History

More Than 60 Years of Rubber Parts

Ralph, Hank, and Dick Lilleberg founded the Flexan Corporation in 1946. The Lilleberg brothers created a flexible sanding pad product that they marketed and sold to the Sears, Roebuck Co. The name, Flexan, was derived from this, their first product. The company grew in the 1950’s and 1960’s by diversifying into new industries such as dairy products and power tools. Flexan soon developed a reputation for molding difficult geometries and for its expertise in bonding rubber to metal and other substrates.

In the seventies, Flexan added internal mixing capabilities and a rubber chemistry lab. Flexan began to emerge as a globally competitive molder of high performance micro-precision rubber parts. Flexan currently exports almost a third of its total product mix.

The seventies also marked the beginning of the transition from the original ownership group to a second generation. Ralph’s son Tom Lilleberg joined the company in 1970, followed shortly thereafter by Dick’s son-in-law Scott Severson, and Hank’s son Richard Lilleberg. Ken Davidsen, Hank’s son-in-law was the last to join in 1984. The Flexan Corporation continues as a privately held, family owned business, which is owned and operated by members of the Lilleberg family.

In 1989 Flexan created a wholly owned subsidiary, FMI, devoted to ultra clean silicone molding for the medical industry. FMI maintains some of the most robust clean room manufacturing spaces in the industry. FMI has a well-deserved reputation in the medical industry for its production of molded silicone components for medical devices, minimally invasive surgical devices, implantable pumps, and optically transparent applications.

In 2004 Flexan created a second wholly owned subsidiary, Flexan Suzhou. Located in Suzhou China, this division began producing rubber parts in May of 2005. The addition of this facility has enhanced Flexan’s reputation as a world class molder of high performance rubber parts. All three divisions of the Flexan Corporation are ISO registered and dedicated to manufacturing quality rubber products that exceed customer expectations. The Flexan family of companies employs approximately 300 people worldwide.

Under the leadership of President Bruce Cohen, Flexan continues to expand its market share in target markets such as fluid power, automotive, and hearing aids. Simultaneously, markets such as military, heavy truck, recreational vehicles, and aerospace have become areas of growth and increasing focus. New technologies, capabilities, and equipment are being explored to augment current customer offerings. Flexan looks to leverage the strengths and expertise of its three business units to provide a more comprehensive service offering to its customers worldwide. The future is looking very bright for Flexan and its family of companies.

Find out how we can help you develop custom rubber parts for your application.