Essentra
Corporate brand
UnclaimedEssentra is an international supplier of plastic, fibre, filtration, and other small engineered components used in industrial and consumer products.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Essentra plc is a United Kingdom-based industrial components supplier whose business developed from the fibres division of Bunzl and later expanded through acquisitions in plastics, filtration, foam, extrusion, adhesive-coated materials, and specialist components. The company is headquartered in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, and operates internationally. Its products are generally not consumer-facing finished goods; instead, they are small components and materials incorporated into, or used during the manufacture of, products made by other companies. The business originated in the 1940s in Jarrow as Bunzl's Fibres division. Its early development included the acquisition of Moss Plastics in 1955, adding a plastics-manufacturing capability. During the 1990s, the division broadened its industrial portfolio through the purchase of MSI Oilfield Products in 1994 and Payne in 1996. MSI supplied pipe-protection products, while Payne manufactured tear tapes. In 1997, Bunzl's Fibres division acquired Filtrona Corporation, a United States specialist in filter technology that Bunzl had previously demerged in 1984. The Filtrona name was subsequently adopted for the enlarged business. Further acquisitions expanded the range of manufacturing technologies and geographic reach. Enitor, a Dutch extruder business, was acquired in 1998, and the Skiffy Group, a Dutch producer and distributor of nylon parts, was purchased in 2004. The business was demerged from Bunzl in 2005, becoming an independent listed company. It subsequently acquired Duraco, a United States adhesive-coated products company, in 2007, followed by Lendell Manufacturing, a foam manufacturer, in 2008. The foam and fibre activities were combined into a division called Filtrona Porous Technologies. On 26 June 2013, the company formally adopted the Essentra name. The rebrand was intended to express the idea that the company's products are often small but essential components that perform important functions within customers' products and production systems. The company has operated through business areas including Components Solutions and Specialist Components, reflecting its focus on engineered parts, plastics, fibres, filtration-related technologies, and other specialized industrial applications. Essentra's positioning is therefore primarily business-to-business and engineering-led. Its value proposition is based on supplying dependable, often highly customized components, manufacturing expertise, material knowledge, and international distribution rather than on consumer brand recognition. Its customers can use Essentra products for assembly, protection, sealing, filtration, identification, packaging, and other functional purposes. The available reference material does not provide a current detailed breakdown of revenue, employee numbers, ownership, website, or the company's present executive lineup, so those fields are left unreported here.
History
Essentra traces its origins to the 1940s, when Bunzl operated a Fibres division in Jarrow in north-east England. The division initially concentrated on fibre-related activities but gradually expanded its manufacturing base and product range. In 1955 it acquired Moss Plastics, establishing an important presence in plastic products and setting a pattern of growth through both internal development and acquisition. During the 1990s, the division added several specialized businesses. MSI Oilfield Products was acquired in 1994 and brought pipe-protection products into the portfolio. In 1996 the business purchased Payne, a manufacturer of tear tapes. These acquisitions extended the division beyond conventional fibres into products used for industrial protection, packaging, and manufacturing processes. A major change followed in 1997, when Bunzl's Fibres division acquired Filtrona Corporation, a United States filter-technology specialist that Bunzl had demerged in 1984. The enlarged operation adopted the Filtrona name. This transaction strengthened the company's filtration expertise and gave the business a more internationally recognizable identity. In 1998 it acquired Enitor, a Dutch extrusion company, adding further processing and manufacturing capabilities. In 2004 the purchase of the Skiffy Group, another Dutch business, expanded the company's nylon-parts activities and its access to customers requiring standardized and specialized plastic components. The business became independent from Bunzl through a demerger in 2005. As an independent listed company, it continued to use acquisitions to build a broader portfolio of engineered materials and components. In 2007 it bought Duraco, a United States business specializing in adhesive-coated products. In 2008 it acquired Lendell Manufacturing, a foam producer. The foam and fibre operations were subsequently combined in a new division known as Filtrona Porous Technologies, reflecting a more integrated approach to porous materials and related manufacturing technologies. On 26 June 2013, the company formally rebranded as Essentra plc. The name was selected to communicate the functional importance of the products supplied by the business: many are physically small, but they are essential to the performance, protection, assembly, or production of a customer's larger product. The change also provided a corporate identity covering the company's increasingly diverse operations rather than tying the group to the historical Filtrona name or to a single material category. The company has been organized around activities including Components Solutions and Specialist Components. These areas cover the supply of plastic and other engineered parts, fibre products, filtration-related products, and specialist materials. Essentra's business model is predominantly business-to-business: its products are incorporated into other goods or used by manufacturers as production inputs. As a result, the brand's market role is based less on consumer visibility and more on technical specification, reliability, repeat supply, customization, and the ability to serve customers across multiple countries. The available reference material identifies Essentra as headquartered in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, and listed on the London Stock Exchange. It does not provide enough information to state a current detailed corporate structure, current ownership, current financial performance, or a complete present-day executive roster. Those matters are therefore not expanded beyond the documented historical leadership transition.
