What Cellusuede Products does

Cellusuede Products, Inc. is a Rockford, Illinois-based manufacturer of precision short-cut flock and technical fibers, founded in 1938 and operating as a 100% employee-owned ESOP since 2001. The company cuts, dyes, and finishes six core fiber chemistries (nylon, rayon, polyester, acrylic, modacrylic, and polypropylene) using guillotine and rotary cutting, in-line and batch dyeing, DC/AC electrostatic and mechanical finishing, and a full-service color lab with spectrophotometric Pantone-matching. Through the 2020 acquisition of Engineered Fibers Technology (EFT) in Shelton, Connecticut, Cellusuede added precision short-cut technical fibers (Ni coated carbon, Vectran, aramid, PEEK), EFTec Nanofibrillated fibers for filtration and wipes, and DensePak proprietary short fibers used by the U.S. Government in obscurant devices.

Cellusuede generates revenue primarily through one-time industrial sales of precision short-cut fiber to OEM customers across seven end markets: lead-acid battery manufacturing (its largest segment, where it is the leading pasting fiber supplier in North America and sole supplier of modacrylic fiber in the western hemisphere, shipping over 1 million pounds per year), automotive interiors, graphics and consumer products, floor mats, composites, technical fibers (via EFT), and defense. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales managed by a small internal team (Sales Manager Eric Honkamp, President/CEO Andy Honkamp) with strategic distributor partnerships: Sorfin Yoshimura handles global battery fiber distribution, and Flock It! Ltd. handles domestic flock distribution. End-customer pricing is contract-based and not publicly disclosed.

The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification (the first flock firm globally to register to QS 9000:ISO 9001 in 1997) and has earned multiple Supplier of the Year awards from Delphi, Panasonic, and other major OEM customers. Operations are consolidated in a 125,000 sf Rockford facility, with EFT continuing to operate in Shelton, CT. Distribution reach spans five continents and more than 20 countries.

Name

Cellusuede Products

Legal name

Cellusuede Products, Inc.

Website

https://cellusuede.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cellusuede Products is a 100% employee-owned manufacturer of precision short-cut flock and technical fibers, serving global lead-acid battery, automotive interior, graphics, composites, and U.S. Government defense customers from a 125,000 sf facility in Rockford, Illinois, and a technical fiber plant in Shelton, Connecticut.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Specialty Fibers

NAICS

Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (32522), Nonwoven Fabric Mills (31323), Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills (31311)

SIC

Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221), Pulp Mills (2611)

akta.pro primary industry

Man-Made Fiber Manufacturing (Polyester/Nylon/Acrylic/Viscose) (IMAOAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodegradable Fibers & Nonwovens (industrial textiles, wipes) (IMAEAOAG), Composite Reinforcement Textiles (Carbon/Glass/Aramid Fabrics & Preforms) (IMAOADAH), Bio-based Textiles & Fibers (lyocell/viscose, cellulose filament, nonwovens) (IMAMALAK)

Keywords

• Precision short-cut fibers
• Flock fiber manufacturing
• Battery pasting fiber
• Automotive interior flock
• Technical fiber pulps

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pasting Fiber Sales (Battery Industry): Cellusuede is the leading pasting fiber supplier in North America and a major global supplier to lead-acid battery manufacturers. Ships over 1 million pounds per year of modacrylic fiber alone. Revenue generated through direct and distributor-managed sales of precision short-cut fibers for battery pasting applications.
2. Flock Fiber Sales (Multi-Industry): Sales of flock fibers (nylon, rayon, polyester, acrylic, modacrylic, polypropylene) to automotive, graphics, mats, T-shirts, greeting cards, technical fibers, composites, elastomers, construction, adhesives/sealants, and refractories industries. Products sold include raw flock fiber and finished flock products in custom colors.
3. Technical Fiber Sales (via EFT): Revenue from precision short-cut technical fibers (Ni coated carbon, Vectran, BioMid, lyocell, S-2 glass, aramid, PEEK) and nano-fibrillated fiber pulps sold to specialty papers, construction, composites, thermoplastic/thermoset molding compounds, filtration, and defense sectors.
4. Distribution Services: Operates its own distribution company (referenced in employee recognition: Dennis Meadows has 'recently taken on other tasks to help with our distribution company').

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cellusuede Products, Inc. manufactures and supplies precision short-cut flock fibers (nylon, rayon, polyester, acrylic, modacrylic, polypropylene) and technical fibers for industrial applications. The company cuts, dyes, and finishes flock using guillotine and rotary cutting processes, with in-line and batch dyeing and a full-service color lab featuring spectrophotometric matching. Its products serve lead-acid battery manufacturers (pasting fibers), automotive interior suppliers, graphics/mat/textile producers, composites, construction, refractories, and defense applications (via the acquired EFT subsidiary's DensePak obscurant fibers and EFTec nanofibrillated fibers).

