National Foam Inc

What National Foam Inc does

National Foam Inc is a privately held US manufacturer of firefighting foam concentrates and integrated fire suppression delivery systems, headquartered in Angier, North Carolina, with a presence in over 100 countries. The company's product portfolio spans fluorine-free foam concentrates (branded Universal F3, Muni F3, Avio F3, Knockdown F3, Responder F3, HI-EX, and Training Foam), fixed-system proportioning equipment (bladder tanks, diaphragm proportioners, balanced-pressure systems, valves, atmospheric tanks), fixed and mobile discharge devices (foam chambers, monitors, Gladiator and JS-series nozzles), and mobile foam units and trailers. Underlying technical differentiators include the proprietary Ring Jet foam injection system and Air Tunnel nozzle design on the Gladiator line, FoamCalc NFPA 11 design software, and water-powered proportioning systems requiring no external energy. The company is positioned for the global regulatory transition away from PFAS-containing AFFF foam, holding MIL-SPEC QPL, ICAO Level C, UL/ULC, LASTFire, and GreenScreen certifications across the F3 product family.

The business operates through enterprise field sales, a global distributor network, and strategically located US coastal stock points that enable a 24/7 Red Alert emergency foam replacement service running since the 1930s. Customer verticals are Oil & Gas, Chemical/Processing, Municipal, Aviation, and the US Department of Defense. Revenue mechanics include hardware sales of consumable concentrates and capital equipment, the Red Alert emergency service subscription model, and a professional services stream from the Fluorine Free Firefighting School, Systems Design School certification program, and nationwide Demonstration Days events ($2,599 per training attendee). The go-to-market combines direct sales representatives for enterprise accounts, distributor and representative channels internationally, and event-driven customer education as a fluorine-free foam adoption funnel. Customer relationships are characterized by long-cycle, integrated system installations that generate recurring concentrate replenishment and create switching costs through equipment compatibility and trained personnel.

Name

National Foam Inc

Legal name

National Foam Inc

Website

https://nationalfoam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

National Foam Inc is a US-based, privately held manufacturer of fluorine-free firefighting foam concentrates and integrated proportioning and discharge equipment, serving Oil & Gas, Chemical Processing, Municipal, Aviation, and Department of Defense customers across over 100 countries via direct sales, distributors, and the Red Alert emergency service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Protection Systems

NAICS

Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (32615), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

Polyurethane (PU) Flexible Foam Manufacturing (IMANAIAC)

Keywords

• Firefighting foam concentrates
• Fluorine-free fire suppression
• Foam proportioning systems
• Aviation firefighting equipment
• Industrial fire protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Angier

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foam Concentrates: Sale of fluorine-free firefighting foam concentrates including Class A and Class B foams, alcohol-resistant variants, high-expansion foams, and training foams. Products are sold under brand names including Universal F3, Muni F3, Avio F3, Knockdown F3, Responder F3, and HI-EX.
2. Firefighting Equipment: Sale of firefighting delivery systems including proportioners (bladder tanks, diaphragm proportioners, line proportioners, ratio controllers), discharge devices (nozzles, monitors, foam chambers), mobile foam units, and atmospheric tanks.
3. Training Services: Revenue from Firefighting School programs including the Fluorine Free Firefighting Global Firefighting School and Systems Design School. Registration fee of $2,599 per participant with group discounts available.
4. Emergency Foam Service (Red Alert): Emergency foam concentrate replacements and equipment provision, along with complimentary emergency technical assistance. Service available globally with strategically located stock.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

National Foam manufactures and sells fluorine-free firefighting foam concentrates and integrated foam delivery systems, including proportioning equipment (bladder tanks, diaphragm proportioners, balanced pressure systems), discharge devices (nozzles, monitors, foam chambers), and mobile foam units. The company serves Oil & Gas, Chemical/Processing, Municipal, Aviation, and Department of Defense customers in over 100 countries, and supplements hardware sales with paid training programs (Fluorine Free Firefighting School, Systems Design School, Demonstration Days) and the 24/7 Red Alert emergency foam service.

