Aplix
Aplix is a French family-owned manufacturer of hook-and-loop fastening and closure systems, ranking N°2 worldwide with €193M revenue and 957 employees. It sells directly to OEMs across personal care, automotive, aerospace, packaging, and military markets via five production plants on four continents.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersLe Cellier, France
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Aplix does
Aplix (legal entity APLIX S.A.) is a French family-owned industrial manufacturer of hook-and-loop fastening and closure systems, founded in 1958 as Velcro France and rebranded APLIX in 1976 after the original Velcro patents expired. The company ranks N°2 worldwide in hook-and-loop fasteners, employs approximately 957 associates, and reports annual turnover of €193M. It operates five production plants in France, the United States, Brazil, and China, supported by wholly-owned sales subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, and Canada plus an India marketing partner.
The product portfolio spans textile hook-and-loop tapes (aplix 800, 810, 840, 821/820, 803/800 series for industrial and military use), plastic hook tapes (aplix 963, 740/745, 966), light-weight knit and nonwoven loops, hook-to-hook closures (Easylock for packaging), elastic stretch laminates (SoftFit), and the patented Intermold injection-molded hook technology. Manufacturing capabilities are vertically integrated across weaving, knitting, yarn texturing, dyeing, extrusion, injection molding, coating, laminating, and converting. The company holds certifications including OEKO-TEX, DERMATEST, BRCGS, FAR25.856(a), IATF 16949 (PARAFIX Brazil, 2024), ISO 14001 (French facilities), and US/French military specifications including Berry Amendment compliance.
Aplix sells direct to OEM customers across eight verticals — personal care (its primary segment, serving diaper and incontinence manufacturers), automotive, aerospace, packaging, cleaning, healthcare, construction, and military/security. Pricing is quote-based and project-driven, with products specified into customer bills of materials under technical certifications that create requalification costs for switchers. The Billarant family has controlled the company through three generations; no external private equity investment has been disclosed, and the company has remained privately held since founding.
Aplix firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aplix
- Legal name
- APLIX S.A
- Website
- https://aplix.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Aplix is a French family-owned manufacturer of hook-and-loop fastening and closure systems, ranking N°2 worldwide with €193M revenue and 957 employees. It sells directly to OEMs across personal care, automotive, aerospace, packaging, and military markets via five production plants on four continents.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aplix industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Hook and Loop Fasteners
- NAICS
- Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)
- SIC
- Bolts, Nuts, Screws, Rivets & Washers (3452), Plastics Products, Nec (3089)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lidding, Sealant & Packaging Webs (Heat-Seal, Peelable, Retort Lids) (IMALABAG)
Keywords
Where Aplix is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Le Cellier
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Aplix business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hook and Loop Fastener Sales: APLIX manufactures and commercializes hook and loop tapes and fastening solutions for professional technical markets. Products include textile hook and loop, plastic hooks, light weight loops, stretch laminates, and converted/fabricated products. Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales to manufacturers in personal care, automotive, aerospace, packaging, healthcare, construction, and military/security industries.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Aplix product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aplix designs, manufactures, and commercializes value-added hook and loop fastening solutions for professional and technical markets. Its portfolio spans textile hook and loop tapes, plastic extruded hooks, light-weight loops, hook-to-hook closures for flexible packaging, elastic stretch laminates, injection-molded hooks, and converted/fabricated products. Products serve OEMs in personal care (diapers, incontinence), automotive, aerospace, packaging, healthcare, construction, cleaning, and military/security industries.
Product overview
Aplix is a hook and loop fastener manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of fastening and closure solutions for professional and technical markets. The product portfolio includes: textile hook and loop tapes (aplix 800, 810, 840, 821/820, 803/800 series) for industrial applications; plastic hook products (aplix 963, 740/745, 966); light weight loops (knitted and nonwoven); hook-to-hook closures (Easylock by Aplix); elastic stretch laminates (SoftFit by Aplix); and injection-molded hooks (Intermold). Brand products include SoftGrip by Aplix (hooks and hook tapes for personal care/diapers), SoftLoop by Aplix (nonwoven loop), TexLoop by Aplix (knit loop), DecoGrip by Aplix (construction solutions), and Onefix by Parafix (linerless adhesive labels). Aplix operates 5 production plants in the US, France, Brazil, and China, serving markets including personal care, automotive, aircraft, packaging, cleaning, healthcare, construction, and military/security.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DecoGrip by Aplix: Ultra-thin hook and loop closure solution for flooring installation and wall covering applications.
