Cordex
Cordex is a Portuguese-founded, privately held manufacturer of agricultural and industrial rope, twine, and netting products, serving 6,500+ customers across 55+ countries through direct sales offices in Europe, the Americas, and Brazil, with branded divisions for agriculture, marine, industrial, and sustainability-led cordage.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersEsmoriz, Portugal
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cordex does
Cordex Companhia Industrial Textil S.A. is a Portuguese-headquartered, privately held manufacturer of agricultural and industrial rope, twine, and netting products, founded in 1969 by Manuel Armando Pereira. The company operates four commercial sub-brands: Cordex Agri (bale netwrap, plastic and sisal baler twine, silage stretch film, and the Hortiline horticultural twine for greenhouse crops), Cordex Aqua (ropes, strands and twines for fishing and marine crafts), Cordex Pro (industrial cordage for construction, geotextiles, packaging, safety, sports/leisure, and telecommunications), and Cordex Eco (the sustainability umbrella covering the Recycord recycled-content range, the Biocord fully biodegradable twine co-developed with Polymateria, and various ESG certifications). Manufacturing is concentrated at the Esmoriz, Portugal headquarters and at the wholly-owned Brazilian subsidiary CORDEBRAS in Camaçari, Bahia (established 2000 to be closer to sisal raw material), with a third entity, CORDENET (established 2002, German knitting looms), adding net-wrap capacity.
The company sells primarily through direct enterprise field sales — regional sales offices and named sales contacts cover Portugal, France (with three sub-regional representatives), the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Spain, the USA (Bensalem, PA), Canada (Newmarket, ON via Cordna Twine & Cordage), and Brazil. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Marketing is driven by an event-led GTM with consistent participation in major agricultural and industrial trade fairs (Agrishow, FIGAN, LAMLA, Agritechnica, FIMA, SIMA, Sommet de l'Elevage, GreenTech, Techtextil, DanFish International) reinforced by a multi-language website and the Agritools cross-platform app for product selection and baling cost calculation. Cordex reached 6,500+ active customers across 55+ countries and reports 600+ employees; certifications include ISO 9001, IQNet, APCER, Zero Waste (2022), and ERDE Climate Protection (2022).
Recent strategic action is concentrated in sustainability-led product differentiation: Biocord (self-destructing plastic baler twine, co-developed with Polymateria) launched at Lamma 2024, joined the ERDE recycling programme, and achieved Zero Waste certification in 2022. The company completed a restructuring in January 2022, divesting the Flex and Flexpur chemical businesses to focus on the core cordage portfolio. There is no indication of external institutional or PE/VC ownership; the company remains under founder-family control organised under the CORDEX SGPS holding structure established in 1997.
Cordex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cordex
- Legal name
- Cordex Companhia Industrial Textil S.A.
- Website
- https://cordex.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Cordex is a Portuguese-founded, privately held manufacturer of agricultural and industrial rope, twine, and netting products, serving 6,500+ customers across 55+ countries through direct sales offices in Europe, the Americas, and Brazil, with branded divisions for agriculture, marine, industrial, and sustainability-led cordage.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cordex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Packaging and Industrial Cordage
- NAICS
- Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills (314994)
- SIC
- Knitting Mills (2250), Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Packaging & Wrapping Technical Textiles (FIBCs/Big Bags/Industrial Sacks/Strapping Substrates) (IMAOADAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Narrow Fabrics & Webbings (Tapes/Ribbons/Straps) (IMAOABAD)
Keywords
Where Cordex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Esmoriz
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Cordex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Agricultural Products: Manufacture and sale of agricultural packaging products including bale netwrap, plastic baler twine, sisal twine, and silage film. Primary revenue stream serving agricultural sector globally.
- Aquatic Products: Production and sale of ropes, strands, and twines for fishing and marine crafts applications.
- Professional/Industrial Products: Industrial rope applications including construction, geotextiles, packaging, safety equipment, sports/leisure products, and telecommunications cables.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cordex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cordex manufactures agricultural and industrial rope, twine, netwrap, and silage film products across four divisions: Cordex Agri (crop baling products including bale netwrap, plastic baler twine, silage film, sisal, and horticultural twines), Cordex Aqua (marine and fishing ropes and twines), Cordex Pro (industrial rope for construction, geotextiles, packaging, safety, sports/leisure, and telecommunications), and Cordex Eco (sustainable products including Recycord recycled-content and Biocord biodegradable twines). Products are produced in Portugal and Brazil and sold in 55+ countries.
