Arsenal Capital Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Velcro Companies from the Cripps Foundation, which owns the privately held British company, a longtime New Hampshire employer.
Under the deal announced May 26, the Cripps Foundation will continue as a minority shareholder of the company, which opened its manufacturing center in Manchester nearly 70 years ago.
The transaction with the New York private equity firm is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. Terms were not disclosed.
“We are excited to partner with Arsenal, building on the strong results our team has delivered and the enduring strength of the Velcro brand,” said Gabriella Parisse, CEO of Velcro, in a press release.
Velcro employs 2,400 people globally, including about 400 in Manchester and nearly 200 in Somersworth. In April, the company told NH Business Review that it plans to consolidate textiles manufacturing from its Queen City site to its production facility in Somersworth but said it is committed to remaining in New Hampshire.
Velcro is the only U.S. manufacturer of hook and loop fasteners. The company’s products have broad applications, including medical, data center, personal care, consumer, industrial, transportation, defense and apparel industries.
“Velcro is a strong fit with Arsenal’s focus on building market-leading, specialty materials businesses,” said Ryan Berman, managing director of Arsenal, in a statement. “The company is at the forefront of the next generation of hook & loop technologies and especially well-positioned to meet the globally evolving needs in fasteners.”
Arsenal Capital Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Velcro Companies from the Cripps Foundation, which owns the privately held British company, a longtime New Hampshire employer. Under the deal announced May 26, the Cripps Foundation will continue as a minority shareholder of the company, which opened its manufacturing center in Manchester nearly 70 years ago.
BAE Systems announced Wednesday a $135 million investment for upgrades to its facilities in Hudson, N.H., and Austin, Texas, to further strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base, the company said.
Velcro Companies plans to consolidate textiles manufacturing from its Queen City site to its production facility in Somersworth but is committed to remaining in New Hampshire, the company said Monday. Velcro, which has operated in Manchester for nearly 70 years, is the only U.S. manufacturer of textile hook and loop fasteners.
Single-family and condominium alternatives, such as manufactured homes and accessory dwellings units (ADUs), could go a long way toward helping ease New Hampshire’s housing crisis. But those options can have some obstacles, according to participants in a forum.
Sig Sauer is partnering with an Israeli aerospace company to develop a military-application drone armed with the Newington company’s latest-generation machine gun
Firearms manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co., confirmed earlier this month that it had reduced its force.
Gordon Crossman Gilroy, 101, passed away peacefully at his home in Bedford, New Hampshire, on January 27, 2026. Gilroy founded Summit Packaging Systems, a Manchester-based company that makes aerosol valves.
Loss of manufacturing jobs contributed to our housing crisis
As we begin 2026, we face another set of choices about how to forge a future that enables us to navigate the continuing instability and volatility in our civic and economic lives.
