What Safilin does

Safilin is a family-owned French manufacturer of linen and hemp yarns, founded in 1778 by the Salmon family in Armentières and currently headquartered in Sailly-sur-la-Lys, Hauts-de-France. The company operates production facilities across three sites: wet-spinning and hackling at Szczytno, Poland (established 1997; ~2,000 t/yr), dry-spinning at Miłakowo, Poland (established 1995; ~2,500 t/yr), and a recently reopened spinning mill in Hauts-de-France (2021–2022) with planned capacity of ~350 t/yr. Safilin employs roughly 500 people across France and Poland and sells into more than 50 countries, with a portfolio covering linen yarns in metric counts Nm 1.8–50, hemp yarns (Nm 15–20), linen strings/twine, hackled slivers, rovings (blending up to 32 hackled slivers), and composite/technical products.

The company's core technology is a dual spinning platform — wet-spinning for fine fashion and bed/table linen yarns and dry-spinning for rustic upholstery and home furnishing applications — combined with a fully integrated hackling workshop, proprietary blending recipes, optional natural treatments (washing, pre-bleaching), and last-generation splicing-based quality control. It holds a dense certification stack (Masters of Linen, GOTS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EcoVadis Bronze) supporting a 100% European flax traceability claim from field to finished yarn.

Safilin monetizes through direct B2B sales of yarn as a raw-material input, served by an enterprise field-sales motion and a tri-segment website funnel targeting fashion/luxury brands, home textile/furnishing manufacturers, and industrial/composite buyers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer evidence is limited — only Lemahieu is named publicly — and customer concentration appears low given the horizontal segment mix and 50+ country reach. The company reinvests modestly in expansion (French mill, Hemp4Circularity, composite materials, blended yarns) and operates without external private equity or venture funding.

Name

Safilin

Legal name

Safilin

Website

https://safilin.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1778

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Safilin is a family-owned French linen and hemp yarn manufacturer founded in 1778, operating production facilities in France and Poland with ~500 employees. It produces premium European natural-fiber yarns and rovings for fashion/luxury brands, home textiles, and industrial composite applications across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Linen and Hemp Yarn Manufacturing

NAICS

Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills (31311)

SIC

Textile Mill Products (2200)

akta.pro primary industry

Textured & Specialty Yarn Manufacturing (Textured/Chenille/Bouclé) (IMAOAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Textiles & Fabric / Piece Goods Wholesale (CRAOADAH)

Keywords

• Linen yarn spinning
• Hemp yarn manufacturing
• Wet spinning technology
• Flax fibre production
• Natural fibre composites

Headquarters

HQ city

Sailly-sur-la-lys

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 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. Linen Yarn Sales: Safilin generates revenue through the sale of linen and hemp yarns, strings, and related textile products manufactured via wet and dry spinning. Products range from Nm 1.8 to Nm 50, made from long fibres, hackled tow, or scutched tow, with full traceability guaranteed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Safilin manufactures and sells premium European linen and hemp yarns, strings, rovings, and composite/technical fibre products. Production uses in-house wet-spinning and dry-spinning technologies at facilities in France and Poland, with annual capacity of 4,500 tonnes and yarn counts ranging from Nm 1.8 to Nm 50. Products are supplied to fashion brands, home textile manufacturers, and industrial/composite buyers.

