Performance Inflatables
Performance Inflatables is a privately-held specialty manufacturer founded in 1989 that designs and produces engineered inflatable products — lift bags, pipe plugs, and now flexible liners — under the AEF and Subsalve brands, serving U.S. Navy, commercial diving, and marine construction customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersPicayune, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Performance Inflatables does
Performance Inflatables is a privately-held specialty industrial manufacturer founded in 1989 and headquartered in Picayune, Mississippi, with a subsidiary operation in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The company designs and produces engineered inflatable products — underwater lift bags, air lift bags, space (air) lift bags, and pipe plugs — under two distinct brand families: Avon Engineered Fabrications (AEF), oriented toward military, public-safety, and commercial diving applications, and Subsalve U.S.A., oriented toward commercial marine, construction, and consumer buoyancy use cases. Manufacturing is based on coated fabrics and engineered elastomers assembled via pressure-rated, seam-welded construction, with U.S. Navy approvals and military specifications cited as central to the value proposition.
The business operates a B2B, specification-driven model: products are sold direct under each brand identity to defense procurement, commercial diving contractors, and marine construction firms, with technical documentation, certifications, and engineering support positioned as the basis for purchase. Revenue mechanics rest on contract and specification sales rather than high-volume distribution, and military procurement represents a meaningful share of demand. In November 2024 the company acquired Flexi-Liner, a flexible tanking and liner manufacturer, extending the platform into adjacent industrial containment and fluid-management product lines.
The company employs 51-100 people across its two sites, has accumulated more than 30 years of operating history under Performance Inflatables and references 40+ years of buoyancy engineering heritage through the Subsalve brand lineage. It is privately held with no disclosed financial statements, funding events, or institutional investors surfaced in the available data.
Performance Inflatables firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Performance Inflatables
- Legal name
- Performance Inflatables Company
- Website
- https://performanceinflatables.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Performance Inflatables is a privately-held specialty manufacturer founded in 1989 that designs and produces engineered inflatable products — lift bags, pipe plugs, and now flexible liners — under the AEF and Subsalve brands, serving U.S. Navy, commercial diving, and marine construction customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Performance Inflatables is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Picayune
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Performance Inflatables 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
Revenue model
- Product Sales (Off-the-shelf): Ready-to-go products available off the shelf including underwater lifting bags, vehicle recovery systems, pipe pluggers, aircraft lifting bags, proof load testing products, ordinance disposal systems, liquid containment systems, and berm liners.
- Custom Design Builds: Custom engineered inflatable solutions built to customer specifications when standard products do not meet requirements. Full partnership approach from ideation through deployment.
- Professional Services: Support services from ideation through purchase to deployment, including engineering consultation and ongoing support.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Performance Inflatables product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Performance Inflatables designs and manufactures engineered inflatable solutions for underwater, terrestrial, air, and space environments through two subsidiary brands: Subsalve (buoyancy inflatables including underwater lifting bags, vehicle recovery systems, pipe pluggers, aircraft lifting bags, proof load testing products, and ordinance disposal systems) and Avon Engineered Fabrications (AEF) (high-durability flexibles including liquid containment systems, berm liners, emergency water distribution systems, air cushion vehicle skirts, deployable solids management, and industrial diaphragms). The company offers both off-the-shelf products and custom engineered design builds.
Product overview
Performance Inflatables is a unified family of brands providing engineered inflatable solutions across multiple environments. The portfolio comprises two primary sub-brands: Subsalve (specializing in buoyancy inflatables for underwater applications including underwater lifting bags, vehicle recovery systems, pipe pluggers, aircraft lifting bags, proof load testing products, and ordinance disposal systems) and Avon Engineered Fabrications (AEF) (offering high-durability flexibles including liquid containment systems, berm liners, emergency water distribution systems, air cushion vehicle skirts, deployable solids management, and industrial diaphragms). Together, they serve military, commercial, and consumer applications from subsea to space environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Avon AEF: High-durability flexible solutions including liquid containment systems, berm liners, emergency water distribution systems, air cushion vehicle skirts, deployable solids management, and industrial diaphragms
- Subsalve
Products and services
- Underwater Lifting Bags Inflatable buoyancy bags for underwater lifting operations, used by divers, military operations, and commercial marine applications requiring rigorous performance standards.
- Vehicle Recovery Systems Inflatable systems designed to recover vehicles from underwater or difficult-to-access environments, serving commercial and government customers.
- Pipe Pluggers Inflatable pipe plugs used to seal pipes for testing, maintenance, or flow control in industrial and commercial pipeline applications.
- Aircraft Lifting Bags Inflatable lifting bags designed for aircraft recovery and lifting, including military fuel storage applications and terrestrial recovery operations.
- Proof Load Testing Products Inflatable products used for load testing applications to verify structural capacity and safety in engineering and industrial contexts.
- Ordinance Disposal Systems Inflatable systems designed to safely handle and dispose of ordnance, serving military and defense applications.
