In the 1990's Val Spicer Designs were looking to acquire another main line product which would fit in to the existing range. In 1995 they were offered the opportunity to purchase a foam making business which included the formula, plant and machinery. Val Spicer Designs were well acquainted with this brand as they had been bulk buying the foam for many years as a component part for some of the Val Spicer Designs products. In 1996 they purchased the business and transferred the plant and machinery to Devon.

Floristry foam is not an easy product to successfully produce. Each foam manufacturer has their own formula which consists of the mixing in of the correct proportions of 8-10 chemicals and resins and may other factors.

When we acquired the foam making business it was a very steep learning curve in the manufacturing of the wet foam. There was much to learn to get the quality and reliability needed. With hindsight making the foam is much more than a science. Understanding and monitoring the quality and performance of the different chemicals - the atmosphere conditions prevailing at the time of mixing, reactivaties, ambient temperatures, precise timing, safety and know how is a special flair .

There is often much marketing hype out there in the industry about the wet foam product and how marvelous it is! But realistically the wet foam is only basically a medium to hold the flower stems in the design and to supply sufficient water to keep the flowers turgid.

To expand on this theory it therefore needs the following conditions:-

• A good strong density of cells to hold the stems in place
• A saturation point with around 1.80 - 2.0 kilos of water per brick. Little or no leakage
• A quick soak up time 50 - 90 seconds because florists are busy people and wont wait too long