Do you know what the world’s leading Rigid Inflatable Boats brands such as Highfield Boats, Zodiac Nautic, BRIG, Capelli, and Gemini Marine have in common? First clue: a supplier. Second clue: over 100 years of history. Third clue: located in Mouscron, Belgium. Put it all together and you get the most high-performance Hypalon fabrics on the market. the answer ?
Pennel & Flipo (ORCA®), of course!
In this article, we take a closer look at Pennel & Flipo ORCA®, exploring the company’s history, its product offerings, and its digital initiatives that ensure faster, more responsive service for rigid inflatable boat manufacturers worldwide.
1) Pennel & Flipo: an industrial player serving RIB manufacturers
Based in Mouscron, Belgium, just a few kilometers from the French border and the city of Lille, Pennel & Flipo embodies the textile industrial heritage of the region. Founded in 1924 by Jean Pennel and Joseph Flipo, and originally established in Roubaix, the company has preserved its expertise for over a century to become a successful industrial leader.
Supplying rubber-coated fabrics to industries such as transportation, safety, energy, engineering, and defense, the company has particularly distinguished itself in the marine sector. Through its Hypalon fabric brand “ORCA®,” Pennel & Flipo has become a trusted reference for RIB manufacturers, repair professionals, and private customers. So much so that the name ORCA® has become synonymous with Hypalon fabric in everyday language.
Driven by innovation and continuous improvement, Pennel & Flipo is now a leading textile supplier for the boating industry. Working with the world’s top RIB manufacturers, the company serves customers worldwide through its global presence (Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and South America). Since summer 2023, Pennel & Flipo has become part of the Michelin Group, and its integration into the French rubber giant is expected to further strengthen its long-term success.
2) A leader in hypalon fabrics
Today, Pennel & Flipo offers a diversified range of rubber-coated fabrics for numerous applications. However, its comprehensive line of ORCA® Hypalon marine fabrics remains its flagship offering. Each fabric is engineered to deliver outstanding technical performance, including:
- High mechanical resistance (tensile strength, tear resistance, abrasion resistance)
- Excellent UV and aging resistance
- Superior color stability
Whether used for lightweight recreational boats or professional units exposed to extreme conditions, ORCA® fabrics meet the highest standards. The brand also offers an extensive palette of over 30 colors, ranging from classic white, grey, and black to more distinctive tones such as blue or pink. With multiple finishes available (Fabric Impression, Perlage, Carbon, etc.), manufacturers can fully express their creativity when designing inflatable tubes.
Continuous innovation allows the company to stay aligned with market trends while increasingly integrating environmental considerations into product formulation.
3) ORCA® Retail: a major innovation
As part of its digital transformation strategy and in order to enhance responsiveness, Pennel & Flipo launched “ORCA® Retail” at the end of 2021, targeting repair professionals and smaller customers. Fabrics are available in shorter rolls, enabling fast shipping across Europe and allowing customers to order the exact quantity required.
Beyond fabrics, the platform also offers: rubrails, adhesives, and accessories for manufacturing RIB tubes (valves, handles, Nauta tanks, repair kits, etc.). Interested in this service? Visit their website to create an account and explore the ORCA® universe.
An interactive color swatch is available online to help customers better visualize shades before ordering. If you still have questions, consult the FAQ section or contact their team for a prompt response.
Conclusion
For more than a century, Pennel & Flipo has combined industrial expertise, continuous innovation, and customer proximity to become a benchmark in the global RIB market. Through its flagship brand ORCA®, the company delivers high-performance Hypalon fabrics trusted by the world’s leading boat builders and professionals alike. Its commitment to quality, durability, and design flexibility ensures that every inflatable tube built with ORCA® fabrics meets the highest standards of safety and reliability. Now strengthened by its integration into Michelin Group, Pennel & Flipo is entering a new phase of growth, backed by global industrial power and advanced rubber expertise. At the same time, initiatives like ORCA® Retail demonstrate its ability to adapt to evolving customer expectations through digitalization and service innovation. Blending heritage with forward-thinking strategy, Pennel & Flipo continues to shape the future of high-performance marine fabrics worldwide.
