About Fotel

Family owned and operated for over 43 years!
Founded in 1964, Fotel emerged from a lithographic platemaking company. The imaging expertise of our founders attracted the attention of companies in the fledgling printed circuit board industry, who asked us to provide phototooling for their manufacturing processes.

In an era when imaging was art as much as science, we distinguished ourselves by focusing on the scientific and technical aspects of precision photo imaging. In our 40 year history, as we have expanded into several related technologies, precision phototooling for the PCB industry has remained a cornerstone of our business.

Science and technology aside, relationships are the key ingredient in success, in business and in life.
We listen to our industries and—most importantly—to our customers.

"I have been dealing with Fotel since 1991. I have learned a great deal about the "world" of bar coding from the excellent staff at Fotel. They have always been willing to answer any questions and willing to help in any way possible".
Time Warner Trade Publishing

Company Milestones
1964: Fotel incorporates as a precision imaging company in Chicago.
1967: Relocates to a 3,000 square foot facility in Villa Park, IL.
1972: Invited to assist in Distribution Number Bank imaging project.
1974: Launched bar code business unit to apply our technologies in the new bar code industry. Imaged the first bar code to be commercially scanned.
1976: Opened vector imaging lab to produce computer based phototooling.
1982: Launched specialty label printing.
1986: Purchased a Gerber 9620 flat bed laser photoplotter.
1990: Purchased an MDA 9XXX raster photoplotter.
1992: Acquired GGX Associates, a bar code film master and label company in Great Neck, New York.
1994: Opened a classified clean-room in suburban Milwaukee, generating zero-defect laser images.
1996: Recognized as the top reseller of barcode verifiers.
1999: Launched barcode integration vertical.
2001: Moved to a 20,000 square foot facility in Lombard, IL.
2006: Awarded GSA contract
2007: Certified as GS1US BarCodes and eCom Solution Partner
2008: Factory trained and authorized to test and re-certify Honeywell Quick Check verifiers for IS0/IEC 15426-1.