FSI combines cutting-edge polyurethane foam systems with an unrivaled dedication to technical service and support.
This unique blend, as well as our guiding values of caring, sustainability, and innovation, enable our customers to create products that advance the industry.
It started as a two-person team that believed it could do business a better way.
In 1968, David Keske began his career with Olin Corporation, selling rigid polyurethane foam systems. It wasn't long before he recognized the potential that would define his life's work: larger chemical corporations appeared to disregard smaller markets and clients, focusing all of their customer service resources on large, heavyweight accounts. The service gap was clear.
From their home in Creve Coeur, Missouri, David and his wife Karen launched FSI in 1972. Their goal was to develop cutting-edge polyurethane systems and deliver exceptional technical support to all of our clients. The company quickly outgrew the house and relocated to a 1,000-square-foot rented warehouse. FSI would transfer foam systems into pressurized cylinders for customers who were "too small" for large suppliers or who sought more attentive technical support for their facilities.
This collaborative mentality set FSI apart right away. It also set the stage for the events that made us who we are today.
FSI built a second production site outside Dallas, TX in 1985 as a result of strong growth in the 1970s and 1980s. With more space to meet the needs of a growing polyurethane systems industry, the innovations came one after another.
In 1986, FSI created the industry’s first computer-controlled “in-line” blender, allowing the company to considerably increase manufacturing capacity in order to meet soaring demand.
The Solvent-Less Urethane Gun (SLUG) dispensing device was later developed by FSI, which eliminated the need for hazardous solvents and greatly improved operator safety.
FSI can provide comprehensive turnkey services, including design and development of foam manufacturing and dispensing equipment, high-pressure systems, thanks to partnerships with Graco.
FSI was the first to patent CFC-free rigid foam technology and was the first in the industry to develop systems using HFC-134a. In 2002, the company preempted future regulatory mandates and introduced Ecomate® environmentally sustainable blowing agent technology. This was the market’s first high-performance zero-GWP, VOC-free blowing agent. Ecomate® is the most tried and true ecological blowing agent available today, having been in use for nearly two decades.
FSI has expanded internationally in the recent decade, opening operations in China, Hong Kong, India, and Italy.
The company’s most recent expansion in St. Louis comprises a new headquarters, R&D, and Technical Service center, as well as an adjacent new 80,000-square-foot manufacturing plant.
FSI is now the world’s leading independent provider of polyurethane systems, technical support, equipment, and process support. Not bad considering David and Karen Keske’s humble origins at their suburban home in 1972.