- 2017
Paul Forman becomes chief executive
[1]Paul Forman succeeded Colin Day as chief executive on 1 January 2017.
- 2013
Corporate rebrand to Essentra
[1]Filtrona plc formally changed its name to Essentra plc on 26 June 2013.
- 2008
Acquisition of Lendell Manufacturing
[1]The company acquired foam manufacturer Lendell Manufacturing, after which the foam and fibre operations were combined as Filtrona Porous Technologies.
- 2007
Acquisition of Duraco
[1]Duraco, a United States adhesive-coated products business, was acquired.
- 2005
Demerger from Bunzl
[1]The business was separated from Bunzl and continued as an independent listed company.
- 2004
Acquisition of Skiffy Group
[1]The group acquired Dutch nylon-parts business Skiffy Group.
- 1998
Acquisition of Enitor
[1]The Dutch extrusion business Enitor joined the group.
- 1997
Filtrona Corporation acquired
[1]Bunzl's Fibres division acquired the United States filter-technology specialist Filtrona Corporation and adopted the Filtrona name.
- 1996
Acquisition of Payne
[1]The company acquired Payne, a manufacturer of tear tapes.
- 1994
Acquisition of MSI Oilfield Products
[1]MSI Oilfield Products was acquired, adding pipe-protection products to the business.
Products and positioning
An international business-to-business supplier of small, engineered, and often customized components and materials that perform essential functions in customers' products and manufacturing processes.
Industrial components
Plastic components
Essentra's plastic-components activities encompass small engineered parts used by manufacturers in assembly, protection, fastening, sealing, and other industrial applications. The portfolio developed through acquisitions including Moss Plastics and Skiffy Group, and reflects the company's broader role as a component supplier rather than a seller of finished consumer products.
Fibre materials
Fibre products
Fibre products are part of the company's historical and continuing industrial base. They are supplied as materials or functional components for customer manufacturing processes and helped form the original Bunzl Fibres business from which Essentra developed.
Filtration technology · 1997
Filtration-related products
Filtration-related capabilities entered the group through the acquisition of Filtrona Corporation in 1997. These activities positioned the company as a supplier of specialist filter technologies and associated materials for industrial and other applications.
Industrial protection · 1994
Pipe-protection products
Pipe-protection products were added through MSI Oilfield Products. They are intended to protect pipe and related industrial assets during handling, storage, transport, or use in oilfield and other industrial environments.
Packaging components · 1996
Tear tapes
Tear tapes entered the portfolio through the acquisition of Payne in 1996. These functional tapes are used to support controlled opening of packaging and other products requiring a convenient tear feature.
Porous materials · 2008
Foam and porous technologies
Following the acquisition of Lendell Manufacturing in 2008, the foam and fibre businesses were combined under Filtrona Porous Technologies. The division represented the group's capabilities in foam, fibre, and other porous materials used in specialized industrial applications.
Industrial materials · 2007
Adhesive-coated products
Duraco added adhesive-coated products to the group in 2007. These products extend the company's materials portfolio into applications where coated substrates and engineered adhesive performance are required.
Brand decisions
2017
Chief executive successionOtherBackground
Essentra announced a leadership transition from Colin Day to Paul Forman.
Action taken
Paul Forman succeeded Colin Day as chief executive on 1 January 2017.
2013
Adoption of the Essentra corporate identityStrategyBackground
The former Filtrona group had developed a portfolio spanning plastics, fibres, filtration, foam, adhesive-coated materials, and specialist components. A broader corporate identity was needed to represent the combined business.
Action taken
On 26 June 2013, the company formally rebranded as Essentra plc.
Aftermath
The new name emphasized the essential functional role of the small components and materials supplied to customers.
Sources1 sources
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