Misfat Filtration

What Misfat Filtration does

Misfat Filtration (formerly Société Tunisienne des Filtres) is a privately held, family-owned automotive filtration manufacturer founded in 1979 and headquartered in Jedeida, Tunisia. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes oil, fuel, air, cabin, and industrial filters under its core Misfat brand, the premium French Mecafilter brand, and an exclusive distribution agreement for the Lucas filters brand (TRW/ZF). Its product portfolio spans 2,500 references covering light vehicles, commercial vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, and industrial equipment, with 45 million filters/year production capacity anchored by a historic Tunisian plant and a fully automated ecological filter factory inaugurated in 2017. Misfat sells into OEM/OES channels — including Ford (Q1 certified since 2012) and Groupe PSA (supplier since the early 2000s, 2018 Platinum Supplier, 2020 After-Sales Trophy winner) — and into the independent aftermarket through a network of five wholly-owned subsidiaries (Tunisia, France, Spain, Morocco, Poland) and 60+ country distribution reach.

The company operates a B2B industrial sales model: revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of filters to automotive manufacturers and aftermarket distributors, supplemented by royalty/brand-licensing economics from the Lucas distribution arrangement. Go-to-market blends direct enterprise sales for OEM accounts with a multi-tiered channel structure for the aftermarket — subsidiary-led warehousing (e.g., 10 regional warehouses in Tunisia via Azur Pièces Automobiles, 9 regional warehouses in France via Solaufil) and participation in major industry trade shows (Equip Auto Paris, Automechanika Frankfurt, Autotech Egypt). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company holds IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, Ford Q1, PSA Platinum Supplier Status, and Tunisian AEO certifications, and is pursuing ISO 45001 by 2027 alongside 2024 commitments to SBTi, CDP, and Ecovadis for ESG transparency.

Strategically, Misfat has scaled from a single Tunisian plant into a 1,200+ employee multinational through a combination of acquisitions (Solaufil France and Solaufil Iberica in 2009) and greenfield subsidiary formation (Misfat Maroc 2009, Misfat Europe 2011), with continued reinvestment in automation, certification, and ESG positioning. It is led by CEO Amine Ben Ayed and remains under founding-family ownership with no disclosed institutional or private-equity backing.

Name

Misfat Filtration

Legal name

Misfat Filtration

Website

https://misfat.com.tn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Misfat Filtration is a family-owned Tunisian manufacturer of automotive oil, fuel, air, and cabin filters, founded in 1979. It supplies OEM customers including Ford and PSA and distributes in 60+ countries through five subsidiaries in Tunisia, France, Spain, Morocco, and Poland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Filtration Products

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers (42312), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010), Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Quality & Filtration Equipment (IAQ) (IMAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Automotive filtration products
• OEM and aftermarket filters
• Oil and fuel filters
• Cabin air filters
• Industrial air filtration

Headquarters

HQ city

Jedaida

HQ country

Tunisia

HQ region

Africa

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Automotive Filter Manufacturing and Distribution: Misfat Filtration manufactures and distributes all types of filters for light, commercial, and industrial vehicles for OEM/OES markets and independent aftermarket. Revenue generated from sale of filters to automotive manufacturers and aftermarket customers.
2. Own Brands Portfolio: Portfolio of own brands including Mecafilter and Misfat, plus exclusive distribution agreement for Lucas filters brand.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Misfat Filtration manufactures and distributes oil, fuel, air, and cabin filters for light vehicles, commercial vehicles, heavy-duty vehicles, and industrial vehicles. The company supplies both OEM/OES markets and the independent aftermarket with 2,500 filter references produced at facilities in Tunisia, France, Morocco, Spain, and Poland, with a production capacity of 45 million filters per year.

Product overview

Misfat Filtration is a Tunisian automotive filtration company founded in 1979 that has grown into a multinational with over 1,200 employees across Tunisia, France, Spain, Morocco, and Poland. The company manufactures and distributes filter products under its primary Misfat brand (market leader in Tunisia), the premium French Mecafilter brand, and the Lucas Filters brand (via exclusive distribution with TRW/ZF). The core product portfolio comprises four main filter categories: Oil Filters, Fuel Filters (including ecological variants produced in white room environments), Air Filters, and Cabin Air Filters. The company also produces Industrial Filters including urea filtration (AD Blue), compressed air dryers, water filters, and hydraulic filters. Manufacturing operations include a historic plant in Jedeida, Tunisia with 45 million filters/year capacity and a fully automated ecological filters factory inaugurated in 2017. The group operates across 60+ countries serving OEM/OES and independent aftermarket markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mecafilter: French premium quality brand with extended range for demanding customers
• Misfat
• Lucas

