History
Ever since the 18th century, Condé sur Noireau has been one of the most active towns in the Calvados area of Normandy, France. In the 1700’s,the majority of the town’s inhabitants work in canvas and cloth production. In the early 19th century, small textile mills are established in Condé, and soon, nearly 8,000 looms at fifty-five hydraulic mills can be found here.
Towards 1934, the DUNLOP and UNIROYAL groups, specialized in rubber, founds the Manufacture de Fils Elastiques (elastic yarn manufacturing sites) first in Montluçon and then in Condé-sur-Noireau. The elastic yarns are sold under the Lastex brand name, which becomes the world reference for garment comfort. The official name of the company changes to Filés Lastex in 1973.
At about the same period, a textile mill called Teinturerie de l’Est et de l’Ouest (TEO), founded in 1920, in Troyes, France, develops a division called FILIX. The yarns made by TEO are similar to those produced in Condé, and Troyes’s renowned hosiery industry provides TEO with a lucrative market.
In 1975, the two companies, which have been competitors, become partners
FILIX and LASTEX merge to become FILIX LASTEX s.a., a subsidiary of the Teinturerie de l’Est et de l’Ouest group. One year later, FILIX s.a. is acquired by US group Willcox &Gibbs, which later becomes Worldtex inc.
In 1995, Filix acquires one of their subcontractors named “Les Moulinages de la Galaure", located in the Drôme area, near Hauterives, which is famous for a national historic landmark called Postman Cheval’s Ideal Place.
Filix continues to develop. In 2001, they form a joint venture with a Chinese firm to establish a factory in Shanghai for the rapidly growing Chinese market.