What American Excelsior Co does

American Excelsior Company is a privately held, family-owned industrial manufacturer founded in 1888 and headquartered in Arlington, Texas. The company operates three core product lines: flexible foam products (polyurethane, polyethylene, crosslink, specialty, and coated foams) sold under sub-brands Amexcoat, CurlFoam, Earth-Cell, and Viscool; erosion control products led by the Curlex brand, including blankets, sediment logs, turf reinforcement mats, and hydraulically applied mulch systems; and engineered excelsior wood fiber products with more than 50 fiber cuts serving packaging, filtration, and specialty applications. AEC serves a horizontal mix of industrial customers including automotive, medical, furniture, packaging, construction/infrastructure, environmental remediation, and specialty industrial segments.

The company's core technology combines proprietary Great Lakes Aspen excelsior fiber processing — engineered curled and barbed fibers that interlock to form a continuous matrix — with flexible foam manufacturing capabilities including bio-based foam chemistry, coated foam systems, and visco-elastic foam formulations. AEC supports customers through a direct sales model with eight regional sales representatives covering the continental United States, supplemented by quote-based pricing, technical documentation, design software (ErosionWorks), and physical testing services (ErosionLab). Manufacturing footprint consists of five flexible foam production facilities and six erosion control manufacturing and distribution centers across Texas, Ohio, Wisconsin, Alabama, Illinois, and Washington.

Revenue is generated through one-time sale transactions across all three product lines with quote-based pricing, no disclosed subscription or licensing components, and no public revenue disclosure. The company self-describes as the nation's leader in packaging, cushioning, engineered foam, erosion control, and engineered wood fiber, and emphasizes Made-in-America positioning with products sourced from Sustainable Forestry Initiative member forests. Recent product development has emphasized biodegradable and recycled-content offerings (Curlex NetFree, Recyclex, E-Staple, Earth-Cell, Bindex, Curlex Bloc) addressing sustainability requirements in construction and infrastructure end markets.

Name

American Excelsior Co

Legal name

American Excelsior Company

Website

https://americanexcelsior.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

American Excelsior Company is a privately held, family-owned industrial manufacturer founded in 1888 that produces flexible foams, Curlex-brand erosion control products, and engineered excelsior wood fibers for automotive, medical, furniture, construction, and packaging customers across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Foam and Erosion Control Manufacturing

NAICS

Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (32615), Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (3222)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Polyurethane (PU) Flexible Foam Manufacturing (IMANAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Protective & Cushioning Materials (Paper Cushions, Bio-Foams, Mycelium) (IMALAMAH), Molded Fiber & Pulp Packaging (Trays, Clamshells, Cups) (IMAMAKAJ)

Keywords

• Flexible foam products
• Erosion control blankets
• Engineered wood fibers
• Custom foam fabrication
• Industrial packaging materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flexible Foam Products: Manufacture and distribution of custom fabricated flexible foams including polyurethane, polyethylene, crosslink, and specialty foams for cushioning, packaging, and protection applications across multiple industries including automotive, furniture, medical, marine, and electronics.
2. Erosion Control Products: Manufacturing and distribution of rolled erosion control products (RECPs) including Curlex blankets, AEC Premier Straw/Coconut blankets, turf reinforcement mats (TRMs), sediment control devices, and hydraulically applied mulch products. Products sold to construction, government, and landscaping contractors.
3. Wood Fiber Products: Excelsior wood fiber products including baled excelsior, aspen animal bedding, evaporative cooler pads, Curlex packaging pads, and filtration media. Sold to packaging, construction, filtration, and agricultural industries.
4. Power-Stop Archery Products: Sale of archery target products under the Power-Stop brand through powerstoptargets.com.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American Excelsior Company manufactures and distributes flexible foam products (polyurethane, polyethylene, crosslink, visco-elastic, bio-based, and coated foams) for cushioning, packaging, medical, automotive, marine, furniture, and bedding applications. It also produces Curlex-brand biodegradable erosion control blankets, sediment logs, turf reinforcement mats, and hydraulically applied mulches for construction, infrastructure, and environmental restoration projects. Additionally, the company offers more than 50 different cuts of engineered excelsior wood fibers for packaging, filtration, animal bedding, and specialty industrial uses.

