Varflex
Varflex is a 100-year-old, Rome, NY-based manufacturer of coated and uncoated braided electrical insulating sleeving serving OEM customers in aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial equipment, data centers, medical, and military wiring harness applications globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1924
- HeadquartersRome, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Varflex does
Varflex Corporation is a 100-year-old, privately held specialty manufacturer of braided electrical insulating sleeving, headquartered in Rome, New York. Founded in 1924, the company operates ~200,000+ sq ft of manufacturing facilities housing nearly 1,000 braider machines and produces both coated and uncoated sleevings across multiple fiber chemistries (fiberglass, Kevlar, Nomex, Nylon, Spectra, Basalt, Polyester) with capabilities spanning temperature ranges of roughly -70°C to +220°C and diameters from 0.02 to 6 inches. Since 2015, the company has been owned by the Griffin Charitable Foundation, which receives 100% of profits and has cumulatively disbursed more than $3.5 million to civic causes in Central New York; this structure explicitly prevents the company from being sold or dismantled.
The company's product portfolio includes the Varglas coated sleeving line (silicone rubber, Viton, ES-4400, silicone resin, acrylic, hermetic), uncoated lines (S1600, Non-Fray, Litewall, Volan, Nomex, Silflex, Nylon), the Varspan expandable monofilament polyester line, PVC Hi-Temp Coated Nylon via partnership with Coats North America, industrial yarns, braider packages, and custom overbraiding services. It serves OEMs in aerospace and defense (U.S. Armed Forces, International Space Station), automotive (Harley-Davidson), industrial equipment (General Electric), construction/landmark installations (Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty Museum), data centers, medical equipment, and military wiring harnesses.
Varflex operates a sales-led B2B model with direct sales for custom OEM work and an extensive multi-tier distribution network (EIS Inc., IEWC, McMaster-Carr, Wiremasters, HISCO, plus regional specialists) covering more than 50 countries; select standardized products are sold through an e-commerce storefront. Pricing is quote-based, with custom configurations typically handled via multi-year OEM contracts. The company is debt-free, ISO 9001:2015 certified, and qualified under UL, CSA, RoHS, REACH, FMVSS 302, and multiple MIL-specs.
Varflex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Varflex
- Legal name
- Varflex Corporation
- Website
- https://varflex.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1924
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Varflex is a 100-year-old, Rome, NY-based manufacturer of coated and uncoated braided electrical insulating sleeving serving OEM customers in aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial equipment, data centers, medical, and military wiring harness applications globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Varflex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electrical Insulating Sleeving
- NAICS
- Narrow Fabric Mills and Schiffli Machine Embroidery (31322), Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills (313110)
- SIC
- Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial & Technical Yarn Manufacturing (High-Tenacity/Aramid/Carbon/Glass) (IMAOAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Tire Cord & Industrial Reinforcement Fabrics (IMAOABAK)
Keywords
Where Varflex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rome
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Varflex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Electrical Insulating Sleeving Products: Manufactures and sells custom electrical insulating sleeving solutions including coated and uncoated sleevings, available in various sizes, colors, types and grades on spools, coils, rods and cut pieces
- High Performance Fibers and Yarns: Twisted and plied yarns including fiberglass, kevlar, basalt, spectra, nomex, nylon, polyester for industrial applications
- Custom Manufacturing Services: Custom product capabilities including overbraiding, specialty coatings, cutting, stapling, sewing, striping for OEM wire harness solutions
- Braider Packages: Winder tubes and braider packages for braiding machines, winding machines and weaving machines
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard product catalog with custom capabilities |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom OEM solutions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Varflex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Varflex manufactures custom electrical insulating sleeving—coated and uncoated braided sleevings used to protect wires, cables, and harnesses across OEM, aviation, military, automotive, medical equipment, and industrial applications. The company produces fiberglass, Kevlar, Nomex, and other high-performance fiber sleevings in numerous sizes, supported by in-house braiding, twisting, plying, and coating capabilities. Varflex also offers custom overbraiding services and supplies industrial yarns and braider packages.
Product overview
Varflex Corporation is a 100-year-old manufacturer of electrical insulating sleeving solutions headquartered in Rome, New York. The company's product portfolio consists primarily of braided sleeving products organized into two main categories: Coated Sleeving (including Varglas 240 Silicone Rubber, Varglas Viton 231, Varglas ES-4400, Varglas Silicone Resin 500, Varglas A397 & 343 Acrylic, Varglas SR-9400, Varflo, Varfil, and Varglas Hermetic) and Uncoated Sleeving (including Varglas S1600, Varglas Non-Fray, Varglas Litewall, Varglas Volan, Nomex, Silflex, and Varglas Nylon). Supporting product lines include Varspan Expandable Sleeving (polyester monofilament in GP, HD, FR, and HT versions), PVC Hi-Temp Coated Nylon, Industrial Yarns/High Performance Fibers, and Braider Packages. The company also offers Custom Overbraiding Services and Custom Product Capabilities for specialty coatings, cutting, and custom configurations. All products are manufactured in-house with vertical integration from yarn twisting and plying through braiding, coating, and finishing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Varglas Coated Sleeving
Quantifiable outcome
- Temperature range from -70°C to +220°C depending on product type
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Varflex
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Varflex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Varflex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Griffin Charitable FoundationcoreOwnership of Varflex was transferred to the Griffin Charitable Foundation, formed by William and Dorothy Griffin's individual charities. The foundation protects the company from being sold or dismantled and uses funds to help social and civic projects throughout Rome and surrounding area including healthcare, education, food pantries, and human services.
- Coats North AmericacoreCoats North America manufactures XTRU™ N material - high temperature resistant PVC polymer with high tenacity nylon core - which Varflex uses to produce PVC Hi-Temp Coated Nylon products for extreme environment wiring harness applications.
