Made in Waco

by Forrest Smith, Human Resources, Foamtec International

Foamtec is a vertically integrated manufacturer of materials designed to disinfect and decontaminate in cleanrooms, including foam and microfiber wipers, presaturated microfiber wipers, mops, foam face masks, swabs and more. Foamtec’s contamination control products are designed from the ground up to dislodge, entrap and remove contamination from critical surfaces. Foamtec and its technology has been critical in supporting healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you have performed an at-home COVID test in the last year, odds are, that swab was manufactured by Foamtec. Foamtec, one of the top two suppliers of foam swabs in the world, has expanded its operations in Waco, Texas to support nationwide COVID-19 testing.

All of this came about in March 2020, when the Department of the Air Force Acquisition COVID-19 Task Force (DAF ACT) was tasked with creating a more robust and sustainable domestic medical manufacturing base. In response to supply chain issues and PPE shortages, the DAF ACT provided contract awards to U.S.-based producers of rapid, point-of-care COVID-19 test kits.

Foamtec was awarded a contract through the DAF ACT to expand production of diagnostic foam swabs in Texas. The company already has a distribution facility in Waco’s Texas Central Park, so expanding locally made sense.

Foamtec controls 80% of their supply chain internationally, with their own medical grade polyurethane foam manufactured in its Thailand facility. This continuity of supply chain, coupled with the Made in America status, earned Foamtec the contract. With this contract award, Foamtec helps alleviate the shortage in the nation’s strategic stockpile for pandemic and non-pandemic diagnostic tests.

In early 2022, Foamtec broke ground on an 11-acre site in north McLennan County for a new production facility. This $25 million investment brought production of diagnostic foam swabs out of Thailand and onto U.S. soil. The new operation will create 200 jobs, when fully staffed.

This facility will have the capacity to manufacture over 40 million diagnostic foam swabs and applicators per month. The foam technology used in its swabs is American-born, and the only vertically integrated swab manufacturer, stemming all the way to foam raw materials.

Foamtec diagnostic swabs are not manufactured specifically for COVID-19 testing. In addition to COVID-19 testing, Foamtec swabs have been included in other diagnostic tests for bacterial and

viral infections. They are also a significant supplier of critical components to the semiconductor industry.

To ensure an adequate source of qualified talent for manufacturing operations, Foamtec establishes and maintains partnerships with Baylor University and Texas State Technical College to help give students the opportunity to enhance their knowledge, skills and abilities in a state-of-the-art manufacturing environment. Through internships and co-op programs, local students are better prepared to enter the Foamtec family and immediately make an impact. Future plans include expanding the international internship program as well as assisting with curriculum development with various educational programs.

Foamtec is excited about the future and continued growth in the Greater Waco area and looks forward to partnering with the community!