WD-40 is a silicon-free lubricant, which also has properties of cleaning, penetrating and preventing rust. It’s blue and yellow aerosols are an iconic piece of design, and can be found in workshops all over the world
WD-40 was invented by the Rocket Chemical Company in San Diego in 1953 by Norm Larsen. The company aimed to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry. It took Norm and his team 40 attempts to discover the right formula for water displacement – hence the name WD-40.
By 1960 the company employed seven staff that sold cases of WD-40 to hardware and sporting goods stores in the San Diego area. However, when Hurricane Carla swept the US Gulf Coast in 1961, WD-40 was used to recondition flood and rain damaged equipment and consequently demand increased significantly.
In 1969 the company was renamed WD-40. The company began public trading in 1973 and by 1993 was listed among the top ten most profitable companies on the NASDAQ exchange.
Today, the WD-40 company owns a number of additional brands, including 3-In-One oil, Solvol and Global Household Brands, as well as wholly acquiring the Heartland Corporation in 2002.
The WD-40 company now employs over 220 employees worldwide with annual sales of over $286.9 million. Its UK headquarters is in Milton Keynes.