Cortland International

What Cortland International does

Cortland International, formed in 2023 through the merger of Cortland and Tufropes, is the world's largest synthetic rope and netting manufacturer, headquartered in Anacortes, USA, with operations across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australasia serving customers in 70+ countries. The company operates through two principal brands: Cortland, focused on technology-driven synthetic ropes, slings, and tethers for aerospace & defense, marine, and renewables; and Tufropes, focused on high-performance ropes and netting for industrial, shipping, fishing, aquaculture, and sports markets. Manufacturing spans 7 production facilities with combined annual capacity of 70,000 metric tons and more than 35,000 SKUs, including the world's largest 12-Strand braider.

Core technology centers on high-performance synthetic fibers (UHMWPE, Vectran, Zylon/PBO, Technora) using proprietary braiding and extrusion processes. Flagship product Cortland Plasma 12x12, a patented 12x12 braided HMPE rope, is built from more than 52,000 individual Plasma yarns and is up to 7-8 times lighter than steel at comparable strength. Other product families include Plasma TORO, TUFFLEX, MOORTUF FX, and SUPERTUF marine lines, Selantic round slings, custom-engineered tethers (including the first DNV Type Approved tether), synthetic strength members, thermoplastic extruded cable systems, netting solutions, and the recently introduced AeroLock synthetic connector.

The business model is predominantly B2B and project-driven, with revenue generated through custom-engineered, quote-based sales of rope, sling, tether, and netting products, supplemented by after-sales field services for installation, inspection, re-termination, and 24/7 on-site support. Pricing incorporates raw material and energy surcharges indexed to commodity movements. Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales, distributor networks, and a digital presence via the Cortland and Tufropes brand sites. Customer mix spans marquee enterprise accounts (NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Shell, Subsea7, Technip, Steel Dynamics, Barnhart, Seaway Heavy Lifting, Premier Coal, NOAA) across aerospace & defense, marine & shipping, offshore energy, industrial & safety, fishing & aquaculture, and sports & recreation verticals.

Name

Cortland International

Legal name

Cortland International Inc.

Website

https://cortlandinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cortland International is the world's largest manufacturer of high-performance synthetic ropes, slings, tethers, and netting, serving aerospace & defense, marine, offshore energy, industrial, fishing, aquaculture, and sports customers across 70+ countries via its Cortland and Tufropes brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Synthetic Rope & Netting Manufacturing

NAICS

Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills (314994)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Ropes, Cords, Twines & Netting (Mooring/Lifting/Fishing/Load Restraint) (IMAOADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aerospace & Defense Technical Textiles (Ballistic/Parachute/Radar-Absorbing/Composites Reinforcement) (IMAOADAF)

Keywords

• Synthetic rope manufacturing
• High-performance fiber ropes
• Marine netting solutions
• Heavy lift slings
• Aerospace defense tethers

Headquarters

HQ city

Anacortes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 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. Synthetic rope, sling, and tether products: Cortland generates revenue primarily through the design, manufacture, and sale of high-performance synthetic fiber ropes, slings, and tethers. Products are customized for specific customer requirements across demanding industries including aerospace, defense, marine, offshore energy, and industrial applications.
2. Netting solutions: The company manufactures and sells synthetic netting solutions for fishing, aquaculture, sports, recreation, and industrial safety applications. These products are sold as standard or custom-configured items.
3. Custom engineering and field services: Cortland provides custom engineering solutions and after-sales services including field service teams for on-site support, inspections, re-terminations, and installation assistance. Services available 24/7 even in remote locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cortland International designs, manufactures, and distributes high-performance synthetic fiber ropes, slings, tethers, and netting solutions through its Cortland and Tufropes brands. Products serve mission-critical applications across aerospace & defense, marine & shipping, offshore energy, industrial & safety, fishing & aquaculture, and sports & recreation markets in 70+ countries. The company offers custom-engineered solutions alongside flagship product lines such as Plasma 12x12, TUFFLEX, MOORTUF FX, Selantic slings, and AeroLock synthetic connectors.

