What FOAMit does

FOAMit is a US-based designer, engineer, and manufacturer of chemical application equipment used for sanitation, cleaning, disinfection, and chemical management across industrial and institutional settings. Founded in 1980 by Dan Jacques (a former chemical sales representative who built the first foam unit in his garage) and operated with co-founder Ann Jacques and multiple subsequent generations of the Jacques family, the company is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it occupies a manufacturing facility on Soundtech Court that more than doubled in footprint during a 2017 relocation. The product portfolio spans five core application technologies — foam, spray, fog, mist, and gel — delivered through portable units (from sub-gallon pump-ups to 50-gallon air- and lithium-ion-battery-powered systems), wall-mounted systems (the FOG-IT6 configurable fog system supports up to 20 nozzles), and central distribution systems. Differentiated offerings include the proprietary "Smart Technology" pneumatic valve system that eliminates stored pressure and provides automatic shut-off, a quick-change pump design for tool-free maintenance, and a color-coding system across 9 lid colors and 4 hose colors to prevent cross-contamination. The company also offers footwear sanitation systems (including the airless SS5 walk-through unit), drain sanitation attachments, and in-house design services for custom chemical application equipment.

FOAMit serves a diversified vertical mix with Food & Beverage (food processing plants, breweries, wineries, distilleries) as the primary segment, followed by Agricultural Biosecurity, Industrial (manufacturing, remediation, restoration, concrete/ready-mix), and Institutional buyers. The business model is hardware sales of catalog and configured-to-order equipment, with pricing not publicly disclosed and quotes routed through direct sales or a worldwide distributor network that handles local sales, installation support, and service. Customer-facing assets include a product website (foamit.com) with English and Spanish support videos, datasheets, and operation manuals, plus a US toll-free sales line. Additional revenue mechanics include custom-engineered equipment under the Design Services umbrella and accessories/wear parts (wands, nozzles, lids, hoses, anti-kink springs, water separators) that drive aftermarket pull-through.

The company is privately held and family-controlled, with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent company structures. Operating geographies are global via the distributor channel. The company does not offer software, APIs, or app integrations; the product line is purely mechanical/fluidic with documented efficiency benchmarks (e.g., 7.7 cfm air consumption versus competitors' 39 cfm for fog units). Notable recent strategic actions include the 2017 rebrand from Innovative Cleaning Equipment to FOAM-iT, the 2020 COVID-19-driven expansion into disinfection and sanitizing systems for offices, aircraft interiors, distribution centers, and healthcare facilities, and ongoing lithium-ion battery-powered product launches across 5–30 gallon capacities.

Name

FOAMit

Legal name

FOAMit

Website

https://foamit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

FOAMit is a US-based, family-owned manufacturer of foam, spray, fog, mist, and gel chemical application equipment serving food and beverage, agricultural biosecurity, industrial, and institutional sanitation markets globally through a distributor network since 1980.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Chemical Application Equipment

NAICS

Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (326150)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086)

akta.pro primary industry

Foam Conversion & Fabrication (Cutting, Laminating, CNC, Packaging Inserts) (IMANAIAJ)

Keywords

• Chemical application equipment
• Foam dispensing systems
• Industrial sanitation equipment
• Fog and mist equipment
• Cleaning and disinfection systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Direct sale of chemical application equipment including portable foam/spray/fog units, wall-mounted systems, central systems, and accessories. Products range from 0.4 gallon manual pump-ups to 50+ gallon portable units.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FOAMit designs, manufactures, and supports chemical application equipment—including foam, spray, fog, and mist systems—for sanitation, cleaning, disinfection, and chemical application operations across industrial, food and beverage, agricultural, institutional, and remediation industries. The company offers a broad product range from portable 5-gallon battery-powered units to 60-gallon industrial systems, with each unit custom-engineered to customer specifications. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, FOAMit also provides custom design services and a full line of accessories.

