Historien om Formica Group

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1913

Daniel J. O'Conor, while working at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company (Westinghouse), files a patent application for a process to make laminated insulators. O'Conor and Herbert A. Faber leave Westinghouse and, with Banker John G. Tomlin, join partnership as "Formica Products Company". The partners plan to produce commutator V-rings, in which laminate replaces mica. The company's first order was placed by Chaimers Motor Company.

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1917

The Formica Insulation Company makes first contact with the infant radio industry and develops communications components for the U.S Navy and Signal Corps.

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1921

During the 1920s radios were often assembled at home from kits, with exteriors made of polished Formica^® brand laminate in black or brown.

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1922

Formica^® is registered for the first time as a trademark.

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1927

The company creates the first decorative laminate using amino resins and an opaque barrier sheet to block the dark interior. This signifies the beginning of a shift in focus from industrial to decorative products.

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1931

A cigarette-proof laminate is invented by adding a layer of metal foil, paving the way for laminate to be used on tabletops in popular soda fountains, cafes, night clubs and restaurants.

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1932

Formica^® laminate is used at Radio City, Manhattan. The interiors of ocean liners, zeppelins, and railroad cars are covered in Formica laminate as are the stations, lobbies and lounges.

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1936

Formica^® laminate is installed in bathrooms, doctors' quarters, and the clothes washing facilities of Cunard's ocean liner RMS Queen Mary when it begins service.

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1950

Industrial designer Brooks Stevens designs Formica Group’s first graphic invention, the still iconic 'Skylark' pattern.

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1952

A production facility is set up in Kolho, Finland - Formica IKI Oy was founded in 1952.
De Le Rue reports that the use of Formica laminate has expanded considerably internationally as the recognised material for equipping a modern kitchen.

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1953

New postforming techniques allow fabricators to bend and shape the laminate edges with curves.

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1954

Skylark pattern is renamed 'Boomerang'.

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1970

In the late 1970s, Formica Corporation establishes the Design Advisory Board (DAB). A group of influential architects and designers are tasked with bringing Formica brand laminate out of the 60s and into the present.

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1978

The U.S Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks to cancel the Formica brand trademark, charging that the word 'Formica' has become a generic term. This action creates an uproar in the business community which views this as an attempt to eradicate the function of trademarks in the economy. Ultimately the FTC's action was dropped.

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1982

The company introduces ColorCore^®, Formica Group's patented through-colour laminate line.

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1988

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary, Formica Group publishes the book 'Formica and Design: From the Counter Top to High Art' by Susan Grant Lewin.

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1990

Formica Group introduces an International collection of Metal laminates.

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2001

The rapidly growing Formica Metallics range is rebranded as Formica DecoMetal^®

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2011

All plants producing Formica brand laminate around the world achieve GREENGUARD^® Indoor Air Quality certification.

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2012

Formica Group becomes the first laminate manufacturer in the world to be awarded the Carbon Trust's Carbon Reduction Label. Formica Magnetic laminate is launched. Formica Group buys Homapal Plattenwerk GmBH, a specialist metallic laminate producer.

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2013

Formica^® fejrer 100 år med bogen 'Formica Forever'.

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2017

The launch of Formica Infiniti^®, an enduring matte laminate, and the addition of 20 new decors to the TrueScale range. Formica Group invests £40 million into staff and facilities in the UK plant and head office.

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2018

Aria^®-serien af farvegennemførte kompakte bordplader lanceres i Storbritannien, der giver stenens udseende og ydeevne med laminatets holdbarhed. Fås i helark i hele Europa gennem ColorCore^® Compact-serien.

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2019

Formica Group blev en del af den globale materialedivision på 1 mia. EUR i Broadview Holding sammen med andre velkendte virksomheder.

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2022

Formica Group UK Showroom åbner i hjertet af London.

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2023

Formica Group fejrer 110 års laminatdesign og lancerer bogen 'Beyond Boomerang: A celebration of 110 years of Formica Patterns'.

Efter at have været i industrien i så mange år har vi været heldige nok til at have samlet et arkiv af aktiver, og vi vil gerne dele nogle af vores favoritter med dig …

Formica Group fejrer 110-års jubilæum i 2023

2023 giver os den fantastiske mulighed at reflektere over og fejre 110 år med Formica^® Brand Patterns. Vi vil genbesøge historierne fra nogle af de mest unikke, interessante og måske berømte Formica^® mønstre fra vores historie.

Udforsk

Brooks Stevens' Skylark mønster blev lanceret i 1950erne

Annonce fra Australian Women's Weekly

Vi opdagede videoen 'En lys ny verden', der blev skabt i 1970erne, da Formica Group (som på det tidspunkt var ejet af De La Rue) åbnede en ny 'lamineret plast' fabrik i Tynemouth, England. Videoen tager dig på en spændende tur gennem faciliteterne og laminatfremstillingsprocessen. Denne facilitet er stadig meget relevant for Formica Group i dag, da det nu er hjemsted for vores europæiske hovedkvarter.

Formica Group De La Rue factory Tynemouth

1965 Verdensudstillingens konkurrence

Annoncer fra den officielle guide til 1964-1965 New York Verdensudstillingen. Billede venligst udlånt af Bill Young.

Et Formica 1927 salgsmøde, billede fra bogen 'Formica: Forty Years of Steady Vision' (1953). Det er dejligt at tage et kig tilbage på vores historie og se de hold, der har arbejdet hårdt for at fremme Formica-mærket.

Historien om Formica Group