Polyformes
Polyformes is a UK-based foam manufacturer and converter producing custom protective packaging, engineered foam components, gaskets, seals, and presentation solutions for B2B customers across industrial, automotive, medical, aerospace, marine, and electronics sectors. It operates as a subsidiary of Macfarlane Group PLC following its 2024 acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersLeighton Buzzard, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Polyformes does
Polyformes Limited is a UK-based foam manufacturer, supplier, and converter headquartered in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Established in 1984 with over 40 years of operating history, the company converts raw foam materials into custom protective packaging, engineered foam components, foam mouldings, gaskets, seals, presentation trays, and protective cases for B2B customers across eight vertical markets: industrial manufacturing (primary), automotive and railways, medical and healthcare, marine and flotation, electronics (ESD protection), aerospace and defence, cosmetics and fashion, and construction. The company self-describes as Europe's biggest polyethylene foam converter and has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Macfarlane Group PLC (LSE: MACR) since its July 2024 acquisition.
The company's product platform rests on a multi-process manufacturing capability set: CNC routing (described as making Polyformes the UK's leading producer of cross-linked polyethylene foam inserts), waterjet cutting (precision cuts up to 200mm thick), die cutting, thermoforming, compression moulding, and a patented four-colour CMYB foam printing process enabling high-resolution graphics on foam surfaces up to 1,200mm wide. Materials span the Zotefoams Azote range of cross-linked closed-cell polyethylene and copolymer foams (Plastazote, Evazote, Ethafoam, Supazote), plus Polyformes-grade offerings ARPLANK (100% recyclable, 30% recycled content) and Stratocell, allowing material selection matched to protection, sustainability, and presentation requirements. ISO 9001 certification covers the manufacturing and conversion operations.
The commercial model is direct and quote-based, with minimum order charges of £100 for primary sheet material and £250 for manufactured goods; pricing is not publicly listed. Distribution runs through Polyformes' own transport fleet and third-party overnight carriers, with delivery typically occurring the day after dispatch across the UK, Ireland, and Europe. Marketing is executed via the company website, blog, knowledge centre, email newsletter (Mailchimp), and corporate social profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X. No revenue, named customer accounts, or pricing transparency is publicly disclosed, and the headcount range is 51–100 employees.
Polyformes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Polyformes
- Legal name
- Polyformes Limited
- Website
- https://polyformes.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Polyformes is a UK-based foam manufacturer and converter producing custom protective packaging, engineered foam components, gaskets, seals, and presentation solutions for B2B customers across industrial, automotive, medical, aerospace, marine, and electronics sectors. It operates as a subsidiary of Macfarlane Group PLC following its 2024 acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Polyformes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Foam Packaging and Conversion
- NAICS
- Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (32615), Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)
- SIC
- Plastics Foam Products (3086), Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Foam Conversion & Fabrication (Cutting, Laminating, CNC, Packaging Inserts) (IMANAIAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Polyethylene (PE) Foam Manufacturing (IMANAIAE), Polyurethane (PU) Flexible Foam Manufacturing (IMANAIAC)
Keywords
Where Polyformes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leighton Buzzard
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Polyformes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Polyformes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Polyformes is a UK-based foam manufacturer, supplier, and converter that transforms raw polyethylene foam materials into custom protective packaging, engineered foam parts, gaskets, seals, trays, inserts, cases, and bags. The company uses processes including CNC routing, waterjet cutting, die cutting, thermoforming, compression moulding, and a proprietary patented 4-colour foam printing technology to deliver bespoke foam solutions to industrial customers across medical, aerospace, automotive, marine, electronics, construction, and cosmetics sectors.
Product overview
Polyformes is a UK-based foam manufacturer, supplier, and converter offering a portfolio of products centered on custom foam solutions. The company's offerings span protective packaging products (Cases, Bags and Boxes; Custom Foam Packaging; Bespoke Foam Trays and Inserts; Unique Engineered Parts; Engineered Foam Gaskets and Seals; Foam Mouldings; Foam Crane Mats) and high-performance foam materials (Plastazote, Ethafoam, Evazote, Supazote, ARPLANK, Stratocell) from the Azote range manufactured by Zotefoams. These products are supported by manufacturing capabilities including CNC Routing and Machining, Waterjet Cutting, and a proprietary 4 Colour Foam Printing process. The company operates as a single unified product line focused on converting raw foam materials into finished protective packaging and engineered foam solutions for industries including medical, construction, aviation, automotive, marine, electronics, and cosmetics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Polyformes
Customer profileSegments8 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Polyformes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Polyformes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Macfarlane GroupcoreMacfarlane Group PLC acquired Polyformes in July 2024 to boost its protective packaging business. Polyformes designs, manufactures, and distributes packaging products for various sectors across the UK, Ireland, and Europe. This acquisition enhances Macfarlane's foam conversion capabilities.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Polyformes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Polyformes social profiles
Digital presencePolyformes compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Polyformes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Polyformes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Polyformes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Polyformes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Polyformes
What does Polyformes do?
Polyformes is a UK-based foam manufacturer, supplier, and converter that transforms raw polyethylene foam materials into custom protective packaging, engineered foam parts, gaskets, seals, trays, inserts, cases, and bags. The company uses processes including CNC routing, waterjet cutting, die cutting, thermoforming, compression moulding, and a proprietary patented 4-colour foam printing technology to deliver bespoke foam solutions to industrial customers across medical, aerospace, automotive, marine, electronics, construction, and cosmetics sectors.
Is Polyformes a public or private company?
Polyformes is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Polyformes founded?
Polyformes was founded in 1984. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Polyformes based?
Polyformes is headquartered in Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Does Polyformes have an API?
No public API is recorded for Polyformes.
What industry is Polyformes in?
Polyformes's product category is Custom Foam Packaging and Conversion. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAIAJ, Foam Conversion & Fabrication (Cutting, Laminating, CNC, Packaging Inserts), with a secondary code of IMANAIAE, Polyethylene (PE) Foam Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 32615 and its SIC code is 3086.