Product overview

FOAMit is a manufacturer of sanitation and chemical application equipment, offering a diversified portfolio of portable and wall-mounted systems. The product portfolio centers on five core application technologies: Foam (including Smart Technology units with no stored pressure, Battery Powered lithium-ion units, and standard compressed air units), Spray (pump-up, battery powered, and wall-mounted pre-mix systems), Fog (portable and wall-mounted units with various nozzle configurations), Mist, and Chemical Management systems. Key product families include: Battery Powered units in 5, 10, 20, 25, and 30 gallon capacities with lithium-ion technology; Smart Technology units featuring proprietary pneumatic valve control for safer operation; Central Systems (Sterilex EZBlend, Central Foam Stations, Doorway Foam Stations); Footwear Sanitation Systems including walk-through units and boot scrubbers; and Drain Sanitation Systems with specialized attachments. The portfolio also includes accessories (wands, nozzles, water separators, hose assemblies, replacement lids), and Design Services for custom equipment development. Applications span Food & Beverage, Agricultural Biosecurity, Institutional, Industrial, Remediation & Restoration, Concrete/Ready-Mix, and Alcoholic Beverages industries. Founded in 1980, the company is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Battery Powered Foam Units Portable battery-powered foam application units ranging from 5-gallon to 60-gallon capacities, designed for mobile sanitation and chemical foam application across food processing, agricultural biosecurity, industrial, and institutional facilities. Battery power enables cordless operation for use in locations without convenient power access.
• Battery Powered Spray Units Portable battery-powered spray application units available in 5-gallon to 60-gallon sizes for mobile spray application of sanitizers, disinfectants, sealers, and other chemicals where cordless operation is required.
• Smart Foam Units Advanced foam application units with integrated smart electronic controls for precise foam generation and dispensing, available in 5-gallon to 60-gallon capacities for facilities requiring automated or precisely metered foam application.
• Manual and Electric Spray Units Standard manual and electric-powered spray units for general-purpose chemical application in industrial, concrete, and remediation operations requiring pressurized spray delivery.
• Portable Fog Units Portable fog application units designed for remediation and restoration contractors, deodorization applications, and disinfection fogging in commercial and industrial settings.
• Wall Mounted Fog Systems Stationary wall-mounted fog systems designed for permanent installation in institutional and commercial facilities requiring automated or on-demand fog application for disinfection, deodorization, or chemical treatment.
• Central Doorway Foam Stations Centralized foam application stations installed at facility entry points and doorways, enabling personnel and equipment sanitization at transition zones in agricultural biosecurity, food processing, and institutional facilities.
• Wall Mounted Pre-Mix Spray Units Wall-mounted spray units with pre-mix chemical proportioning capability, designed for permanent facility installation where consistent diluted chemical solutions are required for routine sanitation and disinfection.
• Footwear Sanitizing Units Dedicated footwear sanitizing units for use at biosecurity entry points and facility transitions, applying foam or spray disinfectant to employee footwear in agricultural operations, food processing plants, and institutional facilities.
• Drain Sanitation Systems Automated drain sanitation systems designed to dispense sanitizing chemicals into floor drains at scheduled intervals, controlling microbial growth and odor in food processing, beverage, and industrial facilities.
• Belt Foam Bar Attachments Belt-mounted foam bar attachments designed to integrate with conveyor systems, applying foam continuously to products passing along processing lines in food and beverage operations.
• Custom Equipment Design Services Custom engineering and design services where FOAMit's in-house engineering team designs and manufactures chemical application equipment tailored to specific customer requirements, facility constraints, chemical compatibility needs, and throughput specifications.
• Equipment Accessories Replacement and complementary accessories for FOAMit equipment, including spray wands, application nozzles, hoses, tank lids, and scrubber attachments used to configure and maintain chemical application systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Efficient air consumption: 7.7 cfm vs competitor's 39 cfm for fog units
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spraying Systems Co. World's largest manufacturer of industrial spray nozzles and spray system components used for cleaning, coating, and chemical application. Comparable to FOAMit because both design and sell engineered spray/foam delivery hardware to industrial and food-processing customers.
• Alkota Cleaning Systems: Manufacturer of industrial pressure washers, steam cleaners, and chemical application equipment. Comparable to FOAMit because both supply rugged chemical-application hardware used in industrial cleaning, food processing, and agricultural sanitation.
• DEMA Engineering: Designer and manufacturer of chemical proportioning, dispensing, and spray equipment for cleaning and sanitation. Comparable to FOAMit because both supply pump-based foam and spray application hardware for institutional, industrial, and food-service sanitation buyers.
• Nilfisk: Global manufacturer of industrial and food-industry cleaning equipment including foam and sanitizing systems. Directly comparable because Nilfisk's FOOD division overlaps FOAMit's core foam/spray/fog application equipment for food & beverage sanitation, and Nilfisk is already named as a technology partner in FOAMit's support content.
• Hydro Systems Company: Manufacturer of chemical dilution, dispensing, and proportioning equipment for industrial cleaning and food sanitation. Comparable to FOAMit because both build pump-driven pre-mix and wall-mounted foam/spray stations serving the same food-safety and industrial hygiene end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Ecolab: Global leader in water, hygiene, and infection-prevention solutions, with broad coverage across food & beverage sanitation. Comparable to FOAMit as a broad incumbent whose chemical and dispensing portfolio addresses the same sanitation and biosecurity use cases, but at vastly greater scale and with bundled chemistries.
• Karcher: Global manufacturer of cleaning technology including industrial pressure washers, steam cleaners, and sanitation equipment. Comparable to FOAMit as a broad incumbent in industrial cleaning hardware with overlap in foam and spray application for food and institutional sanitation.
• STERIS: Provider of infection prevention, contamination control, and sterilization products and equipment. Comparable to FOAMit in the sanitation/disinfection equipment niche, particularly for institutional and life-science customers, though STERIS is far broader in scope.
• Sealed Air (Diversey): Diversified packaging and food-safety company whose Diversey division offers cleaning chemistry and application equipment for food processing. Comparable to FOAMit because it competes in the same food & beverage sanitation equipment category, but with a much larger chemical-and-equipment bundle.

Emerging players

• Vikan: Specialist manufacturer of hygienic cleaning tools, brushes, and color-coded sanitation equipment for food and beverage facilities. Comparable to FOAMit because both sell color-coded, food-safety-focused sanitation hardware, though Vikan is more focused on tools than on foam/spray dispensing systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/foamitequipment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foamit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FOAMit