Franklin Fibre-lamitex Corporation

What Franklin Fibre-lamitex Corporation does

Franklin Fibre-Lamitex Corporation is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer and fabricator of engineered thermoset composite materials and precision-machined plastic/composite parts, founded in 1921 by the Vachris family and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The company operates across four generations of family ownership and produces a deep catalog of NEMA-grade industrial laminates (G3, G7, G9, G10, FR-4, G11, FR-5), glass silicone tubes, cotton phenolic tubes, phenolic paper tubes, vulcanized fibre, vulcanized Franklin Fibre products, nylon and thermoplastic bearing materials, and specialty composites for cryogenic, high-temperature, and high-dielectric applications. Manufacturing capabilities include compression molding, filament winding, convolute winding, and precision CNC machining across more than 40 machines with 5th-axis capability, achieving tolerances of +/-.002" and producing over 500,000 rotor vanes annually. Franklin also holds exclusive North American distribution rights for NorPLY™ vibratory spring composites from Norplex Advanced Composites.

The company's go-to-market is enterprise-direct technical sales, supported by an engineering blog, downloadable technical datasheets, an RFQ-based website, and a direct sales team that assists with material selection. Customers include U.S. government defense contractors (ITAR-registered, Mil-i-24768/Mil P-79 certified), major North American mass transit authorities (NYCT, BART, PATCO, MBTA, WMATA, CTA, Toronto Transit Commission), steel mills, oil & gas operators, electrical power and switchgear OEMs, paper and saw mills, and renewable energy equipment manufacturers. Pricing is quote-based with quantity break incentives; Franklin offers both low-quantity and volume production runs.

Franklin's competitive positioning rests on regulatory certifications (AS9100D aerospace, ISO 9001:2015, ITAR Part 122), proprietary Lamitex® and Franklin Fibre® trademarks, over a century of accumulated composite formulation knowledge, and capital-intensive CNC machining capacity that supports reverse-engineered replacement parts for legacy industrial and transit systems. The business model is straightforward B2B industrial manufacturing: one-time purchase orders for materials and fabricated parts, with no subscription, SaaS, licensing, or platform revenue component. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is privately held with no institutional investors or parent company.

Name

Franklin Fibre-lamitex Corporation

Legal name

Franklin Fibre-Lamitex Corporation

Website

https://lamitex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Franklin Fibre-Lamitex Corporation is a family-owned manufacturer (founded 1921, Wilmington, DE) of engineered thermoset composite materials and precision-machined parts — including NEMA-grade laminates, glass epoxy/phenolic tubes, and specialty composites — serving aerospace, defense, transit, energy, and industrial customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Composites Manufacturing

NAICS

Laminated Plastics Plate, Sheet (except Packaging), and Shape Manufacturing (32613)

SIC

Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820)

akta.pro primary industry

Composite Structures & Layup Manufacturing (IMABAEAB)

Keywords

• Industrial composites manufacturing
• Thermoset laminates fabrication
• Mil-spec composite materials
• CNC machining services
• Electrical insulation products

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Composite Material Sales: Direct sales of industrial laminate materials including sheets, rods, tubes (round/square/rectangular), angles, and custom fabricated parts. Materials are sold to industrial manufacturers and fabricators for use in electrical insulation, bearing, and structural applications. The company stocks materials and offers quantity break pricing on larger orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Franklin Fibre-Lamitex Corporation designs, manufactures, and fabricates engineered thermoset composite materials and precision-machined plastic parts. Their product line centers on the Lamitex® brand of NEMA grade and Mil-Spec industrial laminates (G3, G7, G9, G10, G11, and phenolic grades) sold in sheet, rod, tube, and molded profile forms, plus in-house CNC machining services with 40+ machines including 5th-axis capabilities. The company also holds exclusive distribution rights for NorPLY™ vibratory spring materials and produces over 500,000 rotor vanes annually for vacuum pumps and compressors.

