GARDCO

What GARDCO does

GARDCO, formally The Paul N. Gardner Company, is a privately held US distributor and OEM of physical properties quality control and inspection equipment founded in 1936. The company sells more than 2,300 SKUs across roughly 26-28 product categories — including rotational and dip viscometers (byko-visc CP, Zahn EZ cups), coating thickness gauges (PosiTector 6000, Calling Card wet film gauges), adhesion testers (Cross Hatch PAT 2000), density cups, Taber and Gardner-scrub abrasion testers, gloss/haze meters, gel timers, drying time recorders, moisture meters, pH/conductivity instruments, and laboratory supplies — as well as distributing complementary product lines from 11 partner brands such as BYK-Gardner, DeFelsko, TQC Sheen, Rhopoint, Fischer, Leneta, TABER Industries, VMA-GETZMANN, and AMETEK Brookfield. Its instrument portfolio spans prices from roughly $17 for simple gauges to more than $15,000 for advanced analyzers, with most industrial instruments priced between $200 and $15,000, and is built on standards-compliant measurement principles (ASTM, ISO, DIN) with NIST/PTB-traceable calibration certificates.

GARDCO serves 15 end markets — including paints and coatings, inks and printing, plastics, adhesives, powder coatings, protective coatings, automotive, construction, transportation, pharmaceuticals, food and packaging, cosmetics, corrosion, window and door, and liquids — with primary use cases centered on quality control laboratories and R&D facilities that require compliant, repeatable measurements. The company operates a direct-to-consumer model through its gardco.com e-commerce storefront, a telephone/email sales desk at its Columbia, Maryland headquarters, and a country-specific international contact directory; it does not appear to use third-party resellers. Recent moves include a December 2024 e-commerce platform rebuild, an eight-language public website, WCS 2025 trade show participation, and 2024 launches of the iMix M2M Pro gyroscopic mixer and iShake Pro vibrational case shaker, both featuring an intelligent Service App.

Revenue is generated from three streams: hardware and consumables sales (the dominant stream), ISO/IEC 17025:2017-accredited laboratory calibration and service contracts, and ancillary services such as preventative maintenance and instrument repair. The company's email domain (altana.com) suggests affiliation with Germany's Altana group, though no formal parent-subsidiary relationship is publicly disclosed. The company holds ISO/IEC 17025:2017 calibration accreditation from the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board and operates under ISO 9001 quality management requirements, providing a regulatory and standards-compliance backbone to its recurring service revenue. No AI/ML capabilities, public API, or SDK offerings are disclosed.

Name

GARDCO

Legal name

Paul N. Gardner Company

Website

https://gardco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GARDCO (Paul N. Gardner Company) is a US-based specialty distributor and OEM of physical properties testing instruments for paints, coatings, inks, plastics, and related materials, serving 15 industries globally since 1936.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Physical Properties Testing Instruments (Paint & Coatings QC)

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Test, Measurement & Lab Equipment Retail (CRACAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Packaging Quality Control & Leak/Seal Testing (AFAFAJAM)

Keywords

• Coating testing instruments
• Viscosity measurement equipment
• Coating thickness gauges
• Adhesion testing kits
• Physical properties QC equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Pompano Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Instrument Sales: Sale of testing and measurement instruments including viscometers, coating thickness gages, adhesion testers, abrasion testers, gloss meters, and related equipment. Products range from simple hand tools ($17) to complex instruments ($15,000+).
2. Laboratory Calibration and Service: ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited calibration services in length/dimensional, mass/mechanical, photometry/radiometry, and thermodynamic/thermal areas. Includes preventative maintenance, instrument certification, and repair services.
3. Accessories and Consumables: Sale of accessories, spare parts, calibration standards, and consumables such as viscosity oils, certification services, and blade sets for adhesion testers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GARDCO (The Paul N. Gardner Company) manufactures, distributes, and services physical properties testing and inspection instruments for paints, coatings, inks, plastics, chemicals, powders, paper, packaging, and food industries. The catalog includes viscometers, coating thickness gauges, adhesion testers, abrasion testers, gloss and haze meters, density cups, gel timers, drying time recorders, and laboratory supplies, sold alongside third-party brands such as BYK-Gardner, DeFelsko, TQC Sheen, Rhopoint, Fischer, Leneta, TABER, VMA-GETZMANN, and AMETEK Brookfield. The company also operates an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited calibration laboratory providing instrument certification, preventive maintenance, and repair services.

Product overview

GARDCO (The Paul N. Gardner Company) is a comprehensive provider of physical properties quality control and inspection/testing equipment for paints, coatings, inks, plastics, chemicals, powders, paper, packaging, food, and related industries since 1936. The company offers over 2,300 instruments across 26 product categories including viscometers (byko-visc CP, Zahn EZ Viscosity Cups), coating thickness gauges (PosiTector 6000, Calling Card Wet Film Gauges), adhesion testers (Cross Hatch Kit PAT 2000), density measurement (Weight Per Gallon Cups), abrasion testers (Gardner-scrub, Taber Abrasers), temperature measurement instruments (Pt100 Thermometers, DataPaq/ CurveX Data Loggers), gloss/haze meters (PosiTector GLS), moisture meters, gel timers, drying time recorders, and laboratory supplies. GARDCO also distributes products from partner brands including BYK-Gardner, DeFelsko, TQC Sheen, Rhopoint, Fischer, Leneta, TABER Industries, VMA-GETZMANN, and AMETEK Brookfield. The company provides ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration services and maintains an extensive Knowledge Library for technical education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• byko-visc CP Cone and Plate Viscometer Cone and Plate Viscometer for precise determination of absolute viscosity using minimal sample sizes (<2 mL). Features built-in temperature control (5-75°C), variable shear rates (10-13,300 1/sec), broad viscosity range (15-1.5 Mio. cP), direct drive motor, electronic cone lift, and color touch display. CE/UL/CSA approved.
• PosiTector 6000 Coating Thickness Gauge Electronic paint thickness gauge using magnetic and eddy current principles to measure dry film coating thickness on ferrous and non-ferrous metal substrates. Multiple probe options available with measurement ranges from 0-60 mils to 0-1.5 inches. Includes Certificate of Calibration with NIST or PTB traceability. Conforms to ISO 2178/2360/2808, ISO 19840, ASTM B244/B499/D1186/D1400/D7091/E376/G12, BS3900-C5, and SSPC-PA2.
• Zahn EZ Viscosity Cup Stainless steel dip viscosity cup for measuring kinematic viscosity of liquids. Available in 5 cup sizes covering ranges from 10-36 to 161-1401 Centistokes. Compliant with ASTM D4212 and ISO/IEC 17025 calibration standards.
• Calling Card Wet Film Thickness Gauge Aluminum dual-side wet film thickness gauge with mil and micron scales (1-80 mil / 25-2032 μm). Measures wet film thickness of paints, lacquers, enamels, and adhesives. Complies with ANSI/NCSL Z540-1 when ordered with certification. Customizable with logos in up to five colors.
• Weight Per Gallon Density Cup Stainless steel density cup for determining weight per gallon, specific gravity, and density of paints, lacquers, pastes, and other liquid materials. Conforms to ASTM D1475 and ISO 2811 standards. Qualifies under ANSI/NCSL Z540-1 when ordered with certification.
• Cross Hatch Paint Adhesion Test Kit (PAT 2000) Visual adhesion test kit for evaluