Velcro
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]
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 |
|
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 |
History
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 named 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
- "Company Information". www.Velcro.co.uk. Velcro IP Holdings LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- 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.
- "Alfatex Group history". www.Velcro.co.uk. Velcro IP Holdings LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- "Velcro - Meaning of Velcro in English". www.Lexico.com. Oxford English Dictionary online. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- Suddath, Claire (15 June 2010). "A brief history of: Velcro". content.Time.com. TIME USA, LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- "Who Invented VELCRO® | History of VELCRO® brand and George de Mestral". www.Velcro.co.uk. Velcro IP Holdings LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- "Velcro | Definition of Velcro". www.Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- 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.
- 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
- Official website
- Original 1955 patent — from Google Patents