Homepage  »  About us  »  Our history

Our history

1961

Taconic was founded in 1961 by Lester T Russell, the acknowledged inventor of the process of applying PTFE to woven fiberglass. The company initially employed two people: its founder and his wife, Virginia, in 1961. The company is still headquartered in Petersburgh, N.Y., with a global work force that now totals nearly 500 employees. Our products range includes PTFE coated glass fabrics & tapes, skived PTFE tapes, silicone coated glass fabrics and conveyor belting – all which are used in a wide variety of industrial applications such as food, packaging, automotive, composites and aerospace to name just a few.

1972

Lester was the company’s president until his retirement in 1972. In the mid-1960’s his son Gordy joined the business and today his son Andy continues the Russell family involvement in his position as CEO.

1977

In 1977 Lester travelled to Europe and founded Taconic International in Mullingar Ireland to look after manufacturing and sales outside of The Americas. This transfer of technology was seamless and during the following 40 years Taconic’s market in Europe increased as new locations and team members were added.

1990s

In the mid-90s Taconic UK was opened to manufacture belts for the growing UK industrial market and in 1997 a new manufacturing facility was added in Brazil.

1997

The addition of Taconic France in Doussard, close to Annecy in the south west of the country.

2002

Operations were further extended with the opening of Taconic Germany, just outside Cologne, to directly serve the largest market in Europe with belts, rolls & tapes.

2004

During 2004, UK operations were moved to Burgess Hill in West Sussex with the establishment of Taconic Wildcat adding further belting expertise to the manufacturing team.

2005

2005 brought a move of location in Mullingar, Ireland to a new state of the art coating, belting and conversion facility.

2010

In 2010 a dedicated manufacturing plant was opened in Taconic Poland. Located in Kostrzyn nad Odra, on the border with Germany, this new facility further increased coating capacity and belt manufacture for the local and European markets.

2021

Today, Taconic is the largest manufacturer of PTFE coated glass fabrics, adhesive tapes and conveyor belts in Europe and across the world. Finding solutions is what we do, with top quality, innovative products, competitive pricing and the best service in the industry.

Our Sales, Customer Services & Technical teams are ready to serve your needs and to help you „Find a Better Way” so please visit our „Contact” section on to communicate directly with a member of our European Team.

What makes our products unique?

Quality. Served on time!

At Taconic, we provide solutions – that goes for our people as well as our products. Very few materials can provide all the combined benefits of PTFE coated glass fabric – heat resistance, thermal & electrical insultation, chemical resistance, food compliance, as well as release properties.Our products can be used in many different industries and applications in many different ways and for many different reasons. Exploring each key property in isolation is only part of our story. When these characteristics are combined, they will deliver unique and exceptional solutions for our customers.

Chemical resistance

Resistance to chemicals is a key characteristic of Taconic’s PTFE coated glass fabrics. Harsh substances including acids and bases will attack and deteriorate most tapes, fabrics,and belts.

more

Heat resistance

High temperatures can breakdown most fabrics, tapes, and belts. Taconic’s heat resistant materials allow for fewer changeovers, higher line speeds, longer life, and an overall lower cost of production.

more

Release properties

At Taconic we like to say “nothing sticks on our watch” – and that’s all thanks to the superior release properties of our PTFE coated materials.

more

Direct food contact

At Taconic, we respect the integrity of your food production processes. For that reason, we ensure that all our food grade PTFE coated glass fabrics and conveyor belts fully comply with relevant FDA & EU regulations.

more

Taconic