Zotefoams
 | |
| Type | PLC Public limited company |
|---|---|
| LSE: ZTF | |
| Industry | Technical foam manufacture |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Headquarters | London, England |
Area served | UK, USA, Japan, Europe, Asia (principal market) |
Key people | Lynn Drummond, (Chair) Ronan Cox, (CEO) Nick Wright, (CFO) |
| Products | Polyolefin foams, PVDF foams, Nylon foams, TPE foams |
| Revenue |  £158.5 million (2025)[1] |
| £21.6 million (2025)[1] | |
| £22.6 million (2025)[1] | |
| Website | www |
Zotefoams plc is a British manufacturer of closed cell, crosslinked foams made from polyolefins and engineering polymers.
History
Zotefoams was founded in 1921 by Charles Marshall as Onazote Limited, initially manufacturing expanded rubber materials. During the mid‑20th century, the business transitioned towards polymer‑based foams and began producing polyethylene foams in the 1960s.[2]
In the 1970s, the company was acquired by BP, during which period it further developed its expertise in crosslinked foam technologies. Zotefoams was demerged from BP in 1992 and subsequently listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1995 under its current name.[3]
In May 2000, Zotefoams entered into a global sales and marketing alliance with Sekisui Chemical Company Ltd ('Sekisui'), under which Sekisui acted as agent and distributor for Zotefoams in continental Europe, Asia and some customers in North America.[4] Later that year, a fire at the company’s manufacturing facility in Beddington, London, destroyed 30% of the building and disrupted some deliveries to customers.[5]
During the 2010s, Zotefoams expanded its international manufacturing footprint. In 2017, the company acquired the remaining 50% shareholding in its Chinese joint venture, Kunshan Zotek King Lai, taking full ownership of its foam manufacturing operations in China.[6]
In November 2022, Zotefoams acquired the Skanderborg-headquartered packaging material manufacturer, Refour ApS.[7]
In November 2025, Zotefoams acquired Overseas Konstellation Company S.A. (OKC), a Spanish manufacturer of technical foams, for a consideration of up to €36 million.[8]
Innovation
In 2025, Zotefoams announced the development of an expanded global innovation infrastructure. This included the establishment of a Global Innovation Hub at its long standing Croydon site in the United Kingdom, intended to consolidate research and development activities and support the creation of new foam technologies.[9]
References
- 1 2 3 "Annual Results 2025". Zotefoams. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "Zotefoams". Manufacturing Today. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ↑ "Strong support for Zotefoams float". The Independent. 22 February 1995. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ↑ "Strategic alliance with Sekisui / Complementary portfolios / Access to emerging markets". Plasteurope. 31 May 2000. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ↑ "Looking back: 15 years ago this week fire gutted the Zotefoams factory". Your Local Guardian. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ↑ "Zotefoams acquires joint venture with King Lai". Sharecast. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ↑ "Zotefoams acquires Refour ApS". Sustainable Plastics. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ↑ "BDO Abogados advises on the acquisition of OKC". Iberian Lawyer. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "National Storage Mechanism | Additional information". data.fca.org.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
External links