API Plastics

What API Plastics does

API Plastiques is a privately held French industrial plastics specialist founded in 1974 and headquartered in Brenelle, Aisne (Hauts-de-France), operating across a dual-site footprint with a northern antenna. The company functions simultaneously as a distributor/stockist, a chaudronnier (fabricator), and a usineur (machinist), offering tubes, fittings, valves (robinetterie), plates, rods, and gratings from an inventory of more than 18,000 stocked product references held in a 5,000 m² covered warehouse. Its custom fabrication work — including machining, water jet cutting, numerical turning, industrial piping prefabrication, welding, and PLA-based 3D printing — is executed in a dedicated workshop of approximately 2,000 m² equipped with modern production machinery.

The commercial portfolio is anchored by proprietary sub-brands PRALEN (high molecular weight polymers in HOT, SL, MBV, and CST variants for heat, sliding, abrasion, and wear), Rhino Hyde® rubber/polyurethane products, and Paneltim® alveolar plates, alongside specialty lines for ATEX explosive atmospheres (PE-EL, PPS-EL), antistatic plastics (Polycarbonate Antistatique, PEHD 1000 AST), and sanitary protections. The company serves enterprise customers across chemicals, food and beverage, industrial manufacturing, water treatment, healthcare, and swimming pools — with reference logos including Evonik, Safran, EDF, Veolia, Engie, 3M, ArcelorMittal, LVMH, Coca-Cola, Heineken, and Bonduelle.

API Plastiques generates revenue through quote-based (devis) one-time sales of stocked products and bespoke fabricated parts, distributed entirely through direct enterprise sales via phone, fax, email, in-person appointments, and an online quote-request form. It employs 11-50 people and markets primarily through trade shows (POLLUTEC Lyon), a YouTube channel launched in July 2019, a company blog/news section, and downloadable technical documentation. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent, institutional investors, or funding rounds.

Name

API Plastics

Legal name

API Plastiques

Website

https://apiplast.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

API Plastiques is a privately held French industrial plastics distributor and custom fabricator, founded in 1974 in Brenelle, Hauts-de-France. It stocks 18,000+ product references and operates a 2,000 m² workshop for custom plastic parts, serving enterprise customers in chemicals, food, manufacturing, water, energy, and luxury.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Plastics Distribution and Fabrication

NAICS

Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Plastic Caps, Closures & Dispensing Systems Manufacturing (IMANAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial & Protective Thermoformed Packaging (Dunnage, Trays, Clamshells) (IMANAHAC)

Keywords

• Industrial plastics distribution
• Plastic fabrication services
• Technical plastic materials
• Plastic piping fittings
• Custom plastic machining

Headquarters

HQ city

Brenelle

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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. Plastic Products Distribution and Stocking: Sale of technical plastic products from stocked inventory including tubes, raccords, robineterie (valves), plaques, and joncs. With 18,000 product references in stock, this is the primary revenue stream.
2. Custom Fabrication and Machining: Custom manufacturing of plastic parts on plan/drawing, including machining, chaudronnerie (fabrication), water jet cutting, turning, and welding. A dedicated 2,000 m² workshop handles bespoke industrial plastic components.
3. Specialty Materials (PRALEN): Sale of specialty high-performance plastic materials (PRALEN HOT, SL, MBV, CST) targeting specific industrial needs such as heat resistance, sliding, abrasion, and wear.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

API Plastiques is an industrial plastics specialist that distributes and stocks technical plastic products (tubes, fittings, valves/robinetterie, plates, rods, gratings) with 18,000+ references available from a 5,000 m² covered warehouse. The company also operates a 2,000 m² fabrication workshop providing custom plastic machining, industrial piping, water jet cutting, 3D printing, storage tanks, hopper linings, and ISO prefabrication for industrial customers.

Product overview

API Plastics is a specialist distributor, stockist, and custom manufacturer of industrial plastics operating since 1974 in the Hauts de France region. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized around two main pillars: (1) an extensive catalog of standard plastic products including tubes, fittings, valves (robinetterie), plates, and profiles with over 18,000 references in stock, and (2) custom manufacturing services including plastic machining, industrial piping fabrication, water jet cutting, 3D printing, and storage tank construction. Key branded product lines include PRALEN (high molecular weight polymers in HOT, SL, MBV, CST variants for heat, sliding, abrasion, and wear applications), Polycarbonate Margard (LEXAN), Paneltim alveolar plates, and Rhino Hyde rubber products. The company serves diverse industrial sectors including chemical, food, pharmaceutical, automotive, and water treatment with materials such as PVC, PE, PP, PVDF, and PC. A dedicated workshop of nearly 2000m² supports custom fabrication capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PRALEN: High-performance polymer range including PRALEN HOT (heat resistant), PRALEN SL (sliding properties), PRALEN MBV (abrasion resistant), and PRALEN CST (wear resistant)
• Rhino Hyde
• Paneltim