Product overview

Franklin Fibre-Lamitex Corporation is a manufacturer and fabricator of engineered composites and industrial laminates, operating since 1921. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of thermoset composite materials (G3, G7, G9, G10, G11, and phenolic grades) and fabricated parts serving aerospace, defense, energy, transportation, steel, oil & gas, and manufacturing industries. Their product line centers on the Lamitex® brand of industrial laminates including glass epoxy tubes (G10, FR-4, G11), glass silicone tubes (G-7), cotton phenolic tubes (CE, LE), phenolic paper tubes (X, XX, XXX), and specialty composites. The NorPLY™ vibratory spring material is sold exclusively through Franklin. Core manufacturing capabilities include CNC machining with 5th-axis capabilities, compression molding, and filament winding, supported by ISO 9001/AS9100 certifications and ITAR compliance for defense work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lamitex®: Registered trademark brand for industrial laminates, composites, glass epoxy tubes, and various NEMA grade materials produced by Franklin Fibre-Lamitex Corp.
• NorPLY™
• Franklin Fibre™

Products and services

• Mil-Spec Laminates Military specification composite materials certified to Mil-i-24768 and Mil P-79 specifications for government and defense applications including munitions, rocket motors, and structural insulation. ITAR compliant.
• Glass Epoxy Tubes: G10, FR-4 & G11 Glass-reinforced epoxy composite tubing with high mechanical, electrical, and thermal strength for industrial and cryogenic applications.
• Glass Silicone Tubes: G-7 NEMA grade G-7 glass silicone composite tubes with thermal endurance index of 210°C for extreme heat insulation applications including welding and electric arc furnaces.
• Cotton, Canvas & Phenolic Tubes: CE and LE Cotton phenolic tubing available in grades C, CE, LE, and MFG (graphite filled) for impact-resistant and low-friction wear applications.
• Phenolic Paper Tubes: X, XX, XXX Paper phenolic tubes with excellent electrical properties in high humidity conditions, used in switchgear, transformers, and rocket motor applications.
• Filament Wound Glass Epoxy Tubes: G-12/G-13 Filament wound tubes with exceptional inter-laminar shear strength, offering 33% thinner wall thickness than aluminum with equal strength at half the weight.
• Vulcanized Fibre & Fish Paper Franklin Fibre vulcanized fiber material with one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios, high dielectric strength, and arc-quenching properties. Available in sheet, rod, tube, roll and coil stock.
• Lamitex® NEMA Grade Laminates Full range of NEMA grade composite materials including G10, FR4, G11, FR5, G7, G30, CE, LE, XX, XXX for electrical insulation and bearing applications.
• Lamitex Nylon® Bearing Products Nylon bearing materials including Nylon 6/6, Nylon 6, and oil-filled cast nylon as replacements for bronze, brass, Babbitt, and steel in bearing and wear applications.
• Molded Square & Rectangular Tube, Rod, Angle & Channel Compression molded composite profiles including square/rectangular tubing, angles, channels, and U-shaped bearings for custom fabrication.
• Corrugated Transformer Insulation Corrugated insulation for transformer cooling ducts and barriers using Nomex® and Vulcanized Franklin Fibre™ materials for pack-out and end-fill applications.
• Specialty Laminates and Composites Specialty composite materials including high dielectric LPF and HDE grades, polyimide G-15/G-30, cryogenic G10 CR & G11 CR, Mica sheets, and mechanical grades (PK-50, PK-100, EK-50, PF-30, N-1).
• Lamitex® T-COR Toroid & Electrical Coil Insulation Specialized corner insulation material for toroidal and electrical coil winding applications, available in combinations of Nomex, Kapton, Mylar, and Dacron.
• Thermoplastics Molded and extruded thermoplastic stock shapes and machined parts including nylon, UHMW, Delrin, PEEK, Teflon, and high-performance engineering thermoplastics.
• NorPLY™ Vibratory Spring Material NorPLY 1002 and 1003 cured glass epoxy composite vibratory spring materials with excellent fatigue life and greater energy storage capacity than spring steel.
• Fabrication & Machining Services CNC machining services including 3-axis, 4th/5th axis milling, CNC turning, sawing, routing, grinding, and custom molded thermoset shapes with sub-mill tolerances.
• Cryogenic Tubes, Pipes & Insulation Fine weave glass epoxy cryogenic tubes impermeable to liquid nitrogen and LNG for cryogenic dewars, transportation devices, and superconductor applications.
• Pump Vanes & Rotor Blades Lamitex rotor vanes for vacuum pumps, compressors, air motors, and starter motors composed of aramid fibers (Kevlar) with phenolic resin. Over 500,000 vanes produced annually.
• Transportation Industry Composites Railway and mass transit parts including third rail insulators, friction plates, truck side plates, bearings, and electrical insulating components for transit systems.
• Steel Mill & Furnace Insulation Laminated composites for electric arc furnace insulation, high-temperature bearings, bus bar insulation, and electrode armature insulating plates.
• Munition & Rocket Motor Tubes, Liners & Sleeves Composite tubing for rocket motor casings, liner tubes, nozzle carriers, boosters, and rocket charge liners using phenolic paper, glass reinforced phenolic (G3), and glass polyimide (G30) materials.
• Composite & Fiber Bearings Lamitex composite bearings including SBE materials with load-bearing capacities equal to brass and bronze, featuring self-lubricating options with graphite and molybdenum disulfide fillers.
• Switchgear & Transformer Insulation/Fuse Tubes Square and rectangular mold laminate tubes for cross bar insulation, round tubing for switch drives, phase barriers, and high-voltage insulation materials.
• Oil & Gas Industry Products Pipeline flange insulation, frac plug materials, and frac balls with specific gravity of 1.8 tested to withstand pressures exceeding 11,000 psi.
• Paper Mill & Saw Mill Materials Lamitex PF-30 organic fiber/phenolic composite with graphite filler for seal bars, head box seal rings, wear plates, and saw mill guides.
• Solar, Wind & Hydro Power Generation Products Electrical insulating parts for solar, windmill, and wireless remote charging systems including friction plates, carbon brush bearings, and arc chutes.
• Wiper & Doctor Blades Composite wiper and doctor blades for hydropower stations, pulp and paper industry, aluminum and steel industries, and water treatment facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500,000 rotor vanes produced annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Norplex Advanced CompositescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranklin Fibre-Lamitex Corp is an authorized distributor and fabricator of NorPLY™ vibratory springs, shocks, struts, and related composite products. The company holds exclusive sales rights for NorPLY materials. NorPLY 1002 is a cured glass epoxy composite with nonwoven parallel filament construction originally developed by 3M. Franklin custom machines standard and custom size slat stabilizers for vibratory conveyors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Interstate Plastics: National plastics distributor and fabricator offering industrial laminates, engineering plastics, and CNC machined parts. Comparable product breadth across thermoset composites and thermoplastics with broader geographic distribution.
• Professional Plastics: Large US distributor and fabricator of engineering plastics, laminates, and composite materials including G10, FR-4, and specialty composites. Overlapping product range with broader catalog and multi-location distribution footprint.
• Hexcel Corporation: Global leader in advanced composites for aerospace and defense, manufacturing carbon fiber, prepregs, and honeycomb core materials. Competes with Franklin in Mil-Spec and aerospace composite structures but at vastly larger scale with broader product portfolio.
• Toray Advanced Composites: Major manufacturer of thermoset and thermoplastic composite materials for aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Overlaps with Franklin in high-performance composite laminates and Mil-Spec applications at enterprise scale.

