About Formica Canada Inc.

Formica Canada Inc. — a division of the Formica Group — located in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of innovative surfacing solutions for commercial and residential applications.

Brand History

The Formica® brand was created in 1913, and in 1951 the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant was built by the St-Régis Paper.

In 1960, the company was sold to Cyanamid, and in 1985 it became Formica Canada Inc.

In 2019, Formica Group was acquired by Broadview Materials, a Netherlands-based company and world leader in materials technology. Since then, Formica Canada has marketed the following brands: FENIX™ innovative materials, Trespa® TopLab® high-end laminate panels for scientific applications, Homapal® metal and solid metal laminates, and Arpa high-pressure laminates.

In 2026, the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant will celebrate its 75th anniversary.

The Plant

The Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant employs over 200 workers on three shifts and serves all regions of North America. It covers 370,000 square feet, with a production capacity of 120 million square feet of materials at a world-class productivity level.

All raw materials are received and checked daily in the plant’s laboratory to ensure they meet quality and performance criteria.

Randomly selected sheets are tested daily for cure, scratch and wear, in accordance with the NEMA standard. The results are recorded for statistical control purposes, allowing quality to be monitored and processes adjusted where necessary. All Broadview Materials plants work closely with the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu factory on product standardization and new product development. Formica Canada is very proud to hold the ISO 9001 certification.

The Canadian distribution centre, located within the laminate manufacturing plant, houses 2,300 different finished products and over eight million square feet of laminate. In addition to distributing products to customers across the country, products are also shipped to the main distribution centre in Indianapolis and redistributed across the United States.

Workplace Health and Safety: A Top Priority

Formica Canada offers its employees a safe and healthy work environment. Everyone’s involvement is a priority. The plant set up work teams that are trained and competent in all areas of health and safety.

Well Made Here

Since 2020, Formica Canada has been a proud partner of the Well Made Here program. This program makes it easy for consumers to identify products manufactured in Canada in hardware stores and renovation centres across the country.

By choosing the Formica® brand, consumers are not only supporting sustainable and innovative products, but they are also contributing to the Canadian economy. The company employs Canadian workers and creates stable, well-paid jobs locally. Moreover, Formica Canada is constantly investing in its facilities to strengthen the Canadian manufacturing sector. By choosing Formica® brand products, consumers are making a responsible choice that supports Canada's economic development efforts.

Sustainability

Broadview's strategy is to ensure that every company within its group undertakes sustainability initiatives and achieves ambitious results. For instance, Formica Group has a goal of being carbon neutral by 2030. Formica Canada's five-year plan, which kicked off in 2021, calls for a 72% reduction in GHG emissions.

In pursuit of these objectives, Formica Canada is developing projects to increase the energy efficiency of its Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant. Implementing these changes should result in a 20% reduction in natural gas consumption and trigger an equivalent reduction in GHG emissions.

The plant uses natural gas to produce steam and maintain the desired temperatures in the manufacturing systems. To cut down on natural gas consumption, Formica Canada undertook three projects: 1) the press energy optimization, 2) the installation of heat exchangers to recover energy from an impregnator, and 3) hot water production at the accumulator through impregnator heat recovery.  Furthermore, the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant has long relied on hydroelectricity and continues to rely on this renewable source to meet its electricity needs.

Formica Canada will continue to implement energy efficiency measures at its plant to reduce its natural gas consumption and GHG emissions and contribute to the fight against climate change, while remaining competitive and offering sustainable, quality products.

Sample Recycling Program

Since 2024, Formica Canada has been recycling its laminate samples through a partnership with TerraCycle®, the international leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials.

In the past, Formica Canada donated samples to design schools or artists for various schools or art projects. Now, Formica Group's new program, in partnership with TerraCycle®, focuses on ways to recycle samples to create other products.

Formica Canada – More Than Just a Laminate Company

Formica Canada's corporate vision is to be the world’s leader in decorative surface materials. But its mission doesn’t stop there. Formica Canada cares about its community. Social commitment remains a priority year after year, and the company is proud of its involvement in various projects that benefit the well-being of the community.

With over a century of international expertise and innovation, Formica Canada is proud of its heritage and confident in the future the brand promises.