The Gilman Brothers Company

What The Gilman Brothers Company does

The Gilman Brothers Company is a third-generation, family-owned manufacturer of foamboard and rigid substrate products founded in 1897, headquartered in Gilman, Connecticut. The company produces polystyrene foam core products—including expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), and high-impact polystyrene sheets—combined with paper, styrene, or specialty coatings and adhesive surfaces. Its product portfolio spans the Resilient family (PRINT, MOUNT, ALIGN), INFINITY styrene-faced foamboard, EAGLECELL all-paper honeycomb board, InSite Reveal and its variants, MountCor heat-activated boards, Ryno Board, and Gilco Styrene, supported by proprietary technologies such as Spring-Back, Air-Release, Reveal memory foam, and 3D cold bend capability. Products are certified on major OEM platforms including HP PageWide XL Pro and HP Latex R530, and are optimized for Zund, Kongsberg, MultiCam, Onsrud, and Elitron digital cutting equipment.

The company serves wide-format printers, picture framers, wall décor fabricators, trade show exhibit builders, retail display manufacturers, and packaging customers including Kroger, Estee Lauder, Revlon, Avon, Phillip Morris, and US government agencies. It operates two manufacturing facilities (Gilman and Stafford Springs, CT), a 50,000 sq ft warehouse, and distributes through a direct enterprise sales team, a distributor referral program, and core channel partners—notably Kelly Spicers (Central National Gottesman) and HP as a global OEM partner. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales priced via quote-based channel partner transactions; no SaaS, licensing, or recurring revenue model exists. The business emphasizes Made-in-USA production, sustainability through SGP patronage, Agilyx polystyrene recycling, and Budderfly solar infrastructure, and is led by Evan Gilman (president and third-generation family member) alongside an expanded commercial team.

Name

The Gilman Brothers Company

Legal name

The Gilman Brothers Company

Website

https://gilmanbrothers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Gilman Brothers Company is a 128-year-old, family-owned manufacturer of foamboard and rigid substrate products serving wide-format printers, framers, wall décor fabricators, retailers, and packaging customers across North America through direct sales, distribution partners, and HP OEM channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foamboard & Rigid Graphic Substrate Manufacturing

NAICS

Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing (32614)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086)

akta.pro primary industry

Foam Plastics (EPS/PU/PE) Manufacturing (IMANAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foam Conversion & Fabrication (Cutting, Laminating, CNC, Packaging Inserts) (IMANAIAJ), Polymer Foams & Cellular Materials (PU Foams, EPS/XPS, Structural Foams) (IMAEANAL)

Keywords

• Foamboard manufacturing
• Rigid substrates
• Graphic display boards
• Signage materials
• Mounting boards

Headquarters

HQ city

Gilman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foamboard Product Sales: Direct manufacture and sale of foamboard products including INFINITY, Resilient, InSite, EAGLECELL, MountCor, and Ryno Board to graphic arts professionals, retailers, and fabricators through direct sales team and distributor channel partners.
2. Rigid Substrate Sales: Sale of rigid substrate products including styrene sheets, paper-faced foamboards, and specialty coated products for signage, display, POP, framing, and wall décor applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Gilman Brothers Company manufactures foamboard and rigid substrate products—including styrene-faced foamboards, paper-faced foamboards, all-paper honeycomb graphics boards, heat-activated and pressure-sensitive mounting boards, and high-impact polystyrene sheets—for signage, point-of-purchase displays, picture framing, photo mounting, wall décor, and visual merchandising applications. Its products are sold to graphic arts professionals, wide-format printers, fabricators, and retailers through direct enterprise sales, distributor channels, and OEM partnerships.

