1953-2023
70 YEARS OF GRIT AND PERSEVERANCE
WD-40
Brand’s iconic blue and yellow can with the red top is a staple in factories, garages and workshops around the globe –and the story behind it is one of a kind. The original WD-40 Multi-Use Product was invented 70 years ago and represents a story of grit, perseverance and tenacity for solving the world’s toughest challenges. Today, WD-40 Brand continues to innovate with more than X dozen products sold in 176 countries around the globe. The Original WD-40 Formula has endeared itself to millions of men and women who rely upon it on the job, at home and at play for thousands of uses from the ordinary to the jaw dropping. Along its journey, the brand is creating positive lasting memories to pave the way for the next 70 years.
At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis que al praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga. Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat.
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit.
Copyright © 2024 Publisher Name
All rights reserved.
To request permissions, contact the publisher at publisher@email.com.
ISBN here
Library of Congress Number: number here
Edited by Editor Name
Cover art by Artist Name
Layout by Designer Name
Photographs by Photographer Name
Printed in Printer Name in the USA
Publisher Name Street Name
City, State, Zip Code
PublisherWebsite.com
History: Born from Rocket Science ..................................................... 6 True Grit: The Men and Women Who Rely Upon WD-40 Brand .............................. 18 It Sells Itself: Advertisements Then and Now ........................................... 40 What Dirty Hairy Said: WD-40 Brand as Part of Pop Culture ............................... 58 The Multi-Purpose Problem Solver: Uses to Get You Thinking and Doing ................... 70 A Purpose-Driven Company: A Look into WD-40 Company Culture ......................... 88 CONTENTS
BORN FROM ROCKET SCIENCE
A Work of Non-Fiction and Non-Friction
In 1953, San Diego was more than just a sunny beachside town. It was a bustling coastal community that served — as it still does today — as the portside home to critical military operations. Because of this, the region attracted top aerospace companies that saw the opportunity to meet the needs of the military and attract employees to the picturesque region. During the 1950s, many San Diego-based aerospace companies began to shift money and efforts away from military fighters and bombers to missile and rockets, as the world entered a new era: the space age.
In 1953, space was uncharted territory and optimism was high that through science, ingenuity and determination, man could conquer the moon and stars. WD-40 Multi-Use Formula was developed and used on the Atlas Missile, forever leaving its mark on the world.
6
Space was uncharted territory, astronauts were heroes and optimism was high that through innovation, science, ingenuity and determination, man could conquer the moon and stars. And while San Diego’s large installation of military operations made it an ideal place for aerospace companies to set up shop, the seaside air posed a major problem, causing corrosion on important and costly aircraft. A small, fledgling company called Rocket Chemical Company took aim at solving the challenge by creating a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers.
39 Attempts
Rocket Chemical Company employee Norman Lawson rolled up his sleeves and got to work in his home laboratory, where he was determined
to find the perfect formula, a process that proved challenging but fruitful. Through grit and perseverance — and after 39 attempts — Lawson masterfully crafted WD-40, meaning water displacement perfected on the 40th try. Lawson reportedly turned over the formula — now known as the WD-40 Multi-Use Product — to the Rocket Chemical Company for a $500 bonus. Today, while innovation of WD-40 Brand products continues, the Original WD-40 Formula remains in use and is only known by a handful of people across the globe.
San Diego-based Convair was the first big contractor to give the formula a shot. Having served a critical role in building military flight equipment during World War II, the company was ramping up its missile development program
and experiencing firsthand the crippling effects of the salty air. Convair used the Original WD40 Formula to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile, which would go onto play a significant role in the early years of the U.S. space exploration program. And while the formula rose to the occasion for which it was designed — both degreasing parts and providing a rust inhibitor to withstand the damp ocean ear — employees at Convair quickly discovered it could be used for a variety of other problem-solving uses from removing gunk from tools to lubricating moving parts, and loosening bolts and nuts.
7
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit.
LEFT: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
ABOVE: Norm Larsen.
Squeaky and Sneaky
Convair employees began sneaking the product out of the factory in their lunchboxes for use at home. When rumor of the smuggling made its way back to Rocket Chemical Company Founder and President Norm Larsen (not to be confused with the inventor of the Original WD-40 Formula who has a very similar name - coincidence of Norms), he saw an opportunity. Larsen believed the WD40 Multi-Use Product could move beyond the aerospace industry to help solve problems and make things work smoothly at home and in other industries. He began experimenting with
putting WD-40 Multi-Use Product in aerosol cans, and employees began selling cans out of the trunks of their cars. The product first appeared on store shelves in San Diego in 1958. By 1960, the company nearly doubled in size, growing to seven people, selling an average of 45 cases per day from car trunks, hardware stores and sporting goods stores throughout San Diego.
Problem Solving ... on a Hurricane Level
A year later, in 1961, the first full truckload order was made for the WD-40 Multi-Use Product
following Hurricane Carla’s impact on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. The disaster brought water damage of all types, and rust and corrosion were waiting in the wings. Good word of the miracle product from San Diego had spread East, and those leading disaster relief efforts ordered a truckload with high hopes. Rocket Chemical Company employees came in over the weekend to ramp up production of the product, which proved valuable in reconditioning flood and rain damaged vehicles and equipment.
8
Flooding in North Shore caused by Hurricane Carla, 1961. Photo coutesy of Houston Public Library.