Direct peers

• CGR Products: Industrial laminates manufacturer and fabricator producing vulcanized fibre, phenolic, and engineered composite parts with custom machining services. Overlapping customer base in electrical insulation, bearings, and industrial wear components.
• Atlas Fibre: US-based manufacturer and fabricator of industrial laminates, NEMA-grade composites, and machined plastic parts serving aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Closely comparable business model combining materials manufacturing with custom CNC fabrication.
• Accurate Plastics: Manufacturer and distributor of laminated plastics, thermoset composites, and engineered plastic shapes with in-house CNC machining. Comparable product portfolio spanning G10/G11/FR4 laminates and precision machined components for industrial applications.
• Vanguard Plastics: Specialty fabricator of industrial laminates and thermoset composite parts with precision CNC machining. Comparable niche manufacturer serving similar electrical insulation, bearing, and wear component markets with custom fabrication services.
• InsulFab Plastics: Specialty fabricator of laminated plastics and electrical insulation materials with CNC machining capabilities. Comparable niche focus on Mil-Spec composites, custom machined parts, and serving electrical and defense customers.
• Norplex Advanced Composites: Manufacturer of high-performance thermoset composite laminates including NEMA-grade and Mil-Spec materials. Norplex produces NorPLY™ vibratory spring materials that Franklin distributes exclusively, making it both a supplier and the closest direct peer in industrial composite laminates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgKagTLiQeYE0lpillVGseA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Franklin-Fibre-Lamitex-Corporation-258970590841340
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franklin-fibre-lamitex-corporation

Compliance3 records

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 Franklin Fibre-lamitex Corporation