Cross Plains Solutions

What Cross Plains Solutions does

Cross Plains Solutions, LLC is a privately held specialty chemical manufacturer headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that produces soy-based firefighting foam under the SoyFoam™ brand. Its single core product, SoyFoam TF 1122, is a PFAS-free, fluorine-free formulation containing more than 70% bio-based content, certified ready biodegradable, and compliant with NFPA requirements for Class A (0.1%-1.0% concentration) and Class B (1%-3% concentration) fire applications. The product holds the distinction of being the first and only GreenScreen Certified Gold fire foam on the market, a chemical-safety certification the company has used to anchor its environmental and safety positioning.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining direct sales to fire departments with a national network of 16+ authorized regional distributors spanning more than 15 US states (including California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin, and others). SoyFoam is offered in four packaging formats — 8-ounce bottles (for pressurized water extinguishers in agricultural and industrial settings, minimum order one case), 5-gallon pails (minimum order 32), 55-gallon drums, and 250-gallon totes — with pricing not publicly disclosed. Marketing channels center on the company website (product and technical documentation), a Firefighters' Forum community page, and earned media coverage highlighting its GreenScreen certification. In 2024, the company's technology was validated through a science poster presentation at the U.S. Department of Defense Energy & Environment Innovation Symposium.

Cross Plains Solutions has 1-10 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no named institutional investors. It has presented scientific validation of its chemistry to federal audiences, indicating an intent to pursue broader regulatory and federal procurement channels. Its end customers are primarily municipal and volunteer fire departments (government buyers), with secondary exposure to agricultural and industrial facilities through the 8-ounce bottle format. The business model is straightforward hardware sales of a specialty chemical consumable with minimum-order-quantity controls, generating recurring replacement demand from firefighting operations.

Name

Cross Plains Solutions

Legal name

Cross Plains Solutions, LLC

Website

https://crossplainssolutions.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cross Plains Solutions is a Chicago-based private chemical manufacturer that produces SoyFoam TF 1122, the first GreenScreen Certified Gold soy-based firefighting foam, sold directly and through a national distributor network primarily to municipal fire departments, with secondary reach into agricultural and industrial sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Suppression Chemicals

NAICS

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

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086)

akta.pro primary industry

Bio-Based & Biodegradable Compounds (PLA/PHA/Starch Blends) (IMANABAF)

Keywords

• Soy-based firefighting foam
• PFAS-free firefighting foam
• Bio-based fire suppressant
• Class A firefighting foam
• Fire suppression chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. SoyFoam Product Sales: Direct and distributor-based sales of soy-based firefighting foam products in various sizes including 5-gallon pails, 8-ounce bottles, 55-gallon drums, and 250-gallon totes. Minimum order quantities apply for certain products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cross Plains Solutions manufactures SoyFoam TF 1122, a soy-based firefighting foam that is the first and only GreenScreen Certified Gold fire foam on the market. The product is free of PFAS and fluorines, contains greater than 70% bio-based content, and is certified ready biodegradable, while meeting NFPA requirements for Class A (0.1%-1.0%) and Class B (1%-3%) fires.

Product overview

Cross Plains Solutions is a manufacturer of soy-based firefighting foam products, offering a single core product line called SoyFoam™ TF 1122. The product is available in four packaging formats: 8-ounce bottles for small-scale use with pressurized water extinguishers, 5-gallon pails, 55-gallon drums, and 250-gallon totes for larger operations. The company sells directly to fire departments and through a network of distributors across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SoyFoam: Soy-based firefighting foam product line. SoyFoam™ TF 1122 is the primary product, certified as GreenScreen Certified Gold™, biodegradable, >70% bio-based, and free of PFAS and fluorines. Meets NFPA requirements for Class A (0.1%-1.0%) and Class B (1%-3%) fires.

Products and services

• SoyFoam TF 1122

Quantifiable outcome

• Meets NFPA requirements for Class A fires from 0.1%-1.0% concentration
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered regional.

