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Stephen Ira

SEO Auditor

Expertise:

Hook-and Loop Product Engineering
• Product Innovation
• Mechanical Engineering
Stephen Ira worked as an inventor for a small manufacturing company where he developed several patents that included Velcro® brand products which led to his founding of HookandLoop.com in 1989, distributing Velcro® brand fasteners across the country. Stephen’s company has grown into a business that specializes in manufacturing hook and loop products that are used in the final products in many industries around the world. Stephen is a graduate of the University of Memphis with a BS degree in mechanical engineering and specialized in machine design and solar engineering. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida where he enjoys an avid outdoor lifestyle and spending time with his two daughters.
10+ Years of Experiences
180+ Articles Written
Organization
The association for Business Journalist

Stephen'S Picks

Black shock cord and webbing strap assembly featuring a "SHOCKLES" brand label and carabiner clips.

DuraGrip Brand vs. VELCRO ® Brand Products

AI 4 min read

Updated On: Jun 1, 2026

A lot of our customer interaction involves teaching the customer all about hook and loop. One of the first things we explain is that the product is hook and loop. We also explain that there are different manufacturers and different brands of material. At HookandLoop.com, we stock two hook and loop brands: our DuraGrip Brand, and the VELCRO ® Brand. Each brand offers different advantages.

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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Wholesale Pricing

AI 2 min read

Updated On: Nov 22, 2023

We here at HookandLoop.com often field questions regarding special, wholesale, or distributor pricing. Instead of providing different pricing for a variety of different customers, we offer one pricing structure for all purchases. We start with our base price, which is calculated per roll. Regardless of whether the purchaser is a business, consumer, manufacturer or end user, the price is the same.

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
Stacked rolls of colorful hook and loop fastener material stored on warehouse shelving units.

Shipping Options

AI 3 min read

Updated On: Jun 1, 2026

At HookandLoop.com, our shipping options include all of the large mail carriers including UPS, USPS, and FedEx. We also schedule freight pickups, ship on customer accounts and ship via DHL. Our preferred carrier is FedEx due to their timely delivery and reliable pickups, but we will ship via any method our customers prefer.

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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Quick Sample Straps

AI 3 min read

Updated On: Nov 22, 2023

With so many strap styles and options available, we get a ton of requests for sample straps so customers can be confident in their purchase. One way we do this is with our quick sample straps option. A quick sample is a sampling of 4 custom straps made to order for $20.00. The $20.00 charge includes shipping.

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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Wide Loop Products

AI 3 min read

Updated On: Jun 21, 2024

Wide loop products are the soft fuzzy side of hook and loop fasteners that are woven in large sheets. Wide loop is most often used in tradeshows on display panels and on pedal boards and shadow boxes and a variety of other similar applications. We carry a variety of styles and widths in multiple brands.

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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Wide Hook Options

AI 3 min read

Updated On: Jun 21, 2024

We often get phone calls and emails from customers asking if we offer any wide hook options to go along with the wide loop products we sell. The fact of the matter is that sheets of wide hook just aren’t manufactured because there isn’t the demand to justify the cost of manufacturing such a product. However, there are some options that can solve most needs for a wide hook fastener.

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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How Hook and Loop Has Flipped the Script on Biomimicry

AI 3 min read

Updated On: Sep 24, 2025

Biomimicry is when science copies nature to design new products. That may be too blunt. It's more like using nature to inspire new ideas and re-purpose natural attributes to create solutions. For instance, George de Mestral created VELCRO® Brand hook and loop fasteners after mimicking his design after the cockle burr. The burrs got caught in his dog's fur during a hike.

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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Unknown Facts About VELCRO ® Brand Products

AI 3 min read

Updated On: Feb 9, 2025

There is a misconception about what the VELCRO ® brand is exactly. Is it the name of the company or the product? Did NASA invent VELCRO ® brand hook and loop? Where did such a remarkable product come from? There are a lot of different questions that pop up when it comes to this clever and ingenious material. Here's a little bit on the history of the VELCRO® Brand, as well as a few VELCRO® Brand facts you may not have known about the hook and loop product.

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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Top Movies That Used Hook and Loop

AI 3 min read

Updated On: May 24, 2026

Many people around the world use hook and loop for just about anything, including Hollywood. There are plenty of hook and loop uses to secure things in place without being seen, a trait that producers find very useful. Here's a collection of scenes where hook and loop was as much a star as the actors themselves.

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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TV Props Made from Hook and Loop

AI 3 min read

Updated On: Nov 22, 2023

In 1955, Swiss engineer George de Mestral patented the hook and loop fastener which came to be known as VELCRO®, or hook and loop fasteners. During the Apollo program, NASA saw this fastener as a way to secure a number of items in zero gravity conditions. It became an integral addition to the moon flights and helped to fasten the astronauts’ space boots and gloves. Is it any wonder that it would go on to be employed to construct props for TV sci-fi shows?

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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Hook and Loop in the World of Textiles

AI 3 min read

Updated On: Feb 9, 2025

Everyone knows the brand VELCRO® but not many people can tell you what it is. VELCRO® is a brand of hook and loop fasteners manufactured by the Velcro companies. Hook and loop is a textile. So what is a textile? A textile is a material made of interlacing fibers. It's a broad term that includes fabrics and cloths and any variety of natural or artificial fibers such as cotton, silk, nylon and polyester. Now that we know what a textile is, how does a textile get made?

Stephen Ira
by: Stephen Ira
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