Product overview

National Foam is a recognized leader in professional firefighting technology with over a century of innovation. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of firefighting products organized into four main categories: Foam Concentrates (including Universal®F3, Muni®F3, Avio®F3, Knockdown®F3, Responder®F3, HI-EX®, and Training Foam® brands), Fixed System Proportioning equipment (bladder tanks, proportioners, valves, balanced pressure systems, atmospheric tanks), Fixed System Discharge Devices (foam chambers, nozzles, monitors), and Mobile Equipment (proportioners, foam units, trailers, nozzles). The product ecosystem integrates across these categories - foam concentrates are deployed through proportioning systems into discharge devices - forming complete fire protection solutions. The company also provides training programs (Fluorine Free Firefighting School, Systems Design School, Demonstration Days) and Red Alert emergency service. FoamCalc software supports system design calculations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Red Alert: Emergency foam service brand offering 24/7 emergency foam concentrate replacements, equipment, and complimentary emergency technical assistance since the 1930s.

Products and services

• Universal®F3 Green 3%-3% Alcohol Resistant Synthetic Fluorine Free Foam (AR-SFFF) concentrate for Class B hydrocarbon and polar solvent fuel fires, producing a vapor-sealing foam blanket. UL/ULC listed and LASTFire tested for hydrocarbon and polar solvent hazards.
• Muni®F3 Green Plus 3% Alcohol Resistant Synthetic Fluorine Free Foam (AR-SFFF) concentrate for municipal firefighting on Class B fires with dual functionality as a wetting agent on Class A fires. UL and ULC listed.
• Muni®F3 Green 3% Synthetic Fluorine Free Foam (SFFF) concentrate designed for municipal firefighting on Class B hydrocarbon fires with Class A wetting agent capability. GreenScreen Certified for chemical safety.
• Avio®F3 Green Mil 3% Synthetic Fluorine Free Foam (SFFF) MIL-SPEC concentrate for aviation crash rescue firefighting on Jet A, Jet A1, and gasoline fuel fires with fast knockdown and burn-back resistance. MIL-PRF-32725(ll) Type 3 QPL listed and GreenScreen Certified Silver.
• Avio®F3 Green KHC 3% Synthetic Fluorine Free Foam (SFFF) concentrate for aviation crash rescue firefighting meeting ICAO Level C requirements for Jet A and Jet A1 fuel spill fires. GreenScreen Certified.
• Knockdown®F3 Class A Class A foam concentrate for Class A and Class B foam systems, optimized for Compressed Air Foam Systems (CAFS), reduces surface tension of water for better penetration. UL listed as Wetting Agent at 0.3% and USDA 5100-307A approved for aerial and ground firefighting.
• Responder®F3 Class A Class A foam concentrate designed for municipal firefighters battling wildland fires, optimized for Compressed Air Foam Systems (CAFS).
• HydroAttack Wetting Agent Class A wetting agent for firefighting applications, reducing the surface tension of water to improve penetration and extinguishment.
• HI-EX® 2% High Expansion Fluorine Free Foam concentrate for total flooding fire extinguishment, limiting oxygen for combustion while providing cooling and penetration. UL listed for use on Class A and Class B hydrocarbon fuels with National Foam High Expansion Foam Generators.
• Training Foam®F3 1% Synthetic Fluorine Free Foam (SFFF) concentrate for fire department and training institution use as an inexpensive alternative to Class B foam concentrates during live fire training.
• Vertical Bladder Tank Steel pressure-rated vertical bladder tank for foam proportioning systems. Water enters and compresses the internal bladder to displace foam concentrate through a proportioner into the foam solution stream, requiring no external energy source.
• Horizontal Bladder Tank Horizontal configuration bladder tank for foam proportioning systems, using pressurized water supply to displace foam concentrate through a proportioner.
• Stationary Diaphragm Proportioners Self-contained stationary diaphragm proportioner (SDP) units designed for single-person operation with discharge hose, foam nozzle, and mounting support.
• Line Proportioners and Ratio Controllers Line proportioners and ratio controllers using venturi effect to draw foam concentrate into water streams at controlled rates for fire protection systems.