Products and services

• PRALEN High-Performance Polymers Proprietary line of high molecular weight polymers tailored for industrial applications requiring high heat resistance (PRALEN HOT), excellent sliding properties (PRALEN SL), high abrasion resistance (PRALEN MBV), or high wear resistance (PRALEN CST). Sold to industrial customers across chemical, food, and mechanical sectors.
• Stocked Plastic Catalog (Tubes, Fittings, Valves, Plates, Rods) Distribution of over 18,000 stocked references of technical plastic tubes (PVC, PE, PP, PVDF), fittings (raccords), valves (robinetterie), plates (plaques), rods (joncs), and gratings (caillebotis) for industrial buyers, with rapid delivery from Brenelle warehouse.
• Custom Plastic Machining (Usinage Plastique) Machining service that produces custom plastic parts to customer specifications or drawings, including milling, turning, and other subtractive operations on industrial plastic materials.
• Industrial Plastic Piping (Tuyauterie plastique industrielle) Custom industrial plastic piping fabrication, assembly, and installation service for chemical, water treatment, food, and process industry plants.
• Water Jet Cutting (Découpe numérique jet d'eau) Numerical water jet cutting service for plastic, rubber, and composite materials, enabling complex shapes and tight tolerances for custom parts.
• Industrial 3D Printing (Impression 3D Industrielle) Industrial 3D printing service using PLA filament for prototyping and small-to-medium complex plastic parts, supporting custom project development.
• Custom Plastic Storage Tanks (Cuves de Stockage Plastique) Custom plastic storage tanks and basins manufactured for industrial liquid storage applications in chemical, water treatment, and process industries.
• Plastic Hopper and Chute Linings (Revêtements plastique pour Trémies) Custom plastic linings for hoppers (trémies) and chutes (goulottes) providing wear protection and chemical resistance for material handling equipment in industrial plants.
• Flexible Strip Doors and Partitions (Portes et Cloisons à lanières) Custom-fabricated flexible strip doors and partitions providing thermal insulation, sound dampening, and dust protection for industrial buildings and work areas.
• ISO Prefabrication and Piping Palettes (Pré-fabrication ISO et panoplies) Workshop prefabrication of ISO (isometric) pipe assemblies and piping palettes for site delivery, reducing on-site installation time for industrial plastic piping systems.
• ATEX-Zone Plastic Products (PE-EL, PPS-EL) Specialized plastic products designed for ATEX explosive atmosphere zones, including PE-EL electro-conductive polyethylene and PPS-EL materials for use in hazardous industrial environments.
• Polycarbonate Margard (LEXAN) Sheets Polycarbonate sheet products offering high impact resistance and optical clarity for industrial applications such as machine guards, safety glazing, and enclosures.
• Rhino Hyde Rubber and Polyurethane Products Distributed rubber and polyurethane products for industrial applications including flexible strip doors, protective coatings, and linings.
• Paneltim Alveolar Plastic Plates Distributed and fabricated cellular (alveolar) PEHD plastic sheets for industrial applications including grating, storage tanks, and custom fabrications.
• Sanitary Protection Products (Gamme Protections Sanitaires) Sanitary protection products including information stands (chevalets), urn and registry protections for elections, and protective guards/casings for hygienic and sanitary applications.
• Plastic Ventilation Range (Gamme Ventilation Plastique) Plastic ventilation tubes, pipes, and fittings distributed for industrial ventilation systems.
• Custom Plastic Guards and Covers (Cartes, Capots et Protections) Custom plastic guards (carters), casings (capots), and protective covers manufactured to specification for industrial machines and equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000+ product references in stock enabling same-day or short-lead delivery on standard items
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Röchling Group: German global industrial plastics group with industrial, automotive, and medical divisions. Comparable in offering custom-fabricated and semi-finished industrial plastic components, but at much larger scale and broader end-market exposure.
• Aliaxis: Belgium-headquartered global plastic piping systems group owning IPEX, FIP, Durapipe, and Vinidex. Comparable product scope (industrial plastic pipes, fittings, valves) but operates globally across multiple geographies, far exceeding API Plastiques' regional footprint.
• Georg Fischer (GF Piping Systems): Swiss-based global leader in plastic (and metal) piping systems — same core product categories (tubes, fittings, valves) for industrial applications including chemical, water, and energy. Much larger and broader than API Plastiques, but operates in the same fundamental value chain.

Direct peers

• Curbell Plastics: US-based industrial plastics distributor with in-house custom fabrication (CNC machining, routing, welding). Same combined stockist + fabricator model as API Plastiques, serving industrial customers with engineering-grade plastics.
• Professional Plastics: US-based industrial plastics distributor and fabricator offering sheets, rods, tubes, films, and custom machined parts. Comparable business model to API Plastiques with broader US geographic coverage and e-commerce ordering (which API lacks).
• SIMONA AG: German manufacturer and fabricator of semi-finished and finished industrial plastic products (sheets, rods, profiles, machined parts). Closely matches API Plastiques' dual role as plastics stockist and custom fabricator for chemical and industrial customers.
• Aetna Plastics: US-based industrial plastics distributor and custom fabricator offering tubes, sheets, rods, fittings, and machined plastic parts across 12+ locations. Closely mirrors API Plastiques' distributor-plus-fabricator business model, albeit at larger US scale.
• Agru Kunststofftechnik: Austrian manufacturer of plastic piping systems, sheets, and liners for industrial and environmental applications (chemical, water, mining). Direct overlap with API Plastiques' tubes/fittings distribution plus custom fabrication.
• Plasson: Israel/UK-based specialist manufacturer of plastic valves, fittings, and couplings for water, gas, and industrial fluid handling. Direct overlap with API Plastiques' core distribution categories (robinetterie, raccords, tubes) for industrial customers.

Regional players

• Plastivaloire: French-listed plastic injection molding group serving automotive, industrial, and consumer customers from multiple French and international sites. Regional (French) competitor with overlapping industrial customer base, though Plastivaloire focuses on injection molding rather than distribution + custom fabrication.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSyhyyWTvEoAwwMcIZhP-7g
• Xx.com/apiplast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/api-plastiques

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 API Plastics