NEWS RELEASE
PITTSBURGH (June 1, 2026)—Members and guests of The Polyurethane Foam Association had plenty to discuss at the group’s annual Spring meeting, as the flexible foam industry faces supply chain challenges, new potential regulation, and the promise of new technologies.
More than 170 industry professionals (a modern-era record attendance), including C-suite executives, researchers, EHS specialists, marketers, and technologists came to the Omni William Penn in late May for networking and presentations on foam sustainability, market trends, and the regulatory environment.
“PFA was created 46 years ago to help the industry address challenges that threatened the existence of the flexible polyurethane foam industry,” said Cam McLaughlin of Elite Comfort Solutions and current PFA President. “Today, we still confront serious and changing threats. This Association provides its members with a platform to educate themselves and take sensible action.”
During the conference’s Industry Issues Session, speakers covered current supply chain issues created by the Strait of Hormuz blockade and chemical plant shutdowns. Representatives from foam end-user industries, including automotive, business furniture, and bedding discussed conditions in those market segments. Other speakers provided updates on isocyanate regulations and research, plus reports on sustainability advances.
The Thursday afternoon Technical Program included presentations on AI-enabled R&D, foam laydown technologies, mattress recycling byproducts, and bringing scientific rigor to mattress comfort.
Following PFA’s Technical Program, Michael Gallagher and Karl Haider of the Mattress Recycling Council were named winners of the Dr. Herman Stone Technical Excellence Award. The award is voted on by attendees present for the Technical Program. The award is named for Dr. Herman T. Stone, who served as PFA’s first Technical Director. In 2007, Dr. Stone was inducted into the Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame. It was the second time Gallagher was honored with the award.
Industry Veterans Honored With Hall of Fame, Lifetime Achievement Award
Other foam professionals were also recognized for their contributions to the industry. Sol Friedman of Future Foam, Inc. was inducted into the Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame. Friedman was one of the founding executives of Future Foam during the late 1950s, and was instrumental in helping flexible polyurethane foam get accepted by customers to replace existing cushioning materials. He also helped oversee Future Foam’s growth into one of the nation’s largest foam producers.
Friedman died in late April. His son, Steve, spoke on his behalf in Pittsburgh, recalling how his father had been a minor league baseball player (once pitching against the legendary Bob Gibson) before finishing college and entering the foam industry.
In addition, Richard Skorpenske, recently retired from Covestro, was recognized with PFA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Skorpenske has a four-decade long career in the foam industry as a researcher and specialist in sustainability. He is a contributor to a still-used textbook on flexible foam, developed numerous patented technologies, and has long contributed time to committees within PFA, the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry of the American Chemistry Council, the International Sleep Products Association, and Cribs for Kids, an organization that provides infant beds to underserved families.
“A key purpose of the Hall of Fame is to archive the stories of industry founders, so that future generations can understand and learn from them,” said McLaughlin. “Sol Friedman was a true pioneer.”
“And Richard Skorpenske’s insights and guidance for flexible polyurethane foam has been invaluable for years, and will still be shaping our business for decades to come.”
The Polyurethane Foam Association is a trade association founded in 1980 to help educate regulators, users, allied industries, and others about flexible polyurethane foam. PFA provides facts on environmental, health and safety issues and technical information on the performance of flexible polyurethane foam (FPF) in consumer and industrial products. FPF is used as a key comfort component in most upholstered furniture and mattress products, along with automotive seating, carpet cushion, packaging, and numerous other applications.
To learn more, visit www.pfa.org.
