http://www.3-form.com/

West Valley City, Utah

Founded: 1972

Employees: 500+ Worldwide

Privately Owned

3form owns translucent color in the market, brings manufacturing back to Utah, and delivers innovative materials and solutions to the building industry

As a global leader in architectural building solutions, 3Form serves clients all over the world. Its manufacturing facility is located in West Valley City, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City.

“We are a true made-In-Utah product”, says Randi Pastrovic, Marketing Director for 3form. “Manufacturing is coming back to Utah. Sometimes the parts and the hardware for a project come from elsewhere, but all of the rest of it is done here.”

Known for its use of Varia Ecoresin, a high performance, bendable resin, 3form manufactures translucent panels. These panels can be used by architects and builders for a variety of purposes including walls, stairwells, even bases of couches.

The key is that the product is bendable and translucent, allowing for a final manufactured product where light can stream through and color can be added. In some cases, even objects can be interwoven into the panels during the manufacturing process.

3form patterns

According to Pastorvic, it’s the best of both worlds: privacy without feeling completely boxed in.

The resin-based products can also be used outdoors. A recent project includes a treehouse built in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Architects used 3form materials to create an interactive exhibit for the local science museum.

“They wanted a way to draw people outdoors, to get them to explore the outside,” says Pam Baumeister, Communication Specialist for 3form. “There is a fog bridge so that when people come out, it mists. They get a little wet and learn about evaporation and condensation. Inside the tree house is a bench. When people sit down and touch the bench, it plays music. The museum wanted an iconic project, something that was recognizable, and it is stunning inside the woods.”

3form resin

National companies seek out 3form products and projects when they cannot find what they are seeking through traditional building materials.

“Google wanted a staircase that fit the chill attitude of Southern California,” Baumeister says. “They wanted the staircase to be like a wave. Their designers chose to use translucent Chroma, and we fabricated holes through it, so you can see people inside the stairwell, much like seeing a surfer in a wave.”

Challenges: Getting new clients to realize the potential of resin continues to be a challenge. “In an environmentally-conscious society, resin should have its place,” Pastrovic says. “But we struggle to get it to take its place. We are very complicated, and so making things simple for clients is something we strive toward. We are not wallpaper. It is a process to get to the end product. But we’ll make it. We’ll install it. We are full service.”

3form glass

Opportunities: New applications: “We want to talk to our customers and show them our capabilities. We own translucent color in the market, and we are looking forward to helping clients reimagine new ways to use 3form. That’s our goal.”

Needs: Talent. “The market is booming in Salt Lake,” she explains. “There are a lot of tech companies moving into the state, so it’s a great market for people looking for a job. We want to find talent, and we want to keep it. That’s what we really need.”

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