Our History - About Us

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history

Since the early days of the space race, when workers sneaked WD-40_® out of the shop, WD-40 Company has grown to nearly 450 people globally with annual sales of more than $400 million.

In 1953, a fledgling company called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry, in a small lab in San Diego, California.

It took them 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out. But they must have been really good, because the original secret formula for WD-40_®—which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try—is still in use today.

Convair, an aerospace contractor, first used WD-40_® to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and corrosion. The product actually worked so well that several employees sneaked some WD-40_® cans out of the plant to use at home.

A few years following WD-40_®'s first industrial use, Rocket Chemical Company founder Norm Larsen experimented with putting WD-40_® into aerosol cans, reasoning that consumers might find a use for the product at home as some of the employees had. The product made its first appearance on store shelves in San Diego in 1958.

In 1960, the company nearly doubled in size, growing to seven people, who sold an average of 45 cases per day from the trunk of their cars to hardware and sporting goods stores in the San Diego area.

In 1961, the first full truckload order for WD-40_® was filled when employees came in on a Saturday to produce additional concentrate to meet the disaster needs of the victims of Hurricane Carla along the U.S. Gulf coast. WD-40_® was used to recondition flood and rain damaged vehicles and equipment.

In 1968, goodwill kits containing WD-40_® were sent to soldiers in Vietnam to prevent moisture damage on firearms and help keep them in good working condition.

In 1969, the company was renamed after its only product, WD-40 Company, Inc.

In 1968 goodwill kits containing WD-40® were sent to soldiers in Vietnam to prevent moisture damage on firearms and help keep them in good working condition.

In 1973, WD-40 Company, Inc., went public and was listed Over-The-Counter. The stock price increased by 61% on the first day of listing.

Since that time, WD-40_® has grown by leaps and bounds, and is now virtually a household name, used in numerous consumer and industrial markets such as automotive, manufacturing, sporting goods, aviation, hardware and home improvement, construction, and farming.

In 1983, WD-40 Company sales reached $50.2 million. Many companies attempted to introduce imitation products, going so far as to copy the distinctive blue, yellow and red colors of the WD-40_® can.

In 1993, WD-40 Company celebrated its 40th anniversary by breaking the $100 million sales mark. That year the company was also listed among the Top Ten Most Profitable companies on the NASDAQ exchange. Not bad for a company with only one product!

WD-40_® was found to be in 4 out of 5 American households (it seems everyone has a can or two) and was used by 81 percent of professionals at work. Sales had grown to more than one million cans each week.

The most interesting piece of WD-40_®'s history is the uses for the product, now numbering in the thousands. The uses include everything from silencing squeaky hinges and removing road tar from automobiles to protecting tools from rust and removing adhesive labels. But they get a lot crazier than that.

In 1999, WD-40 Company added to its fortress of brands when it acquired Lava_®, from Block Drug Company. Lava_® is the most famous brand of heavy-duty hand cleaner in the U.S. More important however is that people who use Lava_® are many of the same consumer and industrial users as WD-40 Company's other multi-purpose products. There are many more who will now have an opportunity to try Lava_®.

Also in 1999, WD-40 Company added to its 3-IN-ONE_® product line a new delivery system, the Telescoping Spout. Reminiscent of an old-time oilcan, the plastic bottle comes with a five-inch extendable spout designed to get at hard-to-reach places. The 3-IN-ONE_® Telescoping Spout has won numerous awards since its launch.

In 2000, WD-40 Company acquired Solvol_®, the leading heavy-duty hand cleaner brand in Australia.

In 2001, WD-40 Company added Global Household Brands to our fortress of brands. The addition of X-14_®, 2000 Flushes_®, and Carpet Fresh_® to our line-up, makes WD-40 Company a leader in household cleaning and maintenance products.

In 2002, WD-40 Company acquired Heartland Corporation, complementing its line of household products with Spot Shot_® carpet stain remover. Spot Shot_® proprietary formulation has rendered it a high level of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

In addition to the Global Household Brands, no vac_® was added to the company portfolio as another innovative product that has been developed to solve everyday house and car odors with foam carpet deodorizer.

In 2003, the 3-IN-ONE_® Professional line was born, with four great, hard-working products that cover every job's lubrication needs. Also in 2003, the new WD-40_® Big Blast can was introduced, featuring a wide-area spray nozzle that delivers WD-40_® quickly and efficiently over large areas.

In 2005, as a commitment to offering consumers the easiest, most convenient way to get the job done, WD-40 Company introduced the WD-40 Smart Straw®, which features a permanently attached straw.

In 2004, WD-40 Company acquired 1001®, the leading brand of carpet cleaning products in the United Kingdom. It also expanded its 3-IN-ONE_® Professional line with the introduction of a heavy-duty cleaner degreaser, an engine starter and a high-performance lubricant. Also in 2004, the 2000 Flushes_® line introduced the new Spring Meadow Clip-On and Spring Meadow Clip-On with Bleach, the only clip-ons that last up to four months.

In 2005, as a commitment to offering consumers the easiest, most convenient way to get the job done, WD-40 Company introduced the WD-40_® Smart Straw_®, which features a permanently attached straw. The Smart Straw_® can solved the number one complaint about WD-40_® products: losing the little red straw. The 3-IN-ONE_® Professional line also expanded with the introduction of a dry lube to help lubricate and protect all types of surfaces without leaving an oily residue behind. To continue serving the loyal customers who rely on WD-40 Company’s family of trusted household brands, the Spot Shot_® Instant Carpet Stain Remover was released in a convenient trigger spray bottle.

