Foamex Inc., Expands Foam Production With Exclusive Foaming Process

Furniture World Magazine

Foamex International Inc. today held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official start up of its third Variable Pressure Foaming manufacturing facility in the United States. The new VPF SM installation is at the company’s plant in Cornelius, N.C., which is near Charlotte. Foamex has invested nearly $11 million dollars in the project, including equipment, its installation, plant improvements and expansion of the output storage area. Headquartered in Linwood, Pa., Foamex (Nasdaq: FMXI) is the world’s leading producer of comfort cushioning for bedding, furniture, carpet cushion and automotive markets. The company has 69 facilities in 20 states and four foreign countries. Foamex operates VPF lines in California and Mississippi and is building a fourth VPF facility at its Auburn, Ind., plant, which officials say will be completed later this year. VPF, also known as Chamber Technology®, is a proprietary, environmentally friendly manufacturing process that produces foam in an airlock chamber. "Not only does VPF deliver immediate benefits to Foamex and our customers, it offers great potential for additional future applications," said John Televantos, president and chief executive officer of Foamex. "VPF demonstrates both our technological leadership and our willingness to make major investments for the long-term." The airlock chamber housing the VPF process enables Foamex to develop and produce unique, value-enhancing products for its customers. The technology produces foam in a much wider range of high-performance properties than previously possible through conventional methods. The proprietary technology also produces foam that is more durable and provides higher yields from raw materials than traditional foaming methods. With the sealed system, VPFSM eliminates the need for the auxiliary blowing agents required in traditional foam production, which allows for cost-effective compliance with stricter federal environmental regulations that will soon become law. Foamex has exclusive manufacturing rights to VPF in North America, and the North Carolina line is the world’s largest. It is 536 feet long and will produce foam buns up to 200 feet in length. The Foamex plant in Mississippi has a 50-foot bun maximum and the California line has a 100-foot limit. Along with the three Foamex installations, VPF lines are operating in two European foam plants. Beamec Inc. of Manchester, England, manufactures the key components. "Adding VPF capability to our production capacity in the east will particularly benefit our furniture and bedding customers in the region by increasing their access to just-in-time delivery of the broadest array of value-added cushioning products in the industry," said Pete Wallace, executive vice president, Foam Products East. A significant portion of the new VPF capacity at Cornelius will be dedicated to production of the company’s Reflex® line, a family of advanced furniture cushioning products providing specialized support for upholstered furniture. "Acceptance of the Reflex line by the furniture industry has created high demand for the entire line, but especially for Reflex HR™, the newest member of the family," Wallace said. "Reflex HR sets a new standard in HR foam luxury, comfort and performance while bridging the economic gap between low-density HR and conventional flexible polyurethane foam. It also provides greater styling flexibility and extended durability in the construction of upholstered furniture. Customers throughout the Carolinas are excited that we will be producing this innovative new product in Cornelius." The North Carolina VPF line also will produce QuiltflexTM, a revolutionary new bedding foam developed by Foamex at its Foamex facility in Orange, Calif. "Quiltflex has the plush feel of polyester fiber with significantly improved durability," Wallace said. Quiltflex currently is being test-marketed for use as a top layer in mattresses, and also has application in quilts, comforters and pillows. Expanding production from Orange to Cornelius will significantly expand the geographic market for Quiltflex. A third product category enabled by VPF technology is Spectrum®, a protective packaging material that offers improved product protection with less material and lower weight than conventional urethane. Spectrum provides the packaging industry with a creative new material with benefits that apply throughout the supply chain, from manufacturer, through the customer and up to OEMs. Spectrum is just one more example of the exciting product potential offered by the combination of Foamex’s proprietary formulas and VPFSM technology. Vincent A. Bonaddio, Senior Vice President-Technology for Foamex, noted, "We are experiencing strong demand for VPF based products for the bedding, packaging and furniture markets, and we are now developing proprietary new products to serve the automotive interiors, flooring underlay and specialty markets." The world’s leading producer of comfort cushioning for bedding, furniture, carpet cushion and automotive markets, Foamex also manufactures high-performance polymers for diverse applications in the industrial, aerospace, electronics and computer industries as well as filtration and acoustical applications for the home. Revenues are approximately $1.3 billion. The Foamex Web address is http://www.foamex.com.