- EIS Inc.majorMajor distributor with over 30 locations across USA, Caribbean, Canada and Mexico serving industrial customers.
- IEWCmajorDistributor with 30 locations in 11 countries including USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia serving global industrial market.
- McMaster-CarrmajorIndustrial supply distributor with locations in Illinois, California, New Jersey, Georgia and Ohio providing access to broad industrial customer base.
- WiremastersmajorDistributor with locations in USA, Canada, Mexico and Germany serving wire and cable industry customers.
- HISCO Inc.majorIndustrial distributor serving USA, Canada and Mexico markets.
- Alternative Wire & Cable LLCminorRegional distributor based in Missouri serving Midwestern industrial customers.
- Andarr Industries Inc.minorRegional distributor based in Edmonton, Canada serving Canadian industrial customers.
- BAE Wire & InsulationminorRegional distributor based in Bradenton, Florida serving Southeastern US industrial customers.
- Blake Wire & Cable CorporationminorRegional distributor based in Van Nuys, California serving Western US industrial customers.
- ElectrowindminorRegional distributor based in Guelph, Canada serving Canadian industrial customers.
- EIMET Electrical Insulation CompanyminorRegional distributor based in Markham, Canada serving Canadian electrical insulation market.
- ICO RallyminorRegional distributor with locations in Iowa and California serving Midwest and Western US.
- Insulation Supply CompanyminorRegional distributor based in California serving California industrial customers.
- Masten-Wright, Inc.minorRegional distributor based in Connecticut serving Northeastern US industrial customers.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Varflex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Von Roll: Von Roll (which acquired Bentley Harris) is a global manufacturer of electrical insulation systems, including braided fiberglass and high-performance fiber sleeving directly competing with Varflex across motors, generators, transformers, and aerospace applications.
- Techflex: Techflex is a leading US manufacturer of braided expandable sleeving products for wire and cable protection, directly competing with Varflex's Varspan expandable and fiberglass braided offerings in industrial, automotive, and OEM markets.
- Bally Ribbon Mills (Atkins & Pearce): Bally Ribbon Mills (incorporating the legacy Atkins & Pearce braided textile business) manufactures narrow braided fabrics using fiberglass, aramid, and other high-performance fibers for industrial and aerospace applications, overlapping with Varflex's braided insulation and high-performance yarn offerings.
- Davlyn Group: Davlyn Group manufactures custom braided textile components including fiberglass and high-temperature sleeving for industrial, appliance, and automotive applications, making it a direct comparable in product form factor and customer base.
- Insulflex (Insulation Corporation of America): Insulflex manufactures coated and uncoated electrical insulating sleeving including fiberglass and silicone products, directly overlapping with Varflex's core Varglas coated sleeving portfolio in the OEM wire harness and motor/generator markets.
Broad incumbents
- TennTex (DRiV / Tenneco Powertrain): TennTex (part of the Tenneco/DRiV portfolio) manufactures braided fiberglass and industrial textile sleeving used in automotive, appliance, and powertrain applications, overlapping with Varflex's coated/uncoated sleeving but at significantly broader scale.
- TE Connectivity: TE Connectivity is a global incumbent in connectivity and sensor solutions that offers heat-shrink tubing, electrical insulation, and protective sleeving across aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial markets, providing broader-portfolio competition to Varflex's specialty offerings.
- Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics: Saint-Gobain produces specialty technical textiles including high-temperature braided sleeving and high-performance fiber insulation products serving aerospace, industrial, and defense markets, positioning it as a broad incumbent competing with Varflex's specialty braided insulation.
Others
- DuPont: DuPont is the upstream supplier of Nomex aramid and Kevlar high-performance fibers that Varflex braids into many of its sleeving products, making it a critical enabling supplier and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
Emerging players
- Roxtec: Roxtec specializes in cable and pipe transit sealing for marine, industrial, and infrastructure projects with a specialty focus that partially overlaps with Varflex's wire and cable protection offerings but addresses a different end-use application.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Varflex social profiles
Digital presenceVarflex compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance11 records
Varflex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Varflex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Varflex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Varflex M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Varflex
What does Varflex do?
Varflex manufactures custom electrical insulating sleeving—coated and uncoated braided sleevings used to protect wires, cables, and harnesses across OEM, aviation, military, automotive, medical equipment, and industrial applications. The company produces fiberglass, Kevlar, Nomex, and other high-performance fiber sleevings in numerous sizes, supported by in-house braiding, twisting, plying, and coating capabilities. Varflex also offers custom overbraiding services and supplies industrial yarns and braider packages.
Is Varflex a public or private company?
Varflex is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Varflex founded?
Varflex was founded in 1924. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Varflex based?
Varflex is headquartered in Rome, United States, in the North America region.
How does Varflex make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Electrical Insulating Sleeving Products are the primary driver. The others are high Performance Fibers and Yarns, custom Manufacturing Services and braider Packages.
Who are Varflex's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Von Roll, Techflex, Bally Ribbon Mills (Atkins & Pearce), Davlyn Group and Insulflex (Insulation Corporation of America). Broad incumbents are TennTex (DRiV / Tenneco Powertrain), TE Connectivity and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. DuPont is listed as an others. Roxtec is listed as an emerging player.
Does Varflex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Varflex.
What industry is Varflex in?
Varflex's product category is Electrical Insulating Sleeving. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAAAG, Industrial & Technical Yarn Manufacturing (High-Tenacity/Aramid/Carbon/Glass), with a secondary code of IMAOABAK, Tire Cord & Industrial Reinforcement Fabrics. Its NAICS code is 31322 and its SIC code is 2221.