What General Plastics Mfg. Co. does

General Plastics Manufacturing Company is a privately held, Tacoma, Washington-based specialty manufacturer of polyurethane foam products, founded in 1941 and operating under the LAST-A-FOAM® brand. It develops proprietary rigid and flexible polyurethane foam formulations—CFC-free and VOC-free—available in densities from 3 to 50 lbs/ft³, serving OEMs and Tier 1/Tier 2 manufacturers across aerospace, defense, nuclear transportation, marine, medical imaging, construction, and other industrial verticals. The company's product architecture spans dielectric foams (RF-2200), submersible foams (R-3300), FST-certified aerospace foams (FR-3800), thermoformable boards (FR-4300), high-temperature tooling boards (FR-4700), construction insulation blocks (R-9300), marine foams (TR-Marine), integral skin foams for parts programs (WSF-1010/1121), and flexible shock/vibration isolation sheets (EF-4000, TF-5070, TF-6070, FP-8000).

The company is vertically integrated from formulation through CNC machining (including 5-axis), custom molding, sub-assembly, and an on-site FAA-approved burn test facility, enabling single-source production for safety-critical applications. It holds ISO 9001:2015/AS9100D, MIL-45208A, Boeing D6-82479, BMS 8-133/8-350/8-39/8-436, multiple MIL-specs, ITAR, NQA-1, and QC-1 certifications, with documented programs dating to Minuteman, Peacekeeper, Trident missile systems, NASA space missions, and Type A/B nuclear waste transportation containers. Revenue is generated through quote-based sales with a $5,000 minimum order, direct enterprise field sales, and an authorized distributor network (ThyssenKrupp, CSI of Virginia, Reklein Plastics, Blackhawk Specialty Products, Sign-Arts Products) serving US, Canadian, and international customers. Complementary revenue streams include CNC machining services, custom foam pours and formulations, testing services, and sub-assembly production.

Name

General Plastics Mfg. Co.

Legal name

General Plastics Manufacturing Company

Website

https://generalplastics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

General Plastics Manufacturing Company is a privately held, Tacoma-based manufacturer of proprietary LAST-A-FOAM® polyurethane foams serving aerospace, defense, nuclear transportation, marine, medical, and construction OEMs through direct enterprise sales and an authorized distributor network since 1941.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Polyurethane Foam Manufacturing

NAICS

Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (32615)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086)

akta.pro primary industry

Polyurethane (PU) Rigid Foam Manufacturing (IMANAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Polyurethane (PU) Flexible Foam Manufacturing (IMANAIAC), Foam Conversion & Fabrication (Cutting, Laminating, CNC, Packaging Inserts) (IMANAIAJ)

Keywords

• Polyurethane foam manufacturing
• Rigid foam materials
• Aerospace foam components
• CNC machining services
• Nuclear packaging materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Polyurethane Foam Products: Sale of LAST-A-FOAM® rigid and flexible polyurethane foam sheets, boards, and blocks in various densities (3-50 lbs/ft³) for diverse industrial applications including aerospace, defense, marine, construction, medical, and signs.
2. CNC Machining & Fabrication Services: Custom CNC machining, molding, assembly, tooling and fabrication services for converting foam materials into production parts. Includes 5-axis machining capabilities.
3. Sub-Assembly Production: End-to-end solutions including fabrication of sub-assemblies with assistance in CAD design, SLA 3D printing, thermoforming, painting, finishing, and procurement of non-foam components.
4. Testing Services: On-site testing laboratories including physical property testing, flammability testing, and developmental testing services for aerospace, defense, and nuclear industries.
5. Custom Formulation & Pour Services: Custom foam pours, formulations, and pour-in-place mold services tailored to specific customer specifications. Special pours delivered within 6-8 weeks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

General Plastics Mfg. Co. manufactures and sells proprietary LAST-A-FOAM® rigid and flexible polyurethane foam products in densities from 3 to 50 lbs/ft³ for aerospace, defense, nuclear transportation, marine, construction, medical, signage, and tooling applications. The company also provides in-house custom CNC machining, molding, casting, sub-assembly, custom formulation, and FAA-approved flammability testing services to OEMs, Tier 1, and Tier 2 manufacturers.