In 2006, WD-40 Company introduced the WD-40_® No-Mess Pen_® to provide millions of WD-40_® users a portable, precision-application delivery system of the famous multi-purpose problem solver. The WD-40_® Fan Club also reached an astonishing 100,000 members — a tribute to WD-40_®’s fanatical fan base around the globe.

In 2007, X-14 positioned itself as The Bathroom Expert_® by redesigning its entire line of bathroom cleaning products to meet consumers’ quick-cleaning and deep-cleaning needs. Also in 2007, the 3-IN-ONE_® Professional line expanded with the addition of a garage door lube, specifically designed for the maintenance of both residential and commercial garage door systems.

In 2008, as a commitment to offering consumers the easiest, most convenient way to get the job done, WD-40 Company introduced the WD-40_® Smart Straw_®, which features a permanently attached straw that sprays two ways. The official list of 2,000 uses for WD-40_® also grew for the first time, thanks to the help of WD-40_®Fan Club members, and WD-40 Company launched new corporate and brand Websites to provide relevant resources and information about the company and its family of brands. Spot Shot_® introduced two new trigger products - Spot Shot_® Instant Carpet Stain and Odor Eliminator, and Spot Shot_® Pet - to provide consumers with environmentally friendly products that eliminate stains and neutralize odors.

In 2009, WD-40 Company introduced WD-40_® Trigger Pro_® - a non-aerosol product with the same WD-40_® formula - for its industrial consumers. Also in 2009, building on over 50 years of experience in the lubrication category, WD-40 Company launched the BLUE WORKS_® brand. BLUE WORKS_® is a line of specialty maintenance products designed exclusively for industrial users, with formulas that surpass industry standard testing.

In 2012, WD-40 Company founded WD-40 BIKE Company, a subsidiary business unit focused exclusively on cycling-specific maintenance products, and launched WD-40® BIKE.

In 2011, capitalizing on insights from the BLUE WORKS_® brand launch,WD-40 Company introduced WD-40_® SpecialistTM – a line of best-in-class specialty products under the WD-40_® brand geared toward trade professionals. The initial product line included a Water Resistant Silicone Lubricant, Protective White Lithium Grease, and Rust Release Penetrant Spray, containing Blu Torch™ Technology, a proprietary blend of synthetic additives.

In 2012, WD-40 Company founded WD-40_® BIKE Company, a subsidiary business unit focused exclusively on cycling-specific maintenance products, and launched WD-40_® BIKE. This high-performance maintenance product line offers a range of products including wet and dry chain lubricants, a heavy-duty degreaser, a foaming bike wash, and a frame protectant.

By mid-2013, the WD-40 Company celebrated its 60th Anniversary and the WD-40_® Specialist_TM product line had grown to eight products. Five additional products were added including Rust Remover Soak, Long-Term Corrosion Inhibitor, Dirt & Dust Resistant Dry Lube, Machine & Engine Degreaser, and Electrical Contact Cleaner Spray. With the success of WD-40_® Specialist_TM, WD-40 Company decided to discontinue production of the BLUE WORKS_® brand, taking advantage of key learnings and applying them to new opportunities envisioned for the WD-40_® Specialist_TM product line.

By mid-2013, the WD-40 Company celebrated its 60th Anniversary and the WD-40 Specialist product line had grown to eight products.

In 2015, WD-40 Company introduced WD-40_® EZ-REACH^TM. With an attached 8-inch flexible straw that bends and keeps its shape, it can reach the unreachable - tight plumbing spaces, behind engine blocks, hard-to-reach hinges, rollers, and more.

Over the years...

Over the years, thousands of WD-40_® users have written testimonial letters to the company sharing their often unique, if sometimes just plain weird, uses for the product—many of which are shared in other parts of this Website. Some of the most interesting stories include the bus driver in Asia who used WD-40_® to remove a python snake which had coiled itself around the undercarriage of his bus. Or when police officers used WD-40_® to remove a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent.

Very few brands will ever match the popularity of WD-40_®. In fact, the variety and uniqueness of uses for WD-40_® proved so popular that The WD-40_® Book, featuring many user testimonials and the wacky humor of the Duct Tape Guys, was published in 1997.

But WD-40_®'s literary legend doesn't end there. The familiar blue and yellow can has been featured in other books ranging from The Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness (General Publishing, 1997), Polish Your Furniture With Panty Hose (Hyperion, 1995), WD-40_® for the Soul: The Guide to Fixing Everything (TV Books, 1999), and Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean.

However, WD-40_® was starting to get a bit lonely as the only product, so in 1995, WD-40 Company acquired the 100-year-old brand 3-IN-ONE_® Oil from Reckitt & Coleman.

3-IN-ONE_®, with its precise applicator spout, made a wonderful match for WD-40_®.

A History of your favourite "Can-do" Can

The blue and yellow can has been America's favorite problem-solver for more than 60 years.

WD-40_® Brand Story & Values Read about what we stand for

Our Presence in Asia View our locations in Asia

FAQs Frequently Asked Questions

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