The History of Flexfab
In 1961, Douglas A. DeCamp and his friend, Bill Pierce started a small business in a deserted 7,000-square-foot store in the little town of Hastings, Michigan.
Humble Beginnings
Fresh out of high school and recently unemployed from a shuttered fishing tackle company, DeCamp and Pierce were dead broke. But while their neighbors were moving to other cities to find work, they summoned their courage and made a bold decision to start a business for themselves in their hometown.
DeCamp was largely self-taught as a designer and fabricator, but he had keen instincts for how things work and a passion for quality. Pierce was a savvy marketer.
Building a Strong Reputation
Their fledgling company quickly earned a reputation for quality, innovation, and unwavering integrity. Their down-to-earth manner, willingness to help anyone, and their ability to design silicone rubber parts that could stand up to extreme conditions gained them the respect of customers and competitors alike. They quickly began attracting talented, creative employees with similar values.
In 1963, they won their first federal government contract, sewing hoses for heating and cooling systems. Flexfab produced its first parts for The Boeing Company in 1966. That was also the first year Flexfab surpassed $1 million in total sales revenue.
The Global Flexfab Family
The Flexfab family reaches around the globe with over 1,000 employees, including 450 at our 150,000-square-foot Michigan headquarters. We operate facilities in Brazil, China, and England, primarily so we can provide faster, more personalized service to our clients outside the United States.
Looking Towards The Future
Today, Flexfab produces a massive array of highly-engineered products in a wide variety of materials and designs for the aerospace, automotive, rail, and heavy-duty truck industries.
We’ve focused on cultivating an environment where people love to come to work. The four pillars of our creed are Value for Customers, Quality of Life for Employees, Service for Community, and Benefit for Shareholders but it all goes back to two young men with vision, determination, and a little ingenuity.