Velcro Companies [1] | |
Formerly | Velcro SA. [2] |
Company type | Private |
Industry | Manufacturing: fastening systems |
Founder | George de Mestral |
Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Number of locations | Manufacturing: 7 countries [1] |
Area served | Worldwide [1] |
Key people |
[1] |
Products | Hook-and-loop fasteners, and other products [1] |
Brands | VELCRO [1] |
Number of employees | 2,500 [1] |
Subsidiaries | Alfatex Group [3] |
Website |
www |
Velcro IP Holdings LLC, [2] [4] [5] doing business as Velcro Companies and commonly referred to as Velcro, [1] is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of hook-and-loop fasteners, which de Mestral invented. [2]
Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral who studied at EPFL invented his first touch fastener when, in 1941, he went for a walk in the Alps, and wondered why burdock seeds clung to his woolen socks and coat, and also his dog Milka. [2] [6] He discovered it could be turned into something useful. [5] He patented it in 1955, [2] [5] and subsequently refined and developed its practical manufacture until its commercial introduction in the late 1950s.
The fastener consisted of two components: a lineal fabric strip with tiny hooks that could 'mate' with another fabric strip with smaller loops, attaching temporarily, until pulled apart. [7] Initially made of cotton, which proved impractical, [8] the fastener was eventually constructed with nylon and polyester. [5] [9]
De Mestral gave the name Velcro, [2] [4] a portmanteau of the French words velours ('velvet') and crochet ('hook'), [2] [5] to his invention, as well as to the Swiss company he founded; Velcro SA. [2]
The company continues to manufacture and market the fastening system. Originally envisioned as a fastener for clothing, today, Velcro is used across a wide array of industries and applications; including healthcare, the military, land vehicles, aircraft, and even spacecraft. [6]
"Velcro" is used by some as a genericized trademark, [10] and is additionally sometimes used as a verb. [4] In 2017, Velcro released a "Don't Say Velcro" campaign in an attempt to keep their brand name distinctive from other hook-and-loop fasteners to help keep their trademark protection. [11]
But not every Velcro application has worked ... a strap-on device for impotent men also flopped.
Velcro Companies [1] | |
Formerly | Velcro SA. [2] |
Company type | Private |
Industry | Manufacturing: fastening systems |
Founder | George de Mestral |
Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Number of locations | Manufacturing: 7 countries [1] |
Area served | Worldwide [1] |
Key people |
[1] |
Products | Hook-and-loop fasteners, and other products [1] |
Brands | VELCRO [1] |
Number of employees | 2,500 [1] |
Subsidiaries | Alfatex Group [3] |
Website |
www |
Velcro IP Holdings LLC, [2] [4] [5] doing business as Velcro Companies and commonly referred to as Velcro, [1] is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of hook-and-loop fasteners, which de Mestral invented. [2]
Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral who studied at EPFL invented his first touch fastener when, in 1941, he went for a walk in the Alps, and wondered why burdock seeds clung to his woolen socks and coat, and also his dog Milka. [2] [6] He discovered it could be turned into something useful. [5] He patented it in 1955, [2] [5] and subsequently refined and developed its practical manufacture until its commercial introduction in the late 1950s.
The fastener consisted of two components: a lineal fabric strip with tiny hooks that could 'mate' with another fabric strip with smaller loops, attaching temporarily, until pulled apart. [7] Initially made of cotton, which proved impractical, [8] the fastener was eventually constructed with nylon and polyester. [5] [9]
De Mestral gave the name Velcro, [2] [4] a portmanteau of the French words velours ('velvet') and crochet ('hook'), [2] [5] to his invention, as well as to the Swiss company he founded; Velcro SA. [2]
The company continues to manufacture and market the fastening system. Originally envisioned as a fastener for clothing, today, Velcro is used across a wide array of industries and applications; including healthcare, the military, land vehicles, aircraft, and even spacecraft. [6]
"Velcro" is used by some as a genericized trademark, [10] and is additionally sometimes used as a verb. [4] In 2017, Velcro released a "Don't Say Velcro" campaign in an attempt to keep their brand name distinctive from other hook-and-loop fasteners to help keep their trademark protection. [11]
But not every Velcro application has worked ... a strap-on device for impotent men also flopped.