History
1980 - The company starts with a $10,000 investment from the owners' father-in-law, under the name Foam Factory and Upholstering. Offered products and services include upholstery, restaurant furniture, headboards and window treatments. The business is located in Roseville, Michigan with approximately 1,900 square feet of space.
1982 - Owners' father-in-law waives the original investment debt out of generosity and the hard work shown by the owners.
1983 - Purchase of the company's first foam-cutting band saw allows for precision shaping of open-cell foam.
1986 - Foam Factory invests in its first foam "shredder" to make filling commonly used in pillows and cushions. The shredder also nearly eliminates product waste by allowing scraps of high quality foam, too small to be cut into a product, to be repurposed as filling material.
1988 - Foam Factory first offers closed-cell foam products to its customers, greatly expanding the applications for which the company manufactures products.
1991 - Foam Factory moves from its original Roseville, Michigan location to a newly built facility in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The new facility is approximately 10,000 square feet in size.
1992 - Investments are made in foam fabrication machinery, allowing the company to purchase foam in its large bulk "bun" form, rather than pre-processed sheets, lowering costs.
1993 - In March of 1993, Foam Factory, Inc. is incorporated. Foam Factory also invests in non-CNC Machinery capable of mass-producing 2-D shapes, creating manufacturing opportunities for broader-scale commercial products.
1995 - Investment in CNC machinery allows for the cutting of 2-D, and now 3-D shapes, quickly and accurately.
1996 - As Foam Factory's market share continues to grow, more investments are made toward additional CNC foam fabrication machinery.
1999 - Negotiations between the owners are completed and one is bought out. New management focuses on expanding the company's foam product line, fabrication capabilities and service area.
2000 - The company website FoamByMail.com is established.
2001 - Two adjoining properties are acquired, increasing operating space from approximately 10,000 square feet to a total of approximately 34,000 square feet in Michigan's Sterling Heights area.
2002 - Investments are made in CNC machinery for the specific purpose of fabricating polystyrene foam.
2003 - As the demand for the company's capabilities and products grow, more space is needed, and Foam Factory moves from Sterling Heights, Michigan to Clinton Township, Michigan. The new facility's nearly 100,000 square feet of space allows for greater purchasing power by providing increased storage space, and additional area for manufacturing.
2007 - Major investments are made in foam fabrication machinery, helping Foam Factory fabricate products cheaper and faster than ever before. New capabilities include skiving (slicing) dense and/or closed-cell foams and die cutting services in both high and low volumes. A new waterjet cutting machine offers mid to low volume 2-D production economically, by eliminating the need for die tooling.
2010 - An additional property, approximately 1/4 of a mile from the current location is acquired, totaling 20,000 square feet and four acres of land. It is primarily used for increased storage capacity. A horizontal CNC machine is also added, for precision cutting of polyurethane foam.
2011 - The company website undergoes a major redesign and is reintroduced, offering more information and easier access and ordering for customers. Additional tooling machinery is also acquired, giving Foam Factory the ability to create the dies for their 3-D profiling products in-house.
2014 - After its purchase in late 2011, Foam Factory transitions their offices and manufacturing to a new facility on 23 Mile in Macomb, Michigan. About 10 minutes away from their Clinton Township location, the new facility totals nearly 310,000 square feet of space, more than triple the size of the previous building. With more space to utilize, multiple machinery additions are made to increase production and efficiency.
2017 - Another round of major investments is made in foam fabrication machinery, further helping Foam Factory fabricate products cheaper and faster. New machinery includes additional waterjet machines, additional horizontal CNC machines, a large 100HP shredder for recycling foam scrap and an additional skiving (slicing) machine for cutting closed cell foam.
2018 - To speed up Foam Factory's packaging processes, major investments are made in packaging machines. Investment triples our packaging capabilities in terms of speed and efficiency.