text: Initially, fifteen companies signed agreements with FRI and grew to 37 by the first stockholder meeting in November 1952. Membership continued to grow to a peak of  94 companies in 1995. Membership declined thereafter to 67 in 2008, primarily due to mergers. At first, nearly all members were U. S. companies; but by 2008 a majority of the members were not based in the U. S.