Product overview

American Excelsior Company is a manufacturer and distributor of three core product lines: Flexible Foams (polyurethane, polyethylene, crosslink, specialty, and coated foams for cushioning, packaging, medical, automotive, marine, and furniture applications), Erosion Control (Curlex® brand blankets, sediment logs, turf reinforcement mats, and hydraulically applied products for soil stabilization), and Wood Fibers (more than 50 cuts of excelsior fibers for packaging, filtration, and specialty applications). The company operates 5 foam production facilities and 6 manufacturing/distribution centers across the United States, with corporate headquarters in Arlington, Texas. Key product brands include Amexcoat™, CurlFoam™, Earth-Cell™, Viscool®, Curlex®, Recyclex®, TriNet®, Bindex™, and E-Staple®.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amexcoat: A coating system applied to flexible foam products where comfort, protection or cushioning is required.
• CurlFoam
• Earth-Cell
• Viscool
• Curlex
• Recyclex
• Bindex
• E-Staple
• TriNet
• Power-Stop

Products and services

• Flexible Foams Comprehensive line of flexible foam products including polyurethane, polyethylene, crosslink, molded, specialty, and coated foams used for cushioning, packaging, comfort, and protection across industries including automotive, marine, medical, furniture, bedding, and athletic applications.
• Amexcoat Coated Foam Products Coating system applied to flexible foam products providing durable, washable, fluid-resistant finishes with antimicrobial properties, radiolucent characteristics for X-ray applications, and reusable surface that eliminates the need for fabric covers.
• CurlFoam Extruded polyethylene cushioning product with unique open-cell structure, breathable design, odor-free, 100% recyclable, washable, mold and mildew resistant, and custom-made to meet customer specifications.
• Dual Density Mat Multi-purpose impact reduction floor mat with integrated slip-resistant top wear layer of high-density vinyl foam polymerically bound to a soft moisture-resistant closed-cell foam, designed for medical and workplace applications.
• Earth-Cell Foam Bio-based foam alternative to petroleum-based polyurethane foams, containing renewable-based bio-polyol (soy) to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, manufactured without harmful CFCs.
• Viscool Visco-Elastic Foams Open-cell, breathable visco-elastic foams designed with unique cell structure to reduce heat retention, improve airflow and conformability, offering soft comfortable orthopedic pressure support with high energy absorbing impact characteristics.
• Curlex Erosion Control Blankets Industry-standard biodegradable erosion control blankets made from Great Lakes Aspen curled excelsior wood fibers with interlocking barbed features, designed to protect topsoil from wind and water erosion while promoting ideal growing conditions for grass seed.
• Curlex NetFree Industry's first 100% biodegradable erosion blanket, developed in 2003, using interlocking curled Great Lakes Aspen excelsior wood fibers stitched with biodegradable thread without plastic or jute nettings, eliminating animal entrapment concerns.
• AEC Premier Straw Top quality agricultural straw fibers, certified weed seed free, stitched in single or double netting to erosion control blankets for temporary protection of grass seed and topsoil during germination and vegetation establishment.
• AEC Premier Coconut Erosion control blankets made from top quality coconut fibers stitched with UV-enhanced heavy black net, designed for mid to long-term erosion protection providing up to 36 months of degradation life depending on job site conditions.
• Curlex Sediment Log Environmentally-friendly sediment control logs made from Great Lakes Aspen excelsior fibers enclosed in degradable outside containment fabric, designed to reduce velocity of flowing water and filter sediment with porous interlocked fiber matrix; filters PAHs at ≥95% efficiency.
• Curlex Enforcer TRM Bio-composite turf reinforcement mat made from naturally seed-free Great Lakes Aspen excelsior fibers bound by two layers of extra heavy-duty black UV-enhanced netting, designed for service of at least 36 months with permanent reinforcement between root systems and vegetation.
• Recyclex TRM Environmentally responsible turf reinforcement mat made from 100% recycled post-consumer goods (plastic bottles), designed to meet difficult erosion and sediment control challenges with crimped curled interlocking fibers.
