What Avon Engineered Fabrications Inc. does

Avon Engineered Fabrications Inc. (AEF-Performance) is a US-based manufacturer of elastomeric coated fabric products and engineered inflatables, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Picayune, Mississippi. The company produces high-durability flexible goods using military-grade polyurethane and nitrile rubber coatings on nylon, polyester, and Kevlar base fabrics, combined with proprietary encapsulated seam technology and high-temperature vulcanizing techniques. Its product portfolio spans flexible fuel and water storage tanks (250 to 300,000 US gallons), berm liners, hovercraft skirts, aircraft and vehicle recovery airbags, FLEXSS portable fluid storage systems, oxygen treatment hoods, and Tempwalls emergency partitions, all manufactured in the USA.

AEF's core technology centers on a polyurethane anti-wicking encapsulated edge that the company states is unique among major flexible containment suppliers, providing superior puncture, abrasion, and chemical resistance. Products are certified to military specifications (ATPD 2262, Mil-B-53081) and NSF Standard 61 for potable water use, and operate across a working temperature range of -25°F to 160°F. The company serves US Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, NASA, FBI, NSWC, defense primes such as SAIC and Textron, aerospace customers including Bigelow Aerospace, municipal utilities such as the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, and governments of more than 30 foreign countries.

AEF generates revenue through one-time capital equipment sales of custom-designed and standard products, with volume and prepayment discounts available and no recurring or subscription component. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supplemented by website inquiry and inside sales, targeting military, government, and industrial buyers requiring engineered inflatables and flexible containment solutions. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Performance Inflatables Company, acquired in April 2018 and consolidated with sibling AERE Marine Group, which the parent acquired in January 2024, and affiliate Subsalve. Operations employ 11-50 staff at the single Picayune, Mississippi manufacturing facility.

Name

Avon Engineered Fabrications Inc.

Legal name

AEF-Performance (AEF) LLC

Website

https://aef-performance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AEF-Performance is a US manufacturer of military-grade elastomeric coated fabric products, including flexible fuel and water storage tanks, berm liners, hovercraft skirts, and engineered inflatables, serving the US military, federal agencies, defense primes, and industrial customers in over 30 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineered Elastomeric Coated Fabric Manufacturing

NAICS

Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing (326112)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Heavy-Duty Flexible Packaging (Construction, Chemicals, Liners) (IMALABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inflatable & Air Cushion Packaging (Air Pillows, Bubble Wrap Systems) (IMALAFAB), Hazardous Materials & UN-Certified Bulk Packaging (IMALAGAH)

Keywords

• Elastomeric coated fabrics
• Flexible storage tanks
• Military fuel bladders
• Inflatable containment
• Engineered inflatables

Headquarters

HQ city

Picayune

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Coated Fabric Products: AEF generates revenue through the design, manufacture, and sale of engineered inflatable and flexible containment products including fuel storage tanks, water storage tanks, berm liners, hovercraft skirts, and custom solutions. Products are sold as one-time capital equipment purchases with no recurring revenue model. Volume and prepayment discounts are offered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AEF designs, manufactures, and sells high-durability elastomeric coated fabric products for military, government, and commercial customers. Core products include flexible fuel and water storage tanks (250 to 300,000 gallons), secondary containment berm liners, the FLEXSS portable fluid storage system, hovercraft skirts, aircraft/heavy equipment recovery airbags, auxiliary power unit kits, inflatable seals, the Oasis LDU potable water distribution unit, oxygen treatment hoods, and Tempwalls field hospital partitions. The company pairs these products with custom engineering, state-of-the-art joining and seaming techniques, and certified manufacturing to military and NSF standards.