Product overview

Cellusuede Products is a flock and precision short-cut fiber manufacturer serving diverse industrial markets. The company offers six core flock fiber types (Nylon, Rayon, Polyester, Acrylic, Modacrylic, and Polypropylene) that are cut, dyed, and finished using guillotine and rotary cutting processes along with in-line and batch dying capabilities. Cellusuede operates a full service color lab with spectrophotometric color matching for custom colors. Following the 2020 acquisition of Engineered Fibers Technology (EFT), the portfolio expanded to include technical fibers (Ni coated carbon, Vectran, BioMid, lyocell, S-2 glass, aramid, PEEK), EFTec Nanofibrillated fibers, and DensePak proprietary short fibers for defense applications. Fibers are supplied to industries including automotive interiors, batteries, graphics, mats, construction, composites, elastomers, adhesives/sealants, refractories, greeting cards, T-shirts, and cosmetics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nylon Flock

Quantifiable outcome

• Leading pasting fiber supplier in North America with shipments exceeding 1 million pounds per year of modacrylic fiber alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Engineered Fibers Technology, LLC (EFT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2020On June 30, 2020, Cellusuede completed the purchase and now has 100% interest in EFT ownership, greatly expanding Cellusuede's capabilities as a precision short-cut fiber supplier. EFT brings proprietary technology (EFTec™ Nanofibrillated fibers, DensePak™), materials science expertise, and unique wet processed fiber lines. Andy Honkamp (President and CEO of Cellusuede) became President of EFT. Bob Evans (founder of EFT) serves in a technical consulting role.
• Sorfin YoshimuracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey strategic distribution partner for Cellusuede's battery fiber products worldwide. Distributes modacrylic fiber globally, shipping over 1 million pounds per year of modacrylic fiber type worldwide. Contact: Mauricio Jauregui at Ph: (516) 802-4600, [email protected]. This partnership provides Cellusuede with global reach in the battery industry.
• Flock It! Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlock distributor handling flock products (not battery fiber). Contact: 815-986-1097, [email protected]. Represents Cellusuede products in the flock distribution channel.
• American Flock AssociationminorOthersIndustry association member linking Cellusuede to the broader flocking industry. Cellusuede displays the AFA logo on its website.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eastman Chemical Company: Eastman is a global specialty chemical and advanced materials company producing cellulose-based fibers, plastics, and chemical intermediates for textiles, filtration, and packaging. Comparable to Cellusuede's cellulosic (rayon) fiber and technical fiber work, particularly via EFT-adjacent cellulose chemistries.
• INVISTA: INVISTA is one of the world's largest integrated producers of nylon and polyester fibers and polymers serving apparel, automotive, and industrial markets. Comparable to Cellusuede as a major upstream supplier of the same fiber chemistries Cellusuede cuts and finishes.
• Beaulieu Fibres International: Beaulieu Fibres is a major European producer of polypropylene, polyamide, and specialty synthetic fibers for automotive, flooring, hygiene, and technical applications. Comparable to Cellusuede across polypropylene and other synthetic fiber types sold into automotive and industrial end markets.

Direct peers

• Leigh Fibers: Leigh Fibers is a U.S. recycler and processor of synthetic and natural fibers serving automotive, home furnishings, and industrial markets. Comparable to Cellusuede in fiber processing and B2B industrial customer base.
• Shakespeare Industrial Fibers (monofilaments & fibers): Shakespeare is a U.S.-based manufacturer of industrial synthetic fibers and monofilaments for technical applications including filtration, brush, and industrial uses. Comparable to Cellusuede in fiber processing capability and industrial B2B customer base.
• Claremont Flock: Claremont Flock is a North American manufacturer of precision-cut flock fibers (nylon, rayon, polyester, acrylic) used in automotive, graphics, and consumer products. It directly competes with Cellusuede's core flock business across overlapping fiber types and end markets.
• Cordenka GmbH: Cordenka is a European producer of industrial rayon and specialty regenerated cellulose fibers for tire cord, hoses, and composites. Comparable to Cellusuede in industrial regenerated-cellulose fiber processing for technical reinforcement applications.
• MiniFIBERS Inc. MiniFIBERS is a specialty short-cut fiber manufacturer producing precision-cut synthetic and natural fibers for filtration, nonwovens, composites, and industrial applications. It directly competes with Cellusuede's EFT division in precision short-cut fibers and nanofibrillated pulps.

Regional players

• Jiangsu Xinmin Textile & Flock Co. Xinmin is a major Chinese flock fiber manufacturer producing nylon, rayon, and polyester flock for global apparel, automotive, and graphics applications. Comparable to Cellusuede's flock products but primarily serves Asian and export markets.

Others

• Sorfin Yoshimura (channel partner): Sorfin Yoshimura is Cellusuede's key strategic distribution partner for modacrylic battery fiber worldwide. It is a relevant ecosystem peer as a specialized industrial fiber distributor serving battery and separator markets with overlapping product portfolios.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Cellusuede Products