Norman B. Larsen

Norm Larsen was a relentless chemist who founded the Rocket Chemical Company in 1953 to secure a contract with Convair for the Atlas missile. His defining moment was the 40th attempt to create a rust-preventative solvent, a breakthrough that saved the company from bankruptcy but initially failed to generate sustainable revenue until the pivot to consumer aerosols in 1958, a pivot that was suggested by janitor John George and friend Sam Crivello after they observed employees stealing the product for personal use.

Norman B. Larsen was the visionary chemist and primary founder of the Rocket Chemical Company, which later became WD-40 Company. Working out of a rudimentary lab in post-WWII San Diego, Larsen was tasked with developing a rust-preventative solvent for the Convair Corporation's Atlas missile program, a project that was critical to the United States' Cold War defense strategy. After 39 catastrophic failures that nearly bankrupted the startup, Larsen finalized the 40th formula on September 23, 1953, creating the iconic WD-40 solution that perfectly met Convair's exacting specifications. His most critical strategic decision, made in the early 1960s, was to keep the formula a closely guarded trade secret rather than patenting it, a move that avoided the 20-year expiration clause of patents and created a perpetual monopoly on the chemical composition, a decision that remains the foundation of the company's $2.8 billion market capitalization and 80% market share in the penetrating oil category. Although Larsen eventually sold his controlling interest to John George and Sam Crivello to focus on other ventures, his chemical genius and insistence on trade secret protection remain the foundation of the company's success, a testament to the enduring power of a simple, effective solution to a universal problem and the strategic brilliance of protecting that solution as a trade secret rather than subjecting it to the limitations of the patent system. The legacy of Norm Larsen lives on in every can of WD-40 sold around the world, a legacy of resilience, innovation, and strategic brilliance that has allowed the company to thrive for over seven decades.