Industry Manufacturing Website www.velcro.com Founded 1941 Number of employees 2,500 | Area served Worldwide Headquarters United Kingdom Type of business Privately held company | |
Key people Fraser Cameron (President and CEO)Scott Filion (President, Velcro Americas)Klaas Jan Stol (President, Velcro EMEA)Andrew Ellis (President, Velcro APAC) Products Hook and loop fasteners CEO Fraser Cameron (1 Dec 2014–) Profiles | ||
Necn ceo corner velcro companies ceo and president fraser cameron tv interview
Velcro Companies is a privately held company that produces a series of mechanical based fastening products, including fabric hook and loop fasteners, under the brand name "Velcro".
Contents
- Necn ceo corner velcro companies ceo and president fraser cameron tv interview
- Velcro brand featured on wicked inventions
- History
- Products
- Causes
- In popular culture
- References
Velcro brand featured on wicked inventions
History
Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral invented his first touch fastener when, in 1941, he went for a walk in the woods and wondered if the burrs that clung to his trousers — and dog — could be turned into something useful. He patented it in 1955 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. Initially made of cotton, which proved impractical, the fastener was eventually constructed with nylon and polyester.
De Mestral gave the name Velcro, a portmanteau of the French words velours ("velvet"), and crochet ("hook"), to his invention as well as his company, which continues to manufacture and market the fastening system.
Humphrey Cripps began investing in Velcro in the 1960s. In 2009, the company was taken private by a private equity firm linked to the Cripps family.
Products
Velcro makes fastening products for a wide array of industries, including consumer packaged goods, transportation, personal care, military, packaging, construction, apparel, and agriculture.
Products of Velcro Companies include:
Causes
The Neeson Cripps Academy, a high performance school for the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) in Phnom Penh was funded by Velcro Companies. New York City-based COOKFOX Architects designed the eco-efficient building, which is scheduled for completion in 2017.
In 2015, Velcro Companies and Velcro Brand Ambassador and design expert Sabrina Soto launched an annual Classroom Makeover contest that takes place during Teacher Appreciation Week. The first winner from Joplin, Missouri received two redesigned classrooms.