Products and services

• Misfat (Primary Brand) The primary filter brand and market leader in Tunisia, offering air, oil, fuel, and cabin filters for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, heavy-duty vehicles, and industrial vehicles across 2,500 references.
• Oil Filters
• Fuel Filters Ensure permanent fuel supply to the engine by removing impurities. Includes ecological fuel filters produced in white room (e.g., E710 filter fitted to 80% of French vehicles). Diesel filters help protect injection pumps with water detection, heating, and pressure regulation.
• Air Filters Trap abrasive impurities from air to protect engine fuel systems. Feature filter papers impregnated with synthetic resin for water and chemical resistance. Cover light vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, buses, agricultural and construction machinery.
• Cabin Air Filters Protect vehicle occupants from dust, pollen, and harmful particles. New generation uses activated carbon combined with polyphenol coating to stop over 95% of allergenic particles, with antimicrobial coating against mold and bacteria.
• Industrial Air Filters Industrial air filters with metallic structure and radial sealing for flame retardant applications. Include urea filtration for AD Blue systems, compressed air dryers for brake systems, water filters for cooling circuits, and hydraulic filters.
• Ecological Filters Submersible filters designed in clean room environments, meeting oil change intervals through innovative materials and high-performance media. First equipment manufacturer to market ecological fuel filters.
• Mecafilter A premium French brand distributed primarily through Azur Auto Parts in Tunisia and other markets, offering extended range and premium quality filters.
• Lucas Filters Exclusive distribution agreement with TRW group (acquired by ZF) for Lucas filter brand, opening new horizons for international market expansion.

Quantifiable outcome

• E710 ecological fuel filter fitted to 80% of French vehicles with modern engines
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• FordstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Ford Q1 certified supplier since 2012. Maintains high quality standards required by Ford for automotive filtration products.
• Misfat EuropecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2011Polish subsidiary created in 2011 in Warsaw, serving as a distribution platform for the various brands of the group.
• Solaufil FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Acquired in 2009, Solaufil France is the largest subsidiary of the Misfat group. Located in Crépy En Valois with large depot and modern factory specializing in air and cabin filters. Positioned #2 on French market with 9 regional warehouses.
• Solaufil IbericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2009Spanish subsidiary created in 2009 in Madrid, serving as a distribution platform for the various brands of the group.
• Misfat MaroccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Moroccan subsidiary created in Casablanca in 2009. Manufacturing site for industrial air filters and distribution platform for Mecafilter, Misfat, and Lucas brands on local and export market.
• Azur Pièces AutomobilescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2009Tunisian distribution subsidiary. Headquarters in Manouba with 10 regional warehouses, 25 salespeople, and portfolio of 2000+ customers. Undisputed leader of Tunisian market distributing Misfat and Mecafilter brands.
• TRW Group (acquired by ZF)strategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2009Exclusive distribution agreement for Lucas filters brand with TRW group (acquired by ZF). Opens new horizons for the family group to establish presence and conquer new international markets.
• PSA GroupstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Became original filter supplier for PSA group in early 2000s thanks to competitive products meeting European standards. Won 2020 After-Sales Performance Trophy and 2015 logistics performance award. Platinum Supplier Status for Opel Vauxhall in 2018.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UFI Filters: UFI Filters is an Italian automotive filtration manufacturer with strong European OEM relationships and significant aftermarket presence. It offers comparable product breadth (oil, fuel, air, cabin filters) and competes with Misfat for both OEM contracts and aftermarket distribution, particularly in Mediterranean and European markets.
• WIX Filters (Mann+Hummel): WIX Filters is a US automotive filtration brand now owned by Mann+Hummel, serving the North American and global aftermarket with oil, fuel, air, and cabin filters. It competes with Misfat's Mecafilter and Misfat brands in international aftermarket distribution, particularly through cross-reference catalog competition.
• Hengst Filtration: Hengst is a German family-owned filtration specialist with deep OEM relationships in Europe (including the BMW Group and other German OEMs) and a growing aftermarket presence. It competes with Misfat across passenger car and commercial vehicle filter categories and is comparable in its mid-sized, privately-held profile.
• Sogefi: Sogefi is an Italian automotive filtration and fluid handling components supplier owned by the CIR group. It manufactures oil, fuel, air, and cabin filters with strong European OEM positioning and competes directly with Misfat in the same customer segments, particularly with European passenger car manufacturers.
• Mann+Hummel: Mann+Hummel is the world's leading automotive filtration specialist and the dominant OEM and aftermarket supplier globally. It directly competes with Misfat in oil, fuel, air, and cabin filters across all major vehicle segments and geographies, with substantially larger scale and R&D resources.
• Mahle: Mahle is a major German automotive supplier with a substantial filtration division offering oil, fuel, air, and cabin filters to OEM and aftermarket channels globally. It competes head-to-head with Misfat for European OEM contracts and is investing heavily in EV-era thermal management and cabin air quality products.
• Donaldson Company: Donaldson is a US-based global filtration company with strong presence in automotive, commercial vehicle, and industrial filtration. It competes with Misfat in OEM air and liquid filtration as well as the European aftermarket, with significantly larger scale and R&D investment capacity.
• FRAM (Honeywell/First Brands): FRAM is a major automotive filtration brand with strong North American and global aftermarket presence, offering oil, air, fuel, and cabin filters. It competes with Misfat in international aftermarket distribution and is comparable in its emphasis on brand-led filter sales across diverse vehicle types.

Broad incumbents

• Bosch Automotive Aftermarket: Bosch is a global automotive components giant with a significant filtration product line sold through OEM and aftermarket channels. As a broad incumbent, its filter business competes with Misfat across most vehicle applications, but filtration represents only a fraction of Bosch's overall portfolio.
• Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin's Engine Mobile Filtration division manufactures automotive and heavy-duty filtration products serving OEMs and aftermarket globally. As a broadly diversified industrial conglomerate, it overlaps with Misfat in commercial vehicle and industrial filtration but operates across a much wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 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 Misfat Filtration