British Vita · Manchester United Kingdom

Ah, the frothy wonders of foam. Mad cows drool it. Beer drinkers blow it. And British Vita turns it into money. British Vita obtains about half of its sales from producing foam for use in furniture, construction, packaging, and carpet underlay, as well as filters. The company is the UK's largest foam manufacturer; its most popular brand is Vitafoam. It also makes industrial polymers, thermoplastic sheeting, and compounded plastics for a variety of uses. Another of British Vita's major divisions, nonwovens, produces polyester fibers. The company operates about 80 sites in around 20 countries, mostly in Europe. British Vita was acquired by US-based private equity firm Texas Pacific Group (TPG) in 2005. To read the full description, subscribe now.