Product overview

Safilin is a European manufacturer specializing in natural fiber yarns and textile products, operating since 1778. The company produces linen yarns in various counts (Nm 1.8-50) through wet and dry spinning technologies, hemp yarns (Nm 15-20), linen strings/twine, and composite/technical products including roving. Production facilities are located in Poland (Szczytno for wet-spinning and Milakowo for dry-spinning) with a reopened mill in France (Hauts-de-Calais). The product portfolio serves fashion/apparel, home textiles, and industrial/composite applications, with full traceability from field to finished yarn guaranteed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Linen Yarns (Nm 1.8 to Nm 50) Premium European flax linen yarns available in metric counts from Nm 1.8 to Nm 50, produced via wet-spinning and dry-spinning processes, for fashion apparel, bed linen, table linen, and home textile applications. Sold to fashion brands, textile mills, and home textile manufacturers.
• Hemp Yarns (Nm 15, Nm 20) Sustainable textile hemp yarns in Nm 15 and Nm 20 counts, produced via wet-spinning processes, suitable for apparel and technical applications. Targeted at brands and industrial buyers seeking plant-based natural fibre alternatives.
• Linen Strings and Twine European flax linen strings and twine products for various industrial and craft applications. Sold to industrial buyers and craft users requiring natural-fibre cordage.
• Composite & Technical Fibre Products (Roving and Yarn) Natural fibre composite materials and technical textiles using flax and hemp fibres, including roving products for composite reinforcement, technical textiles, ropes, canvas, insulation panels, and acoustic tiles. Sold to industrial and engineering buyers in transport, construction, and sports equipment markets.
• 100% Linen Yarn Range for Flat and Circular Knitting A 100% linen yarn range developed specifically for flat and circular knitting applications, targeting knitting mills and apparel converters seeking natural fibre inputs for knit garments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual combined production capacity of 4,500 tonnes across Polish facilities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ValbiomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Valbiom is the lead coordinator and initiator of the Hemp4Circularity project. As the coordinating partner, Valbiom facilitates knowledge sharing and multi-disciplinary cooperation among the 11 partners across 4 countries in the €3.8M Interreg North-West Europe initiative.
• Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp (CELC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023European agro-industrial organization representing the European flax and hemp industry. Safilin participates as a partner in Hemp4Circularity alongside CELC, contributing to the development of a local and circular textile hemp value chain in North-West Europe.
• Lin et Chanvre BiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023French association for organic linen and hemp. Partner in the Hemp4Circularity Interreg project, contributing expertise in organic hemp cultivation and processing for textile applications.
• Van de BiltminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Dutch flax seed breeder and producer, also operating in scutching and hackling. Partner in Hemp4Circularity, providing expertise in textile hemp seed selection and primary processing.
• DelphyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Dutch agricultural research and advisory organization. Partner in Hemp4Circularity providing research expertise and agricultural data digitalization for hemp cultivation trials.
• NatuvalisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023German decortication (defibring) unit. Partner in Hemp4Circularity, contributing expertise in mechanical hemp fibre extraction for textile applications.
• InagrominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Belgian agricultural research centre. Partner in Hemp4Circularity, providing agronomic research expertise for textile hemp cultivation trials in North-West Europe.
• HOGENT (University of Applied Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Belgian university of applied sciences with FTILab research centre for textiles and clothing, and AgroFoodNature agronomic research centre. Partner in Hemp4Circularity providing textile R&D and processing expertise.
• LibecominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Belgian linen weaver. Partner in Hemp4Circularity, contributing expertise in weaving linen and hemp fabrics and representing the downstream textile conversion stage of the value chain.
• HylerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Belgian harvest machine manufacturer. Partner in Hemp4Circularity providing expertise in mechanising hemp harvesting, a key bottleneck for scaling textile hemp production.
• NativaTMminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Partnership for producing linen/wool blended yarns. Safilin collaborates with NativaTM to create blended yarns combining the properties of plant and animal fibres, offering fully traceable blended yarn to the market.
• Hemp4Circularity Associated PartnersminorOthers · 1 March 2023Five associated partners providing supplementary expertise and ecosystem support to the core 11 partners in the Hemp4Circularity project: EIHA (industry association), ETP (technology platform), BaFa (German defibring), Hempage (German fashion brand), and Bioeconomy for Change (French competitiveness cluster).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Loro Piana: Italian luxury textile house (LVMH-owned) producing premium natural-fiber yarns including cashmere, wool, and linen blends. Comparable as a high-end European yarn manufacturer targeting luxury fashion and home textile customers; broader portfolio but overlapping premium positioning with Safilin.
• Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia: Italian yarn mill producing fine merino wool and natural-fiber yarns for premium knitwear and apparel. Comparable as a vertically integrated European yarn manufacturer serving luxury and contemporary fashion brands, with broader natural-fiber scope than Safilin but similar B2B go-to-market.

Direct peers

• Spoerry 1866: Swiss heritage flax yarn spinner with comparable long-history European positioning. Operates wet-spun flax yarn production serving luxury shirting and home textiles — directly overlapping Safilin's premium fashion and home textile customer base with similar traceability-led value proposition.
• Libeco: Belgian linen weaver and yarn converter, partner to Safilin in Hemp4Circularity. Both companies operate within the European Flax/Masters of Linen ecosystem and serve overlapping home textile and apparel brand customers, making Libeco a tightly-linked value-chain peer and occasional customer.
• Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale: Italian linen and hemp yarn spinner founded in 1873. Most direct comparable to Safilin: produces wet-spun linen and hemp yarns from Nm 1/1 to higher counts serving similar fashion, home textile, and technical textile customers. Both compete in the European premium linen yarn segment.
• Van de Bilt zaden en vlas: Dutch flax seed breeder and scutching/hackling operator, partner to Safilin in Hemp4Circularity. Operates at the upstream flax processing stage that feeds Safilin's spinning lines, making it a tightly coupled industry peer within the European linen value chain.

Emerging players

• Hempage: German sustainable fashion brand using European hemp and linen fibers, associated partner in Hemp4Circularity. Represents a downstream emerging player validating European hemp-based textile demand, signaling where Safilin's hemp yarn capacity could find growing market pull.

Others

• Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp (CELC): European agro-industrial organization representing the European flax and hemp industry. Safilin is an active member and Masters of Linen certifier. The alliance shapes industry-wide marketing and sustainability standards that directly influence Safilin's commercial positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Safilin1778
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safilin
• Instagraminstagram.com/safilin

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Safilin