Product overview

General Plastics Mfg. Co. offers LAST-A-FOAM®, a comprehensive portfolio of rigid and flexible polyurethane foam products and related manufacturing services. The product line includes rigid foam series (RF-2200 dielectric, R-3300 submersible, FR-3700 performance core, FR-3800 FST aerospace, FR-4300 thermoformable, FR-4500/FR-4600/FR-4700 tooling boards, FR-6700 aerospace grade, FR-7100 multi-use, R-9300 construction insulation, TR-Marine) and flexible foam series (EF-4000, TF-5070, TF-6070, FP-8000 sheet stock, Foam-Comb gap seals, and WSF-1010/WSF-1121 integral skin foams for parts programs). Supporting services include CNC machining, custom foam formulation and pouring, testing services (including FAA-approved burn testing), sub-assemblies, molded parts, and complex laminates. Products are manufactured in the USA using proprietary processes to ensure consistent quality and physical properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LAST-A-FOAM: Primary product brand for rigid and flexible polyurethane foam materials manufactured by General Plastics.

Products and services

• LAST-A-FOAM® RF-2200 Dielectric Foam Series Advanced dielectric rigid polyurethane foam used in radomes, antennas, and other RF communication systems requiring RF transparency with extended thermal processing capability.
• LAST-A-FOAM® R-3300 Submersible Foam Series Hydrostatic pressure-resistant closed-cell foam providing buoyancy for underwater flotation applications and serving as core material for resin-transfer molding.
• LAST-A-FOAM® FR-3700 Performance Core Series BMS 8-133-qualified flame-retardant rigid foam for impact and fire insulation liners in hazardous material containers, machining of complex shapes, and human bone-test media.
• LAST-A-FOAM® FR-3800 FST Aerospace Foam Series Rigid foam core material meeting fire, smoke, toxicity (FST), and heat release requirements for aerospace interior applications.
• LAST-A-FOAM® FR-4300 Thermoformable Board Series Foam boards for composite panel cores and compound-curved structures formed through standard thermoforming methods.
• LAST-A-FOAM® FR-4500 Tooling Board Series Tough, grain-free machinable boards for styling, master models, composite tooling, and pattern making, used as a wood alternative for outdoor signage and displays.
• LAST-A-FOAM® FR-4600 Microcell Series Microcell foam boards for precision tooling and modeling applications with grain-free, ultra-smooth exterior for painted finishes.
• LAST-A-FOAM® FR-4700 High Temperature Tooling Board Series Tooling board supporting prepreg composite layout tooling for high-temperature applications up to 400°F, prototype machining, vacuum forming, and limited-run tooling.
• LAST-A-FOAM® FR-6700 Aerospace Grade Board Series Flame-retardant foam for aircraft composite cores withstanding processing up to 250°F; used for models, prototypes, vacuum-form dies, and honeycomb edge closeout.
• LAST-A-FOAM® FR-7100 Multi-Use Core and Modeling Board Series Uniform foam easily finished or painted for low-cost core applications, hand-carved models, prototypes, CNC-machined topographical maps, and composite layup tools.
• LAST-A-FOAM® R-9300 Continuous Insulation Block Series High-density urethane cellular foam combining high compressive strength with thermal insulation for structural loads in construction applications.
• LAST-A-FOAM® TR-Marine Foam Series Structural strength with moisture resistance as a non-decaying wood alternative for fiberglass-laminated marine composite structures.
• LAST-A-FOAM® EF-4000 Flexible Foam Sheet Stock Low-density flexible foam formulated to absorb vibration while protecting and cushioning payloads in harsh environmental conditions.
• LAST-A-FOAM® TF-5070 Flexible Foam Sheet Stock Highly resilient flame-retardant flexible foam used for shock isolation systems, impact-mitigating shipping container pads, and mechanical equipment vibration dampers.
• LAST-A-FOAM® TF-6070 Flexible Foam Sheet Stock High-density flexible foam designed for shock isolation of heavy objects under long-term static stress.
• LAST-A-FOAM® FP-8000 Flexible Foam Sheet Stock Open-cell fire-resistant flexible foam with high hysteresis and recovery from dynamic impacts, used for aircraft interior crash padding.
• Foam-Comb Gap Seals Lightweight, flexible foam-filled honeycomb material for multi-purpose aerospace sealing, interior trim, and noise reduction applications.
• LAST-A-FOAM® WSF-1010 Integral Skin Flexible Foam High-density flame-retardant self-skinning flexible polyurethane foam for aesthetic flexible seals that can be tinted and painted.
• LAST-A-FOAM® WSF-1121 Integral Skin Flexible Foam Tough integral-skin polyurethane foam system that can be pigmented and in-mold painted, used in aerospace flight deck padding and aircraft interior parts.
• CNC Machining Services Large-scale CNC conversion of polyurethane foam and other nonmetallic substrates into production parts, including multiple CNC machines and 5-axis capability for large projects.
• Custom Foam Services Custom pours, formulations, bonding, sizing, scoring, sealing, drilling, and pour-in-place mold services tailored to specific customer requirements.