- Easylock by Aplix
- Intermold
- SoftFit by Aplix
- SoftGrip by Aplix
- SoftLoop by Aplix
- TexLoop by Aplix
- ONEFIX by Parafix
Products and services
- Textile hook and loop tapes
Quantifiable outcome
- Cycle life up to 10,000 cycles for textile hook and loop products
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Aplix
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles8 records
Aplix technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Aplix partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Velcro S.A.historicalHistorical licensing relationship ended in 1976 after patent expiration. APLIX (originally Velcro France) was one of the first companies to produce and market hook and loop fasteners under license from Velcro S.A. founded by Georges de Mestral. After patent expiration in 1976, the company changed its name to APLIX and adopted the aplix trademark.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Aplix competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Velcro S.A. Original inventor and world's #1 producer of hook and loop fasteners, with the eponymous brand that became a generic category name. Directly competes with Aplix across personal care, automotive, packaging, and industrial fastening applications using the same underlying hook-and-loop technology.
- YKK Group: Global leader in fastening solutions, best known for zippers but also producing hook-and-loop fasteners and plastic hook products for apparel, automotive, and industrial customers. Comparable to Aplix as a multi-technology fastening specialist serving technical B2B markets worldwide.
- Paiho: Taiwanese hook and loop fastener manufacturer with strong presence in personal care/diaper closures and industrial markets. Direct competitor to Aplix in diaper fastening systems and a key Asian volume producer in the same product category.
- Scapa Group: UK-based manufacturer of industrial hook-and-loop fasteners, technical tapes, and bonding solutions serving healthcare, industrial, and consumer markets. Closely comparable to Aplix's industrial fastener business with similar product formats and customer profiles.
- Zip-Pak: Specialist in reclosable zipper and hook-to-hook closures for flexible packaging, directly competing with Aplix's Easylock product line in pet food, confectionery, and dry goods packaging. Highly comparable on technology, customer base, and the sustainability-driven reclosability trend.
Broad incumbents
- 3M: Diversified global manufacturer whose Industrial Adhesives & Tapes division includes hook-and-loop fasteners (Dual Lock, Scotchmate) alongside a much broader portfolio. Comparable to Aplix in fastener technology and end markets but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a fastening specialist.
- Tesa SE: Beiersdorf-owned manufacturer of adhesive tapes including industrial hook-and-loop products, serving automotive, electronics, and construction markets. Overlaps with Aplix in technical fastening applications but operates as a broad industrial tape incumbent rather than a fastener pure-play.
- Kuraray: Japanese specialty chemicals and materials company with a Magic Tape hook-and-loop fastener business serving apparel, automotive, and industrial customers. Comparable to Aplix in hook-and-loop technology and end markets, but Kuraray operates as a broad materials incumbent.
- H.B. Fuller: Global industrial adhesives and sealants manufacturer serving packaging, hygiene, construction, and automotive markets. Comparable to Aplix as a B2B supplier into hygiene and packaging converters, though H.B. Fuller is bond-focused rather than mechanical-fastener focused.
- Bostik: Arkema-owned global adhesives manufacturer with strong positions in hygiene (diaper construction), packaging, and industrial assembly. Adjacent competitor to Aplix in the diaper value chain, particularly as adhesive-based closures compete with mechanical hook-and-loop systems.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aplix social profiles
Digital presenceAplix compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Aplix financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aplix leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Aplix subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Aplix funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aplix M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aplix
What does Aplix do?
Aplix designs, manufactures, and commercializes value-added hook and loop fastening solutions for professional and technical markets. Its portfolio spans textile hook and loop tapes, plastic extruded hooks, light-weight loops, hook-to-hook closures for flexible packaging, elastic stretch laminates, injection-molded hooks, and converted/fabricated products. Products serve OEMs in personal care (diapers, incontinence), automotive, aerospace, packaging, healthcare, construction, cleaning, and military/security industries.
Is Aplix a public or private company?
Aplix is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Aplix founded?
Aplix was founded in 1958. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Aplix based?
Aplix is headquartered in Le Cellier, France, in the Europe region.
How does Aplix make money?
One revenue line is on record: hook and Loop Fastener Sales.
Who are Aplix's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Velcro S.A., YKK Group, Paiho, Scapa Group and Zip-Pak. Broad incumbents are 3M, Tesa SE, Kuraray, H.B. Fuller and Bostik.
Does Aplix have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aplix.
What industry is Aplix in?
Aplix's product category is Industrial Hook and Loop Fasteners. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALABAG, Lidding, Sealant & Packaging Webs (Heat-Seal, Peelable, Retort Lids). Its NAICS code is 3261 and its SIC code is 3452.