Product overview

The Gilman Brothers Company is a manufacturer of foamboard and graphic display substrates serving the visual communications, graphics, signage, display, wall décor, framing, and packaging industries. The product portfolio includes three main product lines: (1) Resilient® family (PRINT, MOUNT, ALIGN) - velvety soft closed-cell foam boards for printing, mounting, and wall décor applications; (2) INFINITY® - styrene faced foamboard with 3D cold bend capability for POP displays and visual merchandising; (3) EAGLECELL™ - all-paper honeycomb graphics board as eco-friendly alternative; (4) InSite® family (Reveal, HA, Self-Adhesive, Acid-Free, Canvas) - paper-faced foam boards for framing, mounting, and printing; (5) MountCor® and MountCor® Canvas - heat-activated mounting boards specifically for canvas and standard mounting; (6) Ryno Board® - high-density foamboard for structural applications; and (7) Gilco Styrene - digital-grade styrene sheets. The company historically produced cotton batting, insulation, protective cushioning materials, flocked sheets (Stylour, Luxura Stylour), and rigid polystyrene sheets before focusing on foamboard products in the 1980s-1990s.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• INFINITY: Styrene faced foamboard with 3D cold bend capability, UV stabilized and 100% recyclable.
• EAGLECELL
• InSite
• Resilient
• MountCor
• Ryno Board
• Gilco
• CELLULITE
• CELLULINER
• Stylour
• Luxura Stylour

Products and services

• Resilient® PRINT™ Velvety smooth, closed-cell foam board with a consistent white surface for direct digital printing, featuring Spring-Back technology and a velvet black core. Designed for graphic arts professionals producing premium printed displays and wall décor.
• Resilient® MOUNT™ Permanent PSA mounting board with a velvety smooth, closed-cell foam core providing a strong, lasting bond via pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side. Used for photo mounting, retail signage, and wall décor applications.
• Resilient® ALIGN® Permanent Non-Tack PSA mounting board with a slidable pressure-activated adhesive surface and Air-Release Technology for bubble-free mounting in seconds. Designed for photo mounting and wall décor where re-positionability is required before final placement.
• ADHERE™ Hanging System Damage-free removable hanging system for painted walls, painted cinderblock, and finished wood surfaces. Used with Resilient wall décor boards for premium photo mounting.
• INFINITY® Styrene Faced Foamboard Polystyrene foam core sandwiched between two rigid digital-grade polystyrene sheets. Features 2.5x density foam, proprietary UV-stabilized styrene surface, 3D cold bend capability, 7% reduction in ink usage, and 100% recyclability. Used for visual merchandising, POP displays, and signage.
• EAGLECELL™ All-Paper Honeycomb Graphics Board Proprietary 95% open-space honeycomb paper core offering I-beam-like structural strength with paper-based facers, providing a 100% paper-based, fully recyclable graphics board as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic, metal, and wood substrates.
• InSite® Reveal® Clay-Coated Paper Faced Foamboard Clay-coated paper-faced foamboard with proprietary Reveal memory foam center engineered to retain thickness, moisture-resistant clay coating for superior ink coverage and color gloss, and superior cutting performance on digital equipment.
• InSite® Reveal® HA (Heat Activated) Foamboard Heat-activated adhesive coated foamboard ready to use out of case, eliminating the need for rolled mounting tissues or films. Used in professional photo mounting and framing.
• InSite® Self-Adhesive Foamboard Pressure-sensitive adhesive foamboard available in High-Tack or Low-Tack adhesion options with cold application process, eliminating the need for heated equipment.
• InSite® Acid-Free Foamboard Acid-free foamboard for high-end preservation mounting and framing with pH values 7.5-9.5, compliant with PAT Standards for conservation framing.
• InSite® Canvas Foamboard Canvas-textured foamboard with bright-white embossed textured facers providing a faux-canvas appearance for gallery wraps and decorative printed displays.
• MountCor® Heat-Activated Foamboard 130°F permanent heat-activated foamboard with the lowest bonding temperature in the industry, neutral pH adhesive, translucent gridded release liner, and acid-free formulation for long-term preservation mounting of photographs and artwork.
• MountCor® Canvas Heat-Activated Foamboard The first and only heat-activated board developed specifically for mounting digitally printed canvases and fine art giclées that cannot be stretched. Used by professional photo mounting and framing operations.
• Ryno Board® High-Density Foamboard Extruded high-density polystyrene foamboard with double-thick clay-coated bright white liners providing enhanced rigidity and structural performance for demanding structural applications.
• Gilco Styrene Digital-Grade High-Impact Polystyrene Sheet 100% styrene sheets designed for conventional fabricating methods and vacuum-forming processes with low die costs, greater printability, close tolerances, and deep draw. Used by packaging fabricators and product designers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% faster cutting on Zund digital cutting equipment
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DscoopcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2025Gilman Brothers became a new annual member of Dscoop in 2025, participating in Dscoop 2025 in Long Beach, CA. The partnership connects Gilman with global leaders in digital print, packaging, and display graphics.
• Hewlett Packard (HP)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2025Gilman Brothers products (INFINITY, InSite, Resilient, EAGLECELL) are certified on HP Latex R530 Printer. HP brands a specialized version of InSite Reveal as 'HP Production Foamplus Board' for HP PageWide XL Pro Printer series. Gilman is the globally preferred foamboard supplier for HP's PageWide platform. Innovation summit planned at HP Indigo headquarters.
• Kelly Spicers (Central National Gottesman)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Multi-decade distribution partnership. Kelly Spicers has 1.7 million square feet of space, 125 delivery trucks, 25 stores, and 11 locations. Provides same or next-day delivery for Gilman Brothers products across the western region. Celebrated 90-year anniversary in 2025.
• Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Gold Patron of SGP since December 2022. SGP is a leading certification authority in sustainable printing. Gilman Brothers joined as patron supporting sustainable print and graphics sustainability efforts.
• T3 ExpominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Event fabricator that designed, printed, cut, and assembled the dramatic rock-and-roll themed booth at PRINTING United Expo 2022. Created dynamic visual effects showcasing Gilman Brothers substrates.
• AgilyxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership for polystyrene chemical recycling. INFINITY styrene-faced foamboard and InSite Reveal paper-faced foamboard products have been tested and approved for recycling through Agilyx's proprietary polystyrene advanced recycling solution at their Tigard, Oregon facility. Joint recycling program announced July 2020.
• Zund AmericacoreTechnology or IntegrationLongstanding technology partnership for digital cutting systems. Zund provides digital cutters for Gilman's HQ operations. Jointly hosted Innovation Summit Series events and trade show booths. INFINITY cuts 30% faster on Zund equipment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 3A Composites: Global manufacturer of rigid substrates including SINTRA (PVC), FOREX, and Fome-Cor foamboards for graphics, signage, and display. Direct competitor in Gilman's core rigid-substrate category and the dominant share leader in foamboard globally.
• Insulation Corporation of America: US-based EPS foam block and shape manufacturer serving graphic arts, packaging, and industrial customers. Direct competitor to Gilman in cut-to-order polystyrene foam board products for signage and displays.
• Universal Foam Products: US EPS and specialty foam products manufacturer serving signage, theatrical, packaging, and display customers with cut-to-size and custom foam fabrication. Direct competitor to Gilman in custom-cut foam board and fabricated display substrates.

