THE HISTORY OF PLASTOMER CORPORATION

Plastomer was among the first American manufacturers of a new material developed in Germany called, Flexible Polyurethane Foam.

In 1953, Plastomer's founders had invented a special mixing apparatus for another use that gained fame in its marketplace and caught the attention of Bayer-Monsanto, a European chemical company who had been developing the initial urethane formulations.

They visited Michigan and initiated a joint development program with Plastomer's founders to utilize the mixer to produce a more consistent soft material (foam) that had a high growth potential in numerous markets.

After a lengthy period of experiments, and with some adjustments to the patented mixer, success was achieved and in 1954 Plastomer incorporated and began manufacturing Flexible Foams to replace sponges and for a variety of consumer products including kitchen scrubbers, floor wax applicators, and toys to name a few.

In 1957 the automotive market came to call looking for replacements for felt, rubber and cloth gaskets used throughout the passenger cabin. Plastomer met the challenge with custom formulations of various foams for gaskets and acoustical applications that then also became popular in the appliance and electronic manufacturing fields.

But that wasn't all that was needed. Along with new foam criteria came fabricating requirements for which there were precious few machines to accomplish the task.

Plastomer had to invent or revise machines to split foam sheets, to apply adhesive backings, to apply film facings if needed, and to then cut the foams to their finished intended shapes.

Fortunately die cutting presses were already available so the learning curve for tooling and dimensional tolerancing, while still problematical, were generally shorter than with the other processes.

Then as all growing businesses soon learn, came loans, business plans, expansions, a catastrophe or two, and other necessities generally known as risks. Plastomer blazed a trail through those for other foamers and fabricators to follow.

From those early pioneering days Plastomer has retained its roots in being the leader in Flexible Foams and fabrication techniques that produce products primarily for automotive use in passenger cabins whether it be for gaskets in the HVAC and Instrument Panel areas, or for acoustical applications and others throughout the vehicle.

The website you are about to visit attempts to display our products and capabilities. What it cannot demonstrate is the excitement and exhilaration of being the first to succeed at something thought to be too difficult to achieve.

Others may allege to be leaders in this industry. There is only one first and it is the company with the knowledge and the history of succeeding for its customers when there was no one to copy and no one else to light the path.

Founders Walter and George Baughman were awarded the Polyurethane Lifetime Achievement Award from Kurt Frisch and The Polymer Institute in 2000, and Walter was inducted into the Polyurethane Hall of Fame in 2004.

Plastomer Corporation, the recognized Pioneer in Flexible Foam products for manufacturing industries in North America and the World.

Still here over 50 years later, still demonstrating how to lead.