• Balanced Pressure Proportioning Systems Balanced pressure proportioning systems using foam concentrate pump and diaphragm-operated pressure balancing valve for precision foam injection in fixed fire protection systems.
• In-Line Balanced Pressure Proportioning Systems ILBP Proportioning Systems allowing selection of foam or water for discharge devices with accurate proportioning at multiple remote locations.
• Helijector Self-contained skid-mounted foam proportioning unit for offshore helideck fire protection using a water turbine to proportion foam without external power.
• Atmospheric Storage Tanks Polyethylene atmospheric storage tanks for foam concentrate, ranging from 55 gallons to 11,900 gallons, constructed from high-density cross-linked polyethylene.
• Foam Chambers and Foam Makers Side-mounted discharge devices for protecting open or floating-roof fuel storage tanks and diked spill areas, applying expanded foam directly onto flammable liquid surfaces.
• Fixed System Nozzles Air-aspirating foam nozzles and sprinklers designed to create foam expansion by introducing air into the water/concentrate stream prior to discharge.
• Remote Control Monitors Remote control monitors providing maximum flexibility for long-range firefighting with adjustable spray pattern, elevation, and rotation controlled remotely.
• Oscillating Monitors Water-powered oscillating monitors delivering large foam/water flows from a distance, with oscillation driven by water flow itself.
• Manual Monitors Manually operated aluminum and brass monitors providing adjustable spray pattern, elevation, and horizontal positioning with rugged design.
• Gladiator® Nozzles Self-educting nozzle with proprietary Ring Jet™ foam injection system and Air Tunnel™ design providing consistent foam mixing, excellent foam quality, and stream performance.
• JS Air-Aspirating Nozzles Air-aspirating foam handline nozzles (JS-6 and JS-10 series) maximizing mobility and firefighting capability with superior foam expansion and drainage time.
• HMN Handline Nozzles Medium-expansion foam nozzles (HMN-60 and HMN-125) producing stable slow-draining foam with approximately 60:1 expansion ratio for vapor suppression.
• WDP-30 Wheeled Diaphragm Proportioner Complete self-contained mobile foam application unit with 30-gallon bladder tank, ratio controller, JS-10 nozzle, and 50 feet of hose for one-man operation firefighting.
• Handline / Semi-Fixed Proportioners Portable venturi proportioners introducing foam concentrate into flowing water at controlled rates of 1%, 3%, or 6%, with no moving parts, designed to operate at 200 psi water inlet pressure with maximum 65% backpressure.
• NF120 / NF140 Mobile Foam Units Self-contained mobile foam units with 32- or 37-gallon foam tanks (fiberglass or polyurethane-coated steel), line proportioner, discharge hose, and nozzle for one-man rapid deployment. NF140 variant adds a monitor and self-educting nozzle.
• Foam Tote Trailers Mobile and versatile foam tote trailers with single or dual tote capacity featuring Gladiator nozzle for incident response deployment.
• Dual Agent Foam Tote Trailer Versatile mobile solution combining firefighting foam with a 500-pound dry chemical system for dual agent fire suppression and extinguishment.
• Fluorine Free Firefighting School Three-day paid training program with one day of classroom and two days of live fire training on fluorine free foam technology, firefighting tactics, and foam application. Held at the Hilton Conference Center and TEEX Fire Training Field in College Station, TX.
• Systems Design School 20-hour certification program for fire protection engineers covering NFPA codes, foam system engineering, and fluorine free foam fixed system design.
• Demonstration Days Free hands-on nationwide demonstrations of fluorine free foam concentrates and hardware with classroom sessions and live fire demonstrations to support customer evaluation and conversion.
• Red Alert 24/7 Emergency Foam Service Global 24/7 emergency foam service providing emergency foam concentrate replacements, equipment, and complimentary emergency technical assistance since the 1930s, with strategically located stock on the US East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast.
