WD-40 Company
Company History
WD-40 History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1953 in San Diego, California, United States
When was WD-40 founded?
WD-40 was founded in 1953 in San Diego, California, United States by Norman B. Larsen, Gordon Dawson and John B. Gregory, making it 73 years old.
- Founded
- 1953
- Founding place
- San Diego, California, United States
- Founders
- Norman B. Larsen, Gordon Dawson and John B. Gregory
- Headquarters today
- San Diego, California, United States
- Milestones documented
- 10 (1953–2026)
- Current CEO
- Steve Brass
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Rocket Chemical Company founded |
| 1958 | Aerosol can launch |
| 1969 | Renamed WD-40 Company |
| 1973 | Initial Public Offering |
| 1995 | 3-in-One Acquired |
| 2001 | Garry Ridge Becomes CEO |
| 2002 | Spot Shot Acquired |
| 2022 | Steve Brass becomes CEO |
| 2025 | UK homecare brands sold |
| 2026 | Americas homecare brands deprioritized |
- Where was WD-40 founded?
- WD-40 was founded in San Diego, California, United States in 1953.
- Who founded WD-40?
- WD-40 was founded by Norman B. Larsen, Gordon Dawson and John B. Gregory.
- When did WD-40 start?
- WD-40 was founded in 1953.
- How old is WD-40?
- WD-40 is 73 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Rocket Chemical Company opened in a small San Diego lab in September 1953 with a staff of three. Company materials name Norman B. Larsen, Gordon Dawson and John B. Gregory as its founders. They were working on rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for the aerospace industry, and it took them 40 attempts to get the water-displacing formula right. That is where the name comes from: Water Displacement, 40th formula. Employees reportedly took cans home for household jobs. The company began selling the product in aerosol cans in San Diego in 1958 and took the name WD-40 Company in 1969.
Founders
Norman B. Larsen
Norman B. Larsen is the person most often credited with developing the WD-40 water-displacing formula, which took 40 attempts. According to his Wikipedia biography, he left Rocket Chemical in 1958 after a distributor arrangement fell apart, and went on to lead CRC Industries, a competing company. Norman B. Larsen was born in 1923 in Chicago. Norman Bernard Larsen was born in 1923 and died in 1970. He was an industrial chemist.
Gordon Dawson
Gordon Dawson co-founded the Rocket Chemical Company (which became WD-40) in 1953. Working alongside Norm Larsen, he helped refine the absolute critical early formulas intended to prevent corrosion on the massive, highly advanced Atlas nuclear missiles being built by the US military in San Diego. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
John B. Gregory
John B. Gregory co-founded the Rocket Chemical Company. He played a massively important role in the incredibly exhaustive testing process. The legendary 'Water Displacement, 40th formula' was exactly that: it took 40 attempts for the team to perfectly perfect the chemical mixture that would eventually become an absolute household staple globally. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Rocket Chemical Company founded
A staff of three in a small San Diego lab took 40 attempts to develop a water-displacing, rust-prevention formula for the aerospace industry.
Source: wd40company.comRenamed WD-40 Company
The company changed its name from Rocket Chemical Company to WD-40 Company, after its only product.
Source: wd40company.comGarry Ridge Becomes CEO
Garry Ridge became chief executive of WD-40 Company in 2001 and led the company until 2022.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSpot Shot Acquired
WD-40 Company bought the Spot Shot carpet-stain remover brand in 2002.
Source: sec.govSteve Brass becomes CEO
Steve Brass took over as president and CEO from Garry Ridge, who had led the company since 1997.
Source: sec.govUK homecare brands sold
WD-40 Company sold its UK 1001 and 1001 Carpet Fresh brands to Supreme Imports Ltd, a Manchester-based company, as part of its shift toward maintenance products.
Source: businesswire.comAmericas homecare brands deprioritized
In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, the company stopped actively marketing its Americas homecare and cleaning brands and reclassified those assets as held for use.
Source: nasdaq.comMajor Acquisitions
Spot Shot
2002WD-40 Company bought the carpet-stain remover Spot Shot in 2002.
1001
2004U.K.-based carpet cleaning brand (later divested).
Global Household Brands
2001Expanded homecare portfolio (X-14, 2000 Flushes, Carpet Fresh).
3-IN-ONE Oil
1995First major brand acquisition.
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WD-40 Company History FAQ
When and where was WD-40 originally founded?
WD-40 originated in September 1953 in a modest San Diego, California laboratory when Rocket Chemical Company was established with a team of three employees.
What does "WD-40" stand for and how was it developed?
WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement, 40th formula"; it took chemist Norman B. Larsen and his team 40 attempts to formulate the moisture-displacing, corrosion-preventing chemical compound.
What was WD-40's original aerospace and military use case?
The formula was developed for defense aerospace contractor Convair to coat the thin outer skin of the Atlas space rocket and ICBM, preventing rust and corrosion in coastal launch silos.
How did WD-40 transition from an industrial chemical to a consumer product?
Convair plant workers began sneaking the formula home in small jars to fix squeaky hinges and loosen rusted car bolts, prompting the company to package it in consumer aerosol spray cans in San Diego in 1958.
When did the company change its name to WD-40 Company?
In 1969, under the leadership of John S. Barry, the firm officially changed its corporate name from Rocket Chemical Company to WD-40 Company to reflect its iconic flagship product.
When did WD-40 Company go public?
WD-40 Company completed its initial public offering in 1973, listing on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "WDFC," with the stock price rising 61% on its first trading day.
When was the famous "Smart Straw" introduced?
In 2005, WD-40 introduced the permanently attached "Smart Straw" delivery canister, solving the universal consumer complaint of losing the separate red plastic spray straw.
What was the "tribal culture" era led by CEO Garry Ridge?
From 1997 to 2022, long-serving CEO Garry Ridge led WD-40 Company through unprecedented global expansion and employee engagement, cultivating what he termed a purpose-driven "corporate tribe."
When was the WD-40 Specialist product line launched?
In 2011, WD-40 launched the WD-40 Specialist line, offering high-performance formulas such as penetrants, white lithium grease, contact cleaner, and silicone spray for professional tradespeople.
When did Steve Brass become CEO of WD-40 Company?
Steve Brass, a company veteran who previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer, was appointed Chief Executive Officer on September 1, 2022, succeeding Garry Ridge.
Why did WD-40 Company divest its homecare cleaning brands in 2024–2025?
WD-40 Company sold brands like 1001 Carpet Fresh in the UK and ceased marketing Americas homecare lines (such as Spot Shot and Carpet Fresh) to focus capital 100% on high-margin maintenance products.
Is the original WD-40 formula patented?
No, the formula was never patented because patents require public disclosure and expire after 20 years; instead, WD-40 maintains the recipe as a closely guarded trade secret secured in a bank vault.
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