• Testing Services FAA-approved burn test facility providing heat release, smoke density, toxicity, physical property, flammability, and developmental testing with NIST-traceable calibrated equipment.
• Sub-Assemblies End-to-end sub-assembly fabrication including CAD mold/tool design, thermoforming, painting, finishing, and procurement of non-foam components.
• Cast/Molded Parts Custom-molded flexible and semi-flexible polyurethane foam parts with optimized density-to-part-weight, void, surface quality, and physical property control.
• Complex Laminates Build-to-print standard and custom complex laminates including sheet-metal parts, resin infusion, pre-preg part manufacturing, specialty coating, and detailed parts assembly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 800% storage density improvement for explosives using Blast-Tamer® wall system compared to conventional barricade systems
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CSI of Virginia, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive US distributor for R-9300 Continuous Insulation Blocks. Located in Glen Allen, VA. Provides products for construction thermal block applications including column bearing blocks and insulated metal panel reinforcement.
• ThyssenKruppcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for multiple General Plastics products including FR-3700, FR-4500, FR-4600, FR-4700, FR-6700, FR-7100. Serves aerospace, defense, and industrial customers.
• Reklein PlasticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMichigan-based authorized distributor serving the Midwest region with General Plastics foam products.
• Blackhawk Specialty Products, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIllinois-based authorized distributor for FR-3700, FR-4500, FR-4700, FR-4800, FR-7100 products serving the Rock Island/Midwest region.
• Sign-Arts Products, CorpcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive US and Canada distributor for signage foam products sold under Sign•Foam trade name (SF3 & SF4 products). Located in Laguna Hills, CA.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BASF: Global chemicals company producing polyurethane raw materials, foam systems, and performance materials for construction, automotive, and aerospace. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the polyurethane foam value chain, with overlap in rigid foam systems and specialty applications.
• Carpenter Co. Largest US polyurethane foam producer, primarily focused on bedding, furniture, and industrial cushioning. Adjacent comparable as a polyurethane foam manufacturer, though serving more consumer/commodity end markets than the subject's aerospace/defense specialty.
• Huntsman Corporation: Major polyurethane systems house supplying MDI, polyols, and foam formulations across construction, automotive, and specialty applications. Comparable as a polyurethane chemistry incumbent; the subject company is a downstream specialty formulator rather than a chemical producer, but both participate in the same value chain.
• Armacell: Global manufacturer of engineered foams (PET, melamine, polyolefin) for industrial insulation, aerospace, and automotive. Comparable as a broader specialty foam incumbent with overlapping aerospace/industrial end markets, though with a wider product portfolio and larger scale.
• Evonik Industries: Specialty chemicals producer with polyurethanes and high-performance foam additives for aerospace, automotive, and industrial uses. Comparable as a large incumbent supplying chemistry and material solutions that overlap with the subject company's specialty foam positioning.

Direct peers

• Zotefoams: Specialty cross-linked polyolefin and engineering foam manufacturer serving aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets with high-performance closed-cell foams. Comparable as a niche, certified, high-spec foam producer with aerospace exposure.
• Diab Group: Manufactures structural foam cores (PET, PVC, SAN) for wind, marine, aerospace, and defense composite applications. Highly comparable as a specialty foam core supplier serving aerospace and industrial OEMs with engineered, certified materials.
• Foam Supplies Inc. US polyurethane systems house producing rigid and flexible foam formulations for spray foam, construction, and specialty applications. Comparable as a US specialty polyurethane formulator, though primarily serving construction rather than aerospace/defense.
• Crest Foam Industries: US-based manufacturer of flexible polyurethane foam for bedding, furniture, and specialty industrial uses. Comparable as a US polyurethane foam manufacturer with specialty industrial capabilities, though with less aerospace/defense overlap than the subject.
• NCFI Polyurethanes: US-based manufacturer of spray polyurethane foam, rigid panel foams, and specialty foam systems for construction, aerospace, and industrial applications. Comparable as a US specialty polyurethane foam producer with aerospace/industrial exposure and custom formulation capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance16 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 General Plastics Mfg. Co.