• FoamCalc Software Proprietary web-based software program that calculates foam solution and foam concentrate required to protect storage tanks following the NFPA 11 standard. Users select tank type, area to protect, fuel type, equipment, and induction rate.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fast knockdown and extinguishment of aviation fuel fires (Jet A, Jet A1, gasoline)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TEEX Fire Training FieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Fire Training Field for conducting live fire field exercises during the Fluorine Free Firefighting Global Firefighting School in College Station, TX. SCBAs provided by TEEX during training.
• Hilton College Station Conference CenterminorOthersHost hotel partnership for the Fluorine Free Firefighting Global Firefighting School with secured room block rate of $149/night for attendees.
• Delta Fire and SafetyminorOthersRental gear partner for bunker gear and firefighting equipment rental for Fluorine Free Firefighting School attendees who need equipment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Angus Fire: UK-based global manufacturer of firefighting foam concentrates and equipment with broad Class A/B and alcohol-resistant product ranges serving oil & gas, aviation, and military markets. Closely comparable to National Foam on product breadth, international distribution, and certification footprint.
• Dr. Sthamer Hamburg: German manufacturer of firefighting foam concentrates with a long-established portfolio of protein, synthetic, fluorine-free, and alcohol-resistant foams. Compares to National Foam on foam chemistry specialization, international customers, and regulated end-market focus.
• Dafo Fomtec: Swedish/Nordic firefighting foam manufacturer with a portfolio covering SFFF and alcohol-resistant concentrates serving oil, gas, aviation, and industrial customers. Comparable to National Foam on fluorine-free strategy, UL/ICAO-class certifications, and international go-to-market.
• Perimeter Solutions: U.S.-headquartered specialty chemicals company producing firefighting foam concentrates (including legacy AFFF and fluorine-free lines) and related suppression chemistries post Solberg acquisition. Closely comparable to National Foam in product portfolio, end markets, and regulatory positioning around PFAS.
• Bio-Ex: French foam concentrate manufacturer offering Class A/B, alcohol-resistant, and fluorine-free firefighting foam products with European and emerging-market distribution. Comparable to National Foam on foam chemistry focus and regulated industrial end markets.
• Chemguard: U.S.-based manufacturer of firefighting foam concentrates and hardware (now part of Tyco/Johnson Controls fire-protection portfolio). Directly comparable to National Foam in product mix, customer verticals (oil & gas, aviation, military), and UL/MIL-SPEC certified firefighting foam portfolio.
• Fomtec: Nordic (Swedish) foam concentrate manufacturer with a global firefighting foam portfolio including fluorine-free SFFF and AR-SFFF lines. Comparable to National Foam on F3 transition strategy, oil & gas and aviation end markets, and international distributor model.

Broad incumbents

• 3M: Multinational industrial conglomerate that historically manufactured legacy AFFF firefighting foam concentrates and is exiting PFAS-related product lines. Comparable to National Foam on the legacy foam chemistry category, end markets, and PFAS regulatory exposure, though much broader in product scope.
• Johnson Controls: Global building and fire-safety conglomerate (now owner of Tyco/Chemguard firefighting foam and suppression products) offering integrated detection, suppression, and fire-protection solutions. Comparable to National Foam on foam concentrate and suppression hardware portfolio, with broader security, HVAC, and building-systems reach.

Regional players

• Auxquimia: Spanish/Ibero-American foam concentrate manufacturer serving primarily European and Latin American fire-protection markets with Class A/B and alcohol-resistant foams. Comparable to National Foam on foam chemistry and product line, with regional rather than global distribution overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-foam-inc

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 National Foam Inc