As word of the multi-purpose problem solver spread, the Original WD-40 Formula made its way to relief efforts for Hurricane Carla and in goodwill kits to soldiers in Vietnam.
For Those Who Know
The brand’s cult-like following continued to grow, and during the 1960s, it became ubiquitous among carpenters, machinists, construction professionals and other tradespeople who came to rely on the formula on the job and at home. In 1968, goodwill kits containing WD-40 Multi-Use Product were sent to soldiers in Vietnam to prevent moisture damage on firearms and help keep them in good working condition.
9
BELOW: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit am hendrerit nisi sollicitudin pellentesque.
A Public Product
In 1969, John S. Barry was appointed president and chief executive officer of Rocket Chemical Company and renamed it WD-40 Company after its only product. On Jan. 16, 1973, the company went public and was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Stock prices increased by 61% on the first day of trading. By 1983, sales reached $50.2 million, and by 1993, the company was in 4 out of 5 American households and broke the $100 million sales mark. In fact, the company was listed among the Top Ten Profitable Companies on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
A Global Operation
The company was expanding globally and by the 1990s had offices in Toronto, Canada; London, England; Sydney, Australia; Madrid, Spain; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Lyon, France; and Bad Homburg, Germany. Today, the company has more than 13 offices around the world, and the WD-40 Multi-Use Formula is used in 187 countries and made available in XX different languages.
10
ABOVE: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit am hendrerit nisi sollicitudin pellentesque.
RIGHT: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit am hendrerit nisi sollicitudin pellentesque.
In 1993, WD-40 Company was names among the Top Ten Profitable companies on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Much of the brand’s growth occurred in the late ‘90s and early aughts. In 2000 — well before the rise of social media as it exists today — the company began development of an official WD-40 Fan Club online. The club quickly grew to more than 100,000 fans who helped build a list of 2,000 uses for the beloved WD-40 Multi-Use Product. The list ranged from the expected (lubricating door hinges and removing rust) to the outrageous (a police officer once used it to remove a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent). Today, the list of uses for the Original WD-40 Formula continues to grow.
FIFTY PLACES TO BUY OUR PRODUCTS
It is Not Alone
During the ‘90s and 2000s – under the leadership of Gerald Schleif, who was chief executive officer between 1992 and 1997, and Garry Ridge, who was chief executive officer between 1997 and 2022 – the company began expanding its product portfolio beyond its flagship product.
01. Auto parts stores 02. Bearing supplies 03. Bicycle stores 04. Builders hardware 05. Chemicals wholesalers 06. Craft stores 07. Contractors equipment supplies 08. Department stores 09. Discount stores 10. Dollar stores 11. Drug stores 12. Electric equipment wholesale 13. Electric tools 14. Electronic stores 15. Farm cooperatives 16. Farm supply 17. Fishing tackle stores 18. Garden and lawn supplies 19. Grocery stores 20. Hardware/home centers 21. Health & fitness equipment maintenance supplies 22. Hobby stores 23. Home improvement stores 24. Hotel/motel equipment supplies 25. Industrial supplies 26. Janitorial supplies 27. Law enforcement supplies 28. Locksmiths 29. Marine equipment & supplies 30. Mass merchants 31. Military 32. Mining supplies 33. Mobile home equipment and parts 34. Motorcycle parts stores 35. Motor oil distributors 36. Office supplies 37. Paint supplies 38. Plumbing fixtures & supplies 39. Printing equipment & supplies 40. Ship chandlers 41. Specialty retail stores 42. Sporting goods 43. Super centers 44. Swimming pool equipment and supplies 45. Trailer supplies 46. Truck parts supplies 47. Value discounters 48. Vending machine parts 49. Warehouse clubs 50. Welding equipment
ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium.
Sed
FIFTY IMPOSTERS
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo et al inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
TOUGH SOLUTIONS FOR TOUGH JOBS
Recognizing the power of the WD-40 Brand and seeing an opportunity to further meet the needs of professional and DIY end users, WD-40 Brand introduced the WD-40 Specialist® line in 2011 and the WD-40 BIKE in 2012. WD-40 Specialist products – which continues to expand and received a refreshed branding in 2020 – provide specialized, heavy-duty solutions for industry professionals. The line of superior-performance products consists of lubricants, penetrants, greases, cleaners and degreasers, and rust-management solutions scientifically designed for the world’s toughest jobs.
In 2022, Steve Brass was named CEO, vowing to continue the brand’s history of innovation with problem-solving solutions for end-users who depend on WD-40 Brand in workshops, factories and homes across the globe.
16
DID YOU KNOW?
In 1995, the company acquired the 3-IN-ONE Oil brand from Reckitt & Colman in a move that grew the company’s foothold in the lubrication business. In 1999, the company acquired Lava® Soap, the most famous brand of heavy-duty hand cleaner in the United States and in 2000 the company acquired Solvol, the leading heavy-duty hand cleaner brand in Australia. The newly acquired soaps represented strategic acquisitions, as the products appeal to many of the same end-users as WD-40 Company’s lubricants. WD-40 Company’s portfolio of brands continued to expand with the addition of X-14®, 2000 Flushes® and Carpet Fresh® in 2002 and 1001 (the leading brand of carpet cleaning products in the United Kingdom) in 2004, making WD-40 Company a leader in household cleaning and maintenance products.
17
