Ohio manufacturer on cutting edge of green initiatives

Environmental responsibility has recently become trendy. But at Fomo Products Inc., creating products that make buildings more energy efficient has been its business for more than 30 years. Given that Fomo products contribute to environmental sustainability, the company has decided its entire corporation should be committed to living the green lifestyle.

The company recently celebrated the opening of its new Spray Foam Production Center in Akron, Ohio, and launched a corporate-wide green initiative at the event.

Fomo is making significant changes to create a corporate culture that is more dedicated to environmental sustainability. The company has developed a Green Team of employees from different divisions of the company to lead initiatives. To date, the company’s headquarters in Norton, Ohio, are being assessed for energy efficiency, more green life will be brought indoors and aggressive recycling programs have started — including the recycling of an entire building that will house the company’s new Spray Foam Production Center.

“We’ve always had our finger on the pulse of environmental concerns and have seen our business grow with the new emphasis placed on energy efficiency,” said Doug Caffoe, vice president of business development and market for Fomo. “But we don’t just want to be a benefactor of the green movement; we want to be a leader, which is why we are giving our company an environmental overhaul to help contribute to a healthier globe.”

Fomo’s polyurethane foam insulation products, Handi Foam and Handi Seal, are already being used in the design and construction of energy-efficient buildings. These products can all help a home receive an Energy Star rating and are used to insulate full wall cavities, floors and rim joists, as well as sealing around vents, plumbing and electrical penetrations. Some of the polyol components in Fomo’s products come from recycled plastic bottles, but Fomo is going a step further to deliver products that are kinder to our environment.

“To further minimize our footprint on the earth, we are currently exploring new formulations using raw materials made from sustainable resources such as soy-based polyols, a building block of polyurethane foam,” said Tom Fishback, technical director at Fomo Products. “Additionally, we are anxious to start working with environmentally cutting-edge propellants, which have no global warming potential, ozone depleting potential and are not VOCs.”

Fomo is out to set an example for other companies in northeast Ohio of what it means to go truly “green.” Rather than building a new facility for its Spray Foam Production Center, Fomo bought and recycled an old retail store in the Rolling Acres area of Akron.

“We saw this as an investment in an area with a struggling economy and a chance to save energy used to produce new building materials and construct a large facility,” said Caffoe. “This building is also on the Akron bus route, so we can encourage employees to save car fuel and ride the bus to work.”

The activity at the Spray Foam Production Center will focus on recycling foam tanks by refilling them and sending them off for use at large construction projects and OEM plants. Fomo hopes its new facility and recent investment in the Rolling Acres area will spark a new interest in the area and help bring in more expanding companies.

“Sustainability isn’t just about improving the natural environment, but the human environment, too,” said Caffoe. “We as a company can invest in an area that needs our help, offer jobs to the people of that community and help raise the standard of living — we only hope other companies will follow suit.”