Product overview

Cortland International is the world's largest rope manufacturer, operating through two primary brands: Cortland and Tufropes. Cortland serves Aerospace & Defense, Marine, and Renewables with technology-driven synthetic ropes, slings, and tethers. Tufropes focuses on industrial, shipping, fishing, aquaculture, and sports markets with high-performance synthetic fiber ropes and netting solutions. The portfolio includes flagship products like Cortland Plasma® 12×12, marine lines (Plasma® TORO, TUFFLEX, MOORTUF FX, SUPERTUF), Selantic® round slings, custom tethers, synthetic strength members, thermoplastic extrusions, and the recently launched AeroLock™ synthetic connector. The company operates 7 production facilities producing 70,000 MT annually with over 35,000 SKUs, serving customers in over 70 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cortland Plasma 12x12: High-performance HMPE synthetic rope, patented 12x12 braiding technique, 7-8 times lighter than steel, still industry leader after 20 years
• AeroLock
• Plasma
• Selantic
• SUPERTUF AQUA

Products and services

• Cortland Synthetic Ropes, Slings, and Tethers Technology-driven synthetic ropes, slings, and tethers for Aerospace & Defense, Marine, Renewables, and other diversified industrial end-markets; includes flagship Plasma 12x12 and Selantic round slings.
• Tufropes Synthetic Ropes and Netting Solutions High-performance synthetic fiber ropes and netting solutions for industrial, shipping, fishing, aquacultural, and sports markets, produced via one of the largest vertically integrated manufacturing facilities globally (70,000 MT p.a., 7 facilities, 35,000+ SKUs).
• Cortland Plasma 12x12 Flagship HMPE synthetic rope built with patented 12x12 braiding technique from 52,000+ Plasma yarns; 7–8x lighter than steel, over 80% lighter than steel rope, lifts over 3.44 MT. Designed for mission-critical aerospace, defense, offshore, and heavy-lift applications.
• Plasma TORO High-performance HMPE fiber marine lines for offshore, harbor, and river operations.
• TUFFLEX Marine Lines Marine lines combining strength, reliability, and flexibility with exceptional abrasion resistance for harsh marine environments.
• MOORTUF FX High-performance marine lines for demanding marine environments combining strength, reliability, and flexibility.
• SUPERTUF Marine Lines Marine lines known for strength, reliability, flexibility, and exceptional abrasion resistance.
• Selantic Round Slings Custom round slings engineered for quality, flexibility, and dependability, ensuring safety of mission-critical lifts and personnel.
• Custom Tethers Custom-engineered highly durable tethers for severe winds, rain, and harsh subsea conditions, providing safety, reliability, and redundancy for vital operations including offshore energy.
• Synthetic Netting Solutions Quality-tested nets including agriculture shade nets, fencing, aquaculture nets, anti-bird nets, sports cages, goals, partitions, and safety nets.
• Synthetic Strength Members Cable and braided synthetic strength member solutions delivering steel-equivalent strength at approximately 14% of the weight of steel wire armor.
• Thermoplastic Extrusions Synthetic extruded cable systems providing rigidity or flexibility to protect strength members from mechanical damage and environmental elements such as dust, sand, and mud.
• Custom Engineering Solutions Custom-engineered ropes, slings, tethers, strength members, or extruded products tailored to specific customer requirements, supported by a 24/7 field service team for on-site support, inspections, re-terminations, and installation assistance even in remote locations.
• AeroLock Synthetic Connector Synthetic connector engineered to replace traditional synthetic and steel shackles, addressing critical safety concerns in commercial marine, mining, and heavy towing applications.
• SUPERTUF AQUA Super strong, low shrinkage aquaculture rope solution.
• AQUATUF NXT Delayed antifouling knotless cage netting for aquaculture applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rope is 7-8 times lighter than comparable steel and able to lift over 3.44MT
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered notable.

• Caterpillar Inc.notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of first patented recovery/towing assembly, combining Cortland's synthetic rope expertise with Caterpillar's industrial equipment capabilities for specialized applications.
• Applied FibernotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to create first 100% rated rope efficiency socketed terminations, representing breakthrough advancement in rope termination technology for demanding applications.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCortland developed Easy-to-Deploy (ETD) oceanographic mooring line system for NOAA's tsunami warning system, demonstrating capability to create cost-effective solutions for government scientific applications.
• BarnhartnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative rigging solution development for transferring 400 Te steel lazy wave riser to FPSO vessel in Gulf of Mexico, combining Cortland's engineering expertise with Barnhart's crane and lifting equipment.
• Smith ErectorsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Steel Dynamics mill upgrade project where Cortland provided custom basketed rigging constructed of Plasma 12x12, eliminating 18,000 lbs of weight from the rigging system.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cortland-international

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Cortland International