Broad incumbents

• Elmer's Products: Major consumer and education-focused foam board brand (Elmer's Foam Board / Foam Board Xtra) sold through mass-market retail. Competes in the same fundamental foam-board category but distributes through a fundamentally different (retail) channel than Gilman's B2B model.
• Pregis: Diversified protective packaging and foam products manufacturer operating EPS, polyurethane, and specialty foam lines. Overlaps with Gilman's protective packaging heritage (CELLULINER) and competes in foam fabrication for shipping and display customers.
• Sealed Air: Large public packaging company producing protective foam, polystyrene-based, and specialty substrate solutions for industrial and retail customers. Competes with Gilman in specialty foam segments and has substantially greater capital and global reach.
• Pactiv Evergreen: Large diversified foodservice and packaging manufacturer producing EPS foam and related polymer substrates. Overlaps with Gilman in EPS-based products and competes at scale, especially in protective and signage-adjacent applications.

Regional players

• Atlas Molded Products: Producer of molded EPS products for construction, packaging, and graphic applications. Competes with Gilman in EPS-based substrates but is geographically diversified in the US construction market rather than focused on graphics/display as Gilman is.
• Kapatex: UK/Europe-based foam board and rigid substrate manufacturer specializing in PVC, polystyrene, and polyurethane display boards. Comparable product range to Gilman but primarily serves European markets rather than competing directly in North America.

Others

• Agilyx: Polystyrene chemical-recycling partner of Gilman Brothers via the 2020 joint recycling program. Not a product competitor but an enabling ecosystem participant whose recycling capacity directly supports Gilman's INFINITY and InSite value proposition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 The Gilman Brothers Company