Product overview

AEF-Performance (Avon Engineered Fabrications Inc.) is a manufacturer of high-durability flexible engineered inflatables and industrial coated fabric goods, established in 1986 and acquired by Performance Inflatables Company in 2018. The product portfolio centers on elastomeric coated fabric solutions including flexible storage tanks (fuel, water, wastewater), secondary containment systems (berm liners), specialized industrial products (FLEXSS fluid containment, hovercraft skirts), emergency response equipment (aircraft lift bags, auxiliary power unit kits), and medical/safety products (oxygen treatment hoods, tempwalls). Accessories including elbows, fittings, valves, vent pipes, repair kits, and manway access ports complement the core product lines. Products are manufactured with military-grade polyurethane and nitrile coatings, feature encapsulated seam technology, and are supplied to U.S. military branches and commercial customers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hovercraft Skirts High-durability flexible fabric skirts for air cushioned vehicles (hovercraft), enabling efficient lift and maneuverability over various terrains for military and commercial hovercraft operators.
• Aircraft and Vehicle Airbag Recovery Inflatable lift bags designed for recovering aircraft and heavy equipment from difficult terrain such as swamps, used by military and emergency response organizations.
• Auxiliary Power Unit Kit Custom power unit auxiliary kit providing extended run time for existing power generators using dual 10,000-gallon bladders (20,000 gallons combined), originally designed for military 800kW generators supporting remote operational bases.
• Berm Liners Military-grade polyurethane or PVC fabric liners for secondary containment of petroleum or water-based products, covering earthen or porous berms to prevent environmental damage and retain spilled product at refineries, chemical plants, and industrial sites.
• FLEXSS (Flexible Fluid Storage System) Highly portable, lightweight fluid storage system for petroleum refineries and chemical plants, used to contain slop water with chemical impurities and replace slow, expensive tank truck operations.
• Inflatable Seals (Pipe Pluggers) Inflatable sealing products used for pipe plugging and containment applications in industrial and maintenance settings.
• Fuel Storage Industry-leading durable and economical stationary fuel storage tanks in military-grade nitrile rubber and polyurethane, ranging from 250 to 300,000 US gallons capacity for military, government, and commercial customers.
• Oasis LDU (Liquid Distribution Unit) Potable water storage and distribution tank with modular configuration supporting up to 8 individuals simultaneously, designed for emergency and military applications with 500-gallon capacity.
• Oxygen Treatment Hood Inflatable treatment hood developed for COVID-19 response to reduce ventilator demand in hospitals, providing patient treatment capability for healthcare facilities.
• Tempwalls (Emergency Partitions) Temporary field hospital or treatment center enclosures using Armorshell material, providing privacy barriers, foot traffic control, equipment segregation, and safe spaces with flame resistance meeting FTMS Method 5903 and NFPA 701 standards.
• Water Storage Low profile, rapidly deployed water tanks manufactured to mil spec standards with storage capacity up to 300,000 US gallons, suitable for potable water, grey water, black water, and food-grade fluids.
• Accessories (Elbows, Vent Pipes, Repair Kits, Fittings, Valves, Manway Access Ports) Supporting components for flexible storage tanks and containment systems, including elbows, vent pipes, repair kits, fittings, valves, and manway access ports sold as standalone accessory items.

Quantifiable outcome

• NSF Standard 61 certified water storage systems with 10-year certified lifespan
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Subsalve USA: Affiliate under Performance Inflatables Company manufacturing inflatable lift bags, pipe pluggers, and underwater recovery products. Closest direct peer given shared parent and overlapping product platforms marketed through AEF's website.
• Aero Tec Laboratories (ATL): Specializes in flexible fuel cells, bladders, and crash-resistant fuel containment for aerospace, defense, motorsport, and marine. Direct comparable to AEF on engineered flexible fuel storage and aircraft recovery bladders.
• Amfuel: Manufacturer of fuel cells, self-sealing fuel bladders, and auxiliary fuel tanks for military and commercial aviation. Directly comparable to AEF on aviation-grade flexible fuel containment and Mil-Spec certifications.
• Musthane: French manufacturer of technical inflatable and elastomer-coated fabric products for military, aerospace, and naval applications. Comparable on engineered inflatables (hovercraft skirts, lift bags) and military customer overlap.
• SEI Industries: Manufacturer of flexible fuel and water storage tanks (Bambi Bucket, FuelSafe, BulkSAFE) for military, firefighting, and industrial customers. Highly comparable to AEF's core fuel/water storage product line, with overlapping Mil-Spec requirements and similar customer base.

Broad incumbents

• ContiTech (Continental): Industrial rubber and elastomer-coated fabric division producing hoses, belts, and engineered coated fabrics at global scale. Comparable on elastomeric coating technology and base fabric engineering, though much broader portfolio than AEF's focused containment.
• Trelleborg Offshore & Construction: Global polymer engineering group producing coated fabrics, elastomer seals, and flexible storage solutions for marine, oil & gas, and defense. Overlaps AEF on coated-fabric technology but serves much broader industrial verticals.
• Meggit Fuel Containment: Aerospace/defense supplier of crashworthy fuel containment systems, fuel bladders, and self-sealing tanks. Comparable on aerospace-grade flexible fuel containment supplied to primes and militaries, though with much larger scale.

Regional players

• Hycom B.V. Dutch manufacturer of engineered coated fabric products for military and industrial markets including flexitanks and inflatable structures. Comparable technology and application set to AEF but primarily serves European defense and industrial clients.

Emerging players

• Unidynamics / UDC: Smaller specialist in engineered flexible tanks, bladders, and pneumatic products for defense and industrial clients. Comparable on product type and customer mix though typically smaller program footprint than AEF.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/aef_llc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/35681878

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Avon Engineered Fabrications Inc.