- Liquid Containment Systems High-durability flexible containment systems for liquid storage and management in industrial and environmental applications.
- Berm Liners Flexible liner products used in berm construction for spill containment and secondary containment applications across industrial sites.
- Emergency Water Distribution Systems Deployable inflatable water distribution systems designed for emergency response and rapid deployment in disaster or humanitarian scenarios.
- Air Cushion Vehicle Skirts Flexible skirt components for air cushion vehicles, providing lift and propulsion capabilities in hovercraft and similar applications.
- Deployable Solids Management Inflatable systems designed to manage and contain solid materials in industrial, environmental, or military applications.
- Industrial Diaphragms High-durability flexible diaphragm components used in industrial machinery, actuators, and pressure-control applications.
- Custom Design Builds Bespoke engineered inflatable solutions built to customer specifications when standard products cannot meet requirements, with full partnership engagement from ideation through deployment.
Quantifiable outcome
- Solutions deployed from 36,000 feet below sea level to outer space
Companies that use Performance Inflatables
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Performance Inflatables technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Performance Inflatables partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Avon Engineered Fabrications (AEF)coreAvon Engineered Fabrications is a subsidiary brand under Performance Inflatables focused on high-durability flexible solutions including liquid containment systems, berm liners, emergency water distribution systems, air cushion vehicle skirts, deployable solids management, and industrial diaphragms.
- Subsalve U.S.A.coreSubsalve is a subsidiary brand under Performance Inflatables specializing in buoyancy solutions with over 40 years of experience. Products include underwater lifting bags, vehicle recovery systems, pipe pluggers, aircraft lifting bags, proof load testing products, and ordinance disposal systems. Recognized as go-to supplier for US Navy dive operations.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Performance Inflatables competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Stearns: Recreational and commercial marine safety brand producing inflatable PFDs, life jackets, and related safety equipment. Comparable in inflatable safety technology, though more recreational-skewed than Performance Inflatables.
- NRS (Northwest River Supplies): Water-sports and paddling equipment brand with inflatable rafts, catarafts, and rescue gear. Adjacent to Performance Inflatables' consumer-facing inflatable segment but more recreational.
Broad incumbents
- Trelleborg AB: Global engineered polymer group with marine, offshore, and aerospace engineered solutions including buoyancy, sealing, and protective systems. Overlaps directly with Performance Inflatables' subsea and aerospace product lines but as part of a much broader portfolio.
Direct peers
- VIKING Life-Saving Equipment: Marine safety company specializing in liferafts, evacuation systems, and offshore safety inflatables. Closely comparable to Performance Inflatables' subsea buoyancy and life-safety applications.
- Avon Protection (formerly Avon Rubber p.l.c.): Defense and security products company with a heritage in inflatable marine and protective equipment. Comparable in specialty inflatable engineering and defense/maritime customer overlap (distinct from Performance Inflatables' wholly owned AEF subsidiary).
- Mustang Survival: Manufacturer of marine safety and inflatable products including PFDs, immersion suits, and tactical/marine gear. Comparable in inflatable technology and defense/marine end markets.
- Survitec Group: Marine safety and survival equipment manufacturer producing inflatable liferafts, escape systems, and defense/maritime safety products. Directly comparable to Subsalve in inflatable safety/buoyancy technology and defense/maritime customer base.
- Markleen: Specialist in marine oil spill response and inflatable containment booms. Comparable niche specialty-inflatable manufacturer serving marine, offshore, and environmental response customers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Performance Inflatables social profiles
Digital presencePerformance Inflatables financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Performance Inflatables leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Performance Inflatables subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Performance Inflatables funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Performance Inflatables M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Performance Inflatables
What does Performance Inflatables do?
Performance Inflatables designs and manufactures engineered inflatable solutions for underwater, terrestrial, air, and space environments through two subsidiary brands: Subsalve (buoyancy inflatables including underwater lifting bags, vehicle recovery systems, pipe pluggers, aircraft lifting bags, proof load testing products, and ordinance disposal systems) and Avon Engineered Fabrications (AEF) (high-durability flexibles including liquid containment systems, berm liners, emergency water distribution systems, air cushion vehicle skirts, deployable solids management, and industrial diaphragms). The company offers both off-the-shelf products and custom engineered design builds.
Is Performance Inflatables a public or private company?
Performance Inflatables is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Performance Inflatables founded?
Performance Inflatables was founded in 1989. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Performance Inflatables based?
Performance Inflatables is headquartered in Picayune, United States, in the North America region.
How does Performance Inflatables make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Sales (Off-the-shelf) is the primary driver. The others are custom Design Builds and professional Services.
Who are Performance Inflatables's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Stearns and NRS (Northwest River Supplies). Trelleborg AB is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are VIKING Life-Saving Equipment, Avon Protection (formerly Avon Rubber p.l.c.), Mustang Survival, Survitec Group and Markleen.
Does Performance Inflatables have an API?
No public API is recorded for Performance Inflatables.