Product overview
Cordex is a global manufacturer of agricultural and industrial rope, twine, and netwrap products founded in 1969 in Portugal. The company operates through four main divisions: Cordex Agri (crop baling products including bale netwrap, plastic baler twine, silage film, sisal, and horticultural twines like Hortiline), Cordex Aqua (marine and fishing products including ropes, strands, and twines), and Cordex Pro (industrial products for construction, geotextiles, packaging, safety, sports, and telecommunications). The Cordex Eco initiative covers sustainable products including Recycord (recycled content) and Biocord (biodegradable/self-destructing technology). The company is ISO 9001 certified, Zero Waste certified since 2022, and serves customers in over 55 countries through operations in Portugal, France, UK, USA, Canada, Brazil, Netherlands, Germany, and Poland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cordex Agri: Agricultural crop baling products including bale netwrap, plastic baler twine, silage film, sisal, and horticultural twines (Hortiline)
- Cordex Aqua
- Cordex Pro
- Cordex Eco
- Hortiline
- Silacord
- Biocord
- Recycord
Quantifiable outcome
- Certified Zero Waste company demonstrating commitment to responsible waste management with reduction, reuse, and recycling focus
Companies that use Cordex
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cordex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Cordex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- PolymateriacorePartnership with British innovators Polymateria to develop Biocord, the world's first baler twine with self-destructing plastic technology. This innovative fully biodegradable polypropylene synthetic fiber was showcased at Lamma Show 2024.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cordex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Grupo Armando Alvarez: Spanish packaging group producing polyethylene films for agricultural, industrial and consumer applications. Comparable to Cordex's silage film and agricultural packaging SKUs, with broader packaging portfolio.
- Trioplast Industrier AB: Swedish polyethylene film manufacturer with agricultural stretch film and silage products. Comparable to Cordex Agri's film offerings, primarily serving Northern European agricultural markets.
- Bridon-Bekaert (ropes and cordage): Bekaert's rope and cordage division (formerly Bridon) produces industrial steel and synthetic ropes. Comparable to Cordex's Cordex Pro and Cordex Aqua industrial and marine rope offerings, though at much larger scale.
Direct peers
- RKW Group: European manufacturer of polyethylene films including agricultural silage stretch film and other industrial films. Direct competitor to Cordex's Silacord silage film line across European distributors.
- Tama Group: Israel-headquartered global market leader in agricultural baling twine and netwrap. Tama is the most direct peer to Cordex's Cordex Agri division, competing head-to-head across round-bale netwrap, baler twine and increasingly in stretch film in Europe and the Americas.
- Karatzis S.A. Greek manufacturer of agricultural nets, twines, ropes and shade nets. Karatzis overlaps with Cordex on baler twine and netwrap, as well as industrial and marine rope applications.
- Continental Western Corporation: U.S.-based cordage, rope and twine manufacturer with agricultural and industrial product lines. Comparable to Cordex Agri and Cordex Pro divisions, particularly for North American customers served via Cordna Twine & Cordage.
- Barbier Group: French manufacturer of agricultural films (silage stretch film, mulch films) and baler twine. Direct overlap with Cordex's silage film and baler twine SKUs in the French and broader European market.
- Novatex: Italian manufacturer of agricultural packaging products including baler twine, netwrap and stretch film. Comparable to Cordex in its full 'one-stop' crop baling portfolio and in serving European agricultural distributors.
Regional players
- Donaghys: New Zealand/Australia-based manufacturer of agricultural twine, rope and aquaculture products. Comparable to Cordex's agricultural and aquatic product lines, but focused primarily on Australasia rather than Europe/Americas.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cordex social profiles
Digital presenceCordex compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Cordex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cordex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cordex subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Cordex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cordex 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 Cordex
What does Cordex do?
Cordex manufactures agricultural and industrial rope, twine, netwrap, and silage film products across four divisions: Cordex Agri (crop baling products including bale netwrap, plastic baler twine, silage film, sisal, and horticultural twines), Cordex Aqua (marine and fishing ropes and twines), Cordex Pro (industrial rope for construction, geotextiles, packaging, safety, sports/leisure, and telecommunications), and Cordex Eco (sustainable products including Recycord recycled-content and Biocord biodegradable twines). Products are produced in Portugal and Brazil and sold in 55+ countries.
Is Cordex a public or private company?
Cordex is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cordex founded?
Cordex was founded in 1969. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Cordex based?
Cordex is headquartered in Esmoriz, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Cordex make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Agricultural Products are the primary driver. The others are aquatic Products and professional/Industrial Products.
Who are Cordex's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Grupo Armando Alvarez, Trioplast Industrier AB and Bridon-Bekaert (ropes and cordage). Direct peers are RKW Group, Tama Group, Karatzis S.A., Continental Western Corporation, Barbier Group and Novatex. Donaghys is listed as a regional player.
Does Cordex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cordex.
What industry is Cordex in?
Cordex's product category is Agricultural Packaging and Industrial Cordage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOADAN, Packaging & Wrapping Technical Textiles (FIBCs/Big Bags/Industrial Sacks/Strapping Substrates), with a secondary code of IMAOABAD, Narrow Fabrics & Webbings (Tapes/Ribbons/Straps). Its NAICS code is 314994 and its SIC code is 2250.