• iFire ProtectionregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Los Angeles and Surrounding Counties in California. Contact: Tyler Grasmick at 310-963-4722 or [email protected]
• Heiman Fire EquipmentregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor covering Colorado and Wyoming. Contact: John Glenn at 970-420-3619 or [email protected]
• Vir-Mar Fire Foam, LLCregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor covering Delaware and Virginia. Contact: Ray Richards at 540-656-9999 or [email protected]
• Pro Fire and TacticalregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Georgia. Contact: Jason Lamanac at 943-231-8407
• SoyFoam SolutionsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor covering Illinois region. Contact: Jeff King at 270-860-6665
• MacQueenregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor covering Illinois/Minnesota region. Contact: Jeremy Ware at 800-832-6417
• Sentinel Emergency SolutionsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Northern Illinois. Contact: Chris Hurst at 314-491-9965
• PK Foam SolutionsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Northern Indiana and Michigan. Contact: Patrick Butler at 269-491-1035
• M&T Fire and SafetyregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Northwest Iowa. Contact: Josh Buer at 605-203-0183
• Bergeron Protective ClothingregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor covering Maine and New Hampshire. Contact: Rich Hillsgrove at 603-496-0196
• Allied Fire SalesregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Michigan and Missouri. Contact: Kevin Thiel at 231-527-8283
• Grand Forks Fire EquipmentregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor covering Northern Minnesota and North Dakota. Contact: Tim Brooks at 218-779-7117
• Horter's Farm & Ranch SupplyregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal distributor for South Dakota. Contact: John Horter at 605-492-3641
• Industrial Safety Inc.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Wisconsin. Contact: Andrea Cress at 715-263-3330
• L&A Emergency EquipmentregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for North Carolina and South Carolina. Contact: Lanny Whitaker at 336-526-3748
• NextGen BioSolutions LLCregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for New York and Ohio. Contact: Chuck Stiver at 330-421-2714

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Perimeter Solutions: Perimeter Solutions (which acquired Chemguard and Solberg) is one of the largest global manufacturers of firefighting foams, including fluorine-free and Class A/B products. Directly competes with Cross Plains in the same product category and customer base (fire departments, military, industrial).
• National Foam: National Foam manufactures a broad line of Class A and Class B firefighting foam concentrates, including fluorine-free options, for municipal, military, and industrial customers. A direct head-to-head competitor in the firefighting foam category Cross Plains serves.
• Angus Fire: Angus Fire (part of Angus International Safety Group) produces firefighting foam concentrates and hardware globally, including alcohol-resistant and fluorine-free foams. A direct peer in firefighting foam with overlapping fire-service and industrial customers.
• Fomtec: Fomtec (part of the Dafo Fomtec group) manufactures firefighting foam concentrates including fluorine-free and alcohol-resistant formulations, serving fire brigades, offshore, and industrial customers. Direct competitor in PFAS-free foam concentrates.
• Dr. Sthamer: Dr. Sthamer (Hamburg, Germany) is a long-established manufacturer of firefighting foam concentrates including fluorine-free products. Direct competitor in the same specialty chemical foam category, with international fire-service and industrial customers.

Broad incumbents

• 3M: 3M was historically a major manufacturer of PFAS-based firefighting foams and has been exiting the category. While no longer a direct supplier, it represents the regulatory and competitive backdrop Cross Plains's PFAS-free positioning responds to, and its legacy specifications still influence buyer requirements.

Emerging players

• FireAde: FireAde markets eco-friendly and fluorine-free firefighting foam and suppressant products targeting municipal, industrial, and military customers. An emerging competitor with similar PFAS-free positioning and overlapping customer segments.
• BIOEX: BIOEX (France) manufactures fluorine-free firefighting foams (notably the ECOPOL and BIO-FOAM lines) with a strong environmental positioning. An emerging player competing in the same fluorine-free foam segment Cross Plains targets.

Others

• Susterra (Cornelius Polymers): Susterra produces bio-based 1,3-propanediol from corn sugar, a bio-based chemical platform with potential adjacency to soy-based foam chemistry. Relevant as an enabling ecosystem peer in bio-based specialty chemicals rather than a direct foam competitor.
• Eco Safety Products: Eco Safety Products manufactures bio-based and soy-based specialty chemical products, including soy-based foam concentrates for construction and industrial uses. Comparable as a peer in the soy-based specialty chemicals domain rather than direct firefighting foam competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CrossPlainsSoy
• Facebookfacebook.com/CrossPlainsSolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cross-plains-solutions

Compliance2 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 Cross Plains Solutions