OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
At WD-40 Company, we view the environment as a vital stakeholder. Our primary corporate mission is to consistently evolve our practices to deliver long-term value to the planet and the communities we serve.
EXTENDING LIFE, REDUCING WASTE
We believe the most sustainable tool is the one that lasts. The WD-40 Company has long been committed to protecting the environment. Through the use of our lubricant products to extend the life of tools and equipment, we help to save natural resources and reduce the accumulation of solid waste.
LOCAL EXPERTISE, GLOBAL IMPACT
Success is driven by the people who know their markets best. By hiring staff who understand their local markets and cultures, we continue to help families, workers, and factories to solve everyday problems, and help to make their world run more smoothly.
RESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURING
Our products are responsibly manufactured, with recycled materials used in many of our packaging components. As technology allows, we will continue to explore additional practices that reflect our long-standing commitment to the environment.
OUR PRESENCE IN ASIA
OUR STORY
In 1953, the three-man team at San Diego’s Rocket Chemical Company set out to create rust-prevention solvents for the aerospace industry. It took 40 attempts to perfect their water-displacing formula—hence the name WD-40, pulled straight from the chemist’s lab book. The product was first used commercially by aerospace contractor Convair to protect the Atlas Missile. It proved so effective that employees began smuggling cans home in their lunchboxes. Recognizing this potential, founder Norm Larsen soon put WD-40 into aerosol cans, bringing the "40th formula" from the launchpad to the home garage.
1953
Rocket Chemical Company is founded September 23, 1953, by Norman B. Larsen, Gordon Dawson and John B. Gregory.
1957
Cy Irving assumes the role of president of Rocket Chemical Company.
1958
WD-40 makes its first appearance on store shelves in San Diego, California.
1960
The company nearly doubles in size, growing to seven people who sell an average of 45 cases per day from the trunks of their cars to hardware and sporting goods stores throughout the San Diego area.
1961
The first full truckload order for WD-40 is filled to meet the disaster needs of the victims of Hurricane Carla along the U.S. Gulf coast. It is used to recondition flood and rain damaged vehicles and equipment.
1969
John S. Barry is appointed president and chief executive officer of WD-40 Company and renames the company after its only product, WD-40.
1973
WD-40 Company goes public and is listed Over-The-Counter. Stock price increases by 61% on the first day of listing.
1983
Sales reach $50.2 million. Many companies attempt to introduce imitation products, even going so far as to copy the distinctive blue and yellow can with the little red top.
Tribe Members: 38
1990
Gerald Schlief is appointed president and chief operating officer of WD-40 Company. He is later appointed to chief executive officer.
1993
In 1993, WD-40 Multi-Use Product 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.
1997
Garry O. Ridge is appointed president and chief executive officer of WD-40 Company.
2001
WD-40 Company adds Global Household Brands to its portfolio of brands. The addition of X-14®, 2000 Flushes® and Carpet Fresh® makes WD-40 Company a leader in household cleaning and maintenance products.
Tribe Members: 227
2003
The 3-IN-ONE Professional line is launched. The WD-40 Big Blast® can is introduced in the USA, featuring a wide-area spray nozzle that delivers WD-40 Multi-Use Product quickly and efficiently over large areas.
2004
WD-40 Company acquires 1001®, the leading brand of carpet cleaning products in the United Kingdom. It also expands its 3-IN-ONE Professional line with the introduction of a heavy-duty cleaner degreaser, an engine starter and a high-performance lubricant.
2005
WD-40 Company introduces the WD-40 Smart Straw®, which features a permanently attached straw. This new Smart Straw Sprays 2 Ways™: as a wide spray with the straw down and a stream with the straw up. The Smart Straw also solves the number one complaint about WD-40 products: losing the little red straw. The 3-IN-ONE Professional line expands with the introduction of a dry lube to help lubricate and protect all types of surfaces without leaving an oily residue behind. Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover is released in a convenient trigger spray bottle.
2006
In 2006, WD-40 Company introduced the WD-40 No-Mess Pen® to provide millions of WD-40 Multi-Use Product users a portable, precision-application delivery system of the famous multi-purpose problem solver. The WD-40 Fan Club reached an astonishing 100,000 members & a tribute to WD-40 Brand’s fanatical fan base around the globe.
2008
WD-40 Company converts its most popular-sized WD-40 Multi-Use Product cans to the Smart Straw delivery system. The official list of 2,000 uses for WD-40 Multi-Use Product appears for the first time, thanks to the help of WD-40 Fan Club members. Spot Shot introduces two new trigger products: Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain and Odor Eliminator and Spot Shot Pet.
2009
WD-40 Company introduces WD-40 Trigger Pro®, a non-aerosol product with the same WD-40 formula for industrial consumers. WD-40 Company launches 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.
2011
Capitalising on insights from the BLUE WORKS brand launch, WD-40 Company introduces WD-40 Specialist, a line of best-in-class speciality products under the WD-40 brand geared toward trade professionals. The initial product line includes a Water Resistant Silicone Lubricant, Protective White Lithium Grease, and Rust Release Penetrant Spray containing Blu Torch™ Technology, a proprietary blend of synthetic additives.
Tribe Members: 334
2012
WD-40 Company founds WD-40 BIKE Company, a brand focused exclusively on cycling-specific maintenance products. The WD-40® BIKE 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.
2013
The WD-40 Company celebrates its 60th Anniversary. The WD-40 Specialist product line has grown to eight products. Five additional products have been 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, WD-40 Company decides to discontinue production of the BLUE WORKS brand, taking advantage of key learnings and applying them.
2014
WD-40 Company acquires GT85, a multi-purpose bike maintenance product sold primarily in the United Kingdom.
2015
In 2015, WD-40 Company introduced WD-40 EZ-REACH®. With an attached 8″ 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.
2017
In 2017, WD-40 Company launches its first non-aerosol Industrial-Strength Cleaner & Degreaser under the WD-40 Specialist brand. This water-based formula has an unique bio-solvent that is engineered and proven to be more powerful, safer and easier to use than other degreasers on the market.
2020
In 2020, new packaging is introduced for WD-40 Specialist aligning WD-40 Multi-Use Product, WD-40 Specialist and WD-40 BIKE to showcase the brand’s iconic blue and yellow colors.