-duty synthetic rope and sling products for mining applications including conveyor support, equipment handling, and vehicle recovery operations.
• Wind Energy Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% lighter than steel with equivalent strength
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSAIC licenses Cortland's ETD (Easy to Deploy) mooring technology from NOAA for use in DART tsunami warning buoy systems; SAIC produces and provides support for the ETD DART system using this technology
• Caterpillar Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partnership for recovery and towing assembly solutions; co-developed patented technology for heavy equipment applications utilizing synthetic rope technology
• Applied FiberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for socketed terminations on synthetic rope products; Applied Fiber provides specialized termination solutions integrated into Cortland's rope products
• Foss MaritimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on synthetic line solutions for maritime operations; worked with Foss Maritime to develop and implement synthetic rope alternatives for their fleet operations

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marlow Ropes: UK-based synthetic rope manufacturer supplying marine, defense, industrial, and rescue markets with HMPE, aramid, and polyester constructions, overlapping Cortland on technical marine and military rope applications.
• Roblon: Danish industrial rope and fiber manufacturer producing high-performance synthetic ropes, cables, and strength members for offshore, infrastructure, and industrial markets, comparable to Cortland in engineered fiber products.
• Yale Cordage: US synthetic rope specialist focused on high-performance fiber ropes, slings, and pulling products for industrial, military, and arborist applications, with comparable HMPE-based offerings and similar size to Cortland.
• Teufelberger: Austrian manufacturer of steel wire and synthetic fiber ropes for crane, winch, marine, and arborist markets, with a comparable specialty-ropes portfolio and similar focus on engineered high-modulus fiber constructions.
• PMI (Pigeon Mountain Industries): US manufacturer of static and specialty kernmantle ropes for rescue, rope access, military, and industrial markets, comparable in scale and in its focus on engineered, certification-driven synthetic rope.
• Bridon-Bekaert (Bekaert Ropes Group): World's largest steel and synthetic rope manufacturer with deep coverage of mining, marine, oil & gas, and industrial lifting, competing head-to-head with Cortland in synthetic fiber ropes, umbilicals, and engineered tension members.
• Langman Ropes (Kordsa): Netherlands-based synthetic rope producer (part of Kordsa) specializing in mooring, towing, and offshore ropes, directly comparable to Cortland's marine and offshore mooring product lines.
• New England Ropes (Kingfisher): North American rope maker serving marine, industrial, and climbing markets with double-braid and 12-strand constructions, competing in similar channels and end-uses as Cortland.
• Samson Rope Technologies: US-based synthetic fiber rope manufacturer serving marine, industrial, oil & gas, and arborist markets with a comparable product portfolio of HMPE, nylon, and polyester ropes, slings, and tethers, and similar custom-engineering capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• WireCo WorldGroup: Global leader in steel wire rope and synthetic rope assemblies for mining, crane, elevator, and oil & gas markets; a broad incumbent whose synthetic offering overlaps Cortland across multiple end-uses and competes in lifting and mooring.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cortland-company

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Cortland Company