90 Years Schmitz Foam

From local business to global innovation

It all began in 1935 in the small Dutch village of Leeuwen, near Roermond, where Joep Schmitz founded a transport business. With his horse and a cart, Joep traveled from village to village moving fairground attractions. During the off-season, he expanded his services to include various transport jobs and helped local farmers by plowing their fields.

Just before World War II, Joep traded in his cart for his first truck. That truck played a crucial role at the end of the war, helping return evacuated local citizens back to their homes. Post-war, the rebuilding of heavily damaged Roermond brought a surge of work, allowing the company and its fleet to grow steadily.

Father Joep and son Herman Schmitz - 1st and 2nd generation

One of the company’s newest additions was a former U.S. Army truck. When Joep’s son Herman Schmitz joined the business at just 16 years old, he mounted a crane on the vehicle. This modified truck was used for everything from loading sugar beets to excavating construction sites and general earthmoving.

Under Herman’s leadership, the family business evolved into a versatile service provider. The City of Roermond frequently relied on Schmitz for services such as snow removal, waste transport, and earthmoving. Industrial clients and institutions in the area also came to value the company's reliable services. Growing demand led to the introduction of household waste collection and a roll-off container service, further diversifying the company’s offerings.

As foam waste collection became part of the company’s services, a new opportunity emerged. At a time when excess foam was typically incinerated or landfilled, Jos Schmitz – representing the third generation – joined the company in the mid-1980s with a bold idea. He developed an innovative method to recycle collected foam into versatile foam rolls for various applications.

Father Herman and son Jos Schmitz - 2nd and 3th generation

Driven by a clear ambition to grow the company, Jos shifted focus from local services to the international market. The waste collection division was sold, and Jos and Herman invested in a new recycling facility at the Roerstreek industrial zone. There, foam waste was transformed into foam mats on rolls. The company also invested in trucks for international transport, allowing it to export the recycled foam rolls for use in civil engineering projects abroad – such as tunnel construction, drainage systems, rooftop gardens, and landfill covers. 

In the Netherlands, demand surged for the foam rolls as shock-absorbing underlayers beneath artificial turf in playgrounds. When a request from Austria came for artificial turf sports field underlays, Jos embraced the challenge and wasted no time developing product samples that met the strict technical standards. In 2000, the first football field in Austria was installed with a shock-absorbing, and water-permeable underlayment made from recycled foam. Today, that product is globally known as the ProPlay shockpad.

Demand for ProPlay grew steadily – first in Europe, then in the United States. Its success in the U.S. led to the decision to establish a dedicated ProPlay production facility in Coldwater, Michigan. The factory officially opened in 2017, proudly overseen by three generations of the Schmitz family: Herman, Jos, and now his son Luuk.

In the 21st century, Schmitz Foam experienced remarkable growth. Today, the company employs around 160 people across five locations in Roermond and Coldwater. ProPlay shockpads have been installed in thousands of sports and play fields in over 80 countries.

To meet growing demand, the company expanded its product portfolio. In 2022, it launched a new division Schmitz Foam Supply and the brand RoFoam – a premium, lightweight, flexible, and durable XPE foam for various applications and industries.

Now led by the fourth generation Luuk Schmitz,  Schmitz Foam has evolved into a global leader in foam processing. As of 2025, it consists of three key divisions:

• Schmitz Foam Products
• Schmitz Foam Recycling
• Schmitz Foam Supply

Father Jos and son Luuk Schmitz - 3th and 4th generation

The creation of Schmitz Foam Supply marks another major milestone, as does the recent launch of ProField – a shockpad made from RoFoam.
These developments strengthen the foundation for future generations to proudly carry forward the legacy of Schmitz Foam.