• Bindex BFM One-step hydraulically applied erosion control system combining natural wood fibers including Curlex fibers with cross-linked binder, tackifier, and dye that forms a water-insoluble bonded fiber matrix for immediate protection and germination.
• TriNet Family of TRMs Three-netted heavy-duty turf reinforcement mats for permanent protection in critical areas, available in Straw/Coconut, Coconut, Curlex, and Recyclex variants with ultra-heavy-duty middle netting for long-term service life.
• E-Staple 100% biodegradable anchoring staples made from Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) plastic derived from plant sugars and oils, designed to anchor erosion control blankets in environmentally sensitive projects, fully degrading in 8 to 24 months.
• Curlex Bloc Patent-pending American-made alternative to coir logs, manufactured from Great Lakes Aspen with natural filter properties for shoreline restoration, filtering, sediment retention, and perimeter control applications.
• Wood Fibers / Excelsior Products More than 50 different cuts of excelsior wood fibers for specialized applications including packaging, filtration, construction void filling, animal bedding, evaporative cooler pads, and decorative applications, sourced from sustainable Great Lakes Aspen forests.
• Power-Stop Archery Products Archery target products sold under the Power-Stop brand through powerstoptargets.com.
• ErosionLab Industry-leading testing facility for erosion and sediment control products, offering education programs and research services for erosion control professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Curlex fibers expand when wet, forming stronger matrix for enhanced soil contact and vegetation establishment
• +4 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Profile Products: Competing manufacturer of erosion control blankets, hydraulically applied mulches, and turf reinforcement mats, with comparable product lines (Flexterra, ProMatrix) that overlap AEC's Curlex, Bindex, and TRM portfolio for the same construction, environmental, and stormwater customers.
• FXI: Major flexible polyurethane and specialty foam manufacturer producing cushioning, packaging, and comfort foams for automotive, furniture, bedding, and medical markets — directly overlapping AEC's flexible foam product portfolio with greater scale.
• Carpenter Co. Large vertically integrated polyurethane foam producer serving furniture, bedding, automotive, and packaging end-markets — a direct competitor to AEC's flexible foam business with much broader product depth and national distribution.
• Western Excelsior: Direct competitor in excelsior-based erosion control blankets and sediment logs, selling the same core product categories (Curlex equivalent) to construction and infrastructure contractors in the U.S. — making it the closest direct analog to AEC's erosion control business.
• Future Foam: U.S. flexible polyurethane foam manufacturer focused on furniture, bedding, and carpet cushion markets, with a product mix and customer base closely aligned with AEC's flexible foam segment.
• North American Green (Tensar International): Manufacturer of rolled erosion control products and turf reinforcement mats, serving the same highway, channel, and landfill construction customers as AEC's erosion control division with overlapping geosynthetic solutions.

Broad incumbents

• Leggett & Platt: Diversified large-cap manufacturer of bedding, furniture, and automotive components including engineered foam and cushioning products — overlapping AEC's flexible foam applications as part of a much broader industrial portfolio.
• Pregis: Protective packaging manufacturer offering polyethylene and polyurethane foam, paper, and inflatable cushioning products — directly overlapping AEC's foam packaging and cushioning product lines for industrial shipping customers.
• Sealed Air: Global protective packaging incumbent whose polyethylene foam and Bubble Wrap-style products compete with AEC's CurlFoam and flexible foam packaging offerings for industrial and e-commerce customers.

Emerging players

• Ranpak: Paper-based protective packaging specialist whose PadPak and FillPak systems overlap with AEC's excelsior-based Curlex packaging pads and sustainable protective cushioning products, particularly in e-commerce and industrial shipping.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aexcelsior
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanexcelsior
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-excelsior-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 American Excelsior Co