Our History
Founded on Collaboration
At the core of all we do is our commitment to fostering meaningful and productive partnerships with our customers. This is an approach that has been in our DNA since Flexan was established in 1946 when the Lilleberg brothers responded to a request from Sears Roebuck & Company to improve their circular sanding tool at the time. The brothers developed a rubber pad that could be molded over the metal sanding pad; thus, the Sears “flexible” sander was invented and Flexan was founded.
Since then, Flexan has continued to provide trusted manufacturing solutions for custom designed components and devices, enabling a global customer base to develop innovative products and transform the markets they serve. The Flexan brand has become synonymous with custom molding and expertise with molding difficult geometries, including bonding rubber to metal and other substrates as well as delivering high-precision, niche parts to a range of industries.
Mastering Custome Medical Device Components
After decades of growth and success within the rubber molding sector, in 1989, Flexan established FMI, a division dedicated to developing components for the medical device industry. This transition quickly proved to be a boon for Flexan, leading to global expansion with the establishment of a facility in Suzhou, China. In addition to the Suzhou facility, Flexan also incorporated a dedicated thermoplastics facility in Salt Lake City and moved their global headquarters to Lincolnshire, Illinois, where they also house their Silicone Center of Excellence. In 2023, Flexan added a new ISO-13485 Cleanroom facility in Juarez, Mexico.
This growth and expansion are reflective of the success Flexan has experienced as a leading custom manufacturer of medical devices, components, and assemblies. Despite our continued success, we have maintained a collaborative approach. From the flexible sander of 1946 to the latest medtech innovation, we strive to serve as a trusted partner to our medical device manufacturing customers, providing them with insight and experience they can rely on.