National Foam

National Foam was an American fire apparatus builder located in Exton, Pennsylvania. The company is a major supplier of foam firefighting systems and foam concentrate.

History
National Foam traces its origins back to James Boyd & Brother of Philadelphia, formed in 1819. Boyd made and distributed firefighting equipment and supplies, and also built some early motor apparatus. He's also known for patenting the rubber-lined fire hose, which revolutionized firefighting.

In the 1920s, James Boyd & Brother changed its name to National Foam. The company was a pioneer in developing foam and foam delivery systems for firefighting purposes, becoming a leading supplier. In the 1950s and 1960s, the company started to build specialized foam fire apparatus, mainly for oil refineries and other industrial sites.

Full apparatus manufacture seems to have ceased in the 2000s. However, the company continues to build foam systems for fire apparatus built by other manufacturers. They also make nozzles, fixed delivery systems and foam concentrates.

In the 1990s, National Foam partnered with British fire equipment provider Chubb Fire Security Ltd. to create Chubb/National Foam. Apparatus built under this partnership bore a CNF logo. Chubb was purchased by United Technologies in 2003, and in 2005, was merged with Kidde Fire Protection to create UTC Fire & Security. National Foam had become part of Kidde Fire Fighting in 1998 and Kidde PLC in 2000.

In 2015, National Foam announced that they would close their manufacturing facility in West Chester, Pennsylvania and relocate it to Angier, North Carolina. Engineering and other services will remain in Pennsylvania. Angier was already the site of Angus Fire's hose manufacturing plant.