Velcro

Swiss corporation behind popular hook-and-loop fastener

This article is about the company. For the type of fastener originally patented by Velcro, see hook-and-loop fastener. For other uses, see Velcro (disambiguation).

Velcro IP Holdings LLC[1]

Velcro official logo and wordmark

Trade name

| Velcro Companies[1]
Formerly| Velcro SA.[2]
Type| Privately held company
Industry| Manufacturing: fastening systems
Founder| George de Mestral
Headquarters| United Kingdom

Number of locations

| Manufacturing: 7 countries[1]

Area served

| Worldwide[1]

Key people

* Bob Woodruff (CEO)
* Dick Foreman (president, Velcro N. America)
* Norbert Nieleck (president, Velcro EMEA)
* Paulo Garutti (president, Velcro Latin America)
* Frank Liao (president, Velcro APAC)

[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.co.uk

Velcro,[2][4][5] officially known as Velcro IP Holdings LLC and trading as Velcro Companies,[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]

## History[edit]

Hook-and-loop fastener, invented by de Mestral

Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral 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]

## References[edit]

* Companies portal
* Engineering portal
* United Kingdom portal
* Switzerland portal

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Company Information". www.Velcro.co.uk. Velcro IP Holdings LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Stephens, Thomas (4 January 2007). "How a Swiss invention hooked the world". www.SwissInfo.ch. Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
3. ^ "Alfatex Group history". www.Velcro.co.uk. Velcro IP Holdings LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
4. ^ a b "Velcro - Meaning of Velcro in English". www.Lexico.com. Oxford English Dictionary online. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
5. ^ a b c d e Suddath, Claire (15 June 2010). "A brief history of: Velcro". content.Time.com. TIME USA, LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
6. ^ a b "Who Invented VELCRO® | History of VELCRO® brand and George de Mestral". www.Velcro.co.uk. Velcro IP Holdings LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
7. ^ Velcro | Definition of Velcro. Retrieved 29 April 2021. `{{cite encyclopedia}}`: `|website=` ignored (help)
8. ^ Strauss, Steven D. (December 2001). The Big Idea: How Business Innovators Get Great Ideas to Market. Kaplan Business. pp. 15–18. ISBN 978-0-7931-4837-0. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
9. ^ Schwarcz, Joseph A. (October 2003). Dr. Joe & What You Didn't Know: 99 Fascinating Questions About the Chemistry of Everyday Life. ECW Press. p. 178\. ISBN 978-1-55022-577-8. Retrieved 9 May 2008. "But not every Velcro application has worked ... a strap-on device for impotent men also flopped."

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Velcro.

Look up velcro in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

* Official website
* Original 1955 patent — from Google Patents

* v
* t
* e

Clothing materials and parts

Garment structures|

* Armscye
* Collar
* Clerical collar
* Collar stays
* Detachable collar
* Cuff
* Dart
* Facing
* Fly
* Lapel
* Gore
* Hem
* Lining
* Placket
* Pleat
* Pocket
* Revers
* Ruffle
* Shoulder pad
* Strap
* Sleeve
* Train
* Waistband
* Yoke

Textiles|

| Natural|

* Cotton
* Fur
* Linen
* Silk
* Wool

|

Synthetic|

* Artificial leather
* Elastic
* Nylon
* Polyester
* Rayon
* Spandex

Animal hides / Leather|

* Calf
* Deer
* Goat
* Kangaroo
* Ostrich
* Seal
* Sheep
* Snake
* Stingray

Fasteners|

* Back closure
* Belt hook
* Buckle
* Button
* Buttonhole
* Frog
* Shank
* Hook-and-eye
* Hook-and-loop
* Velcro
* Snap
* Zipper

Seams|

* Neckline
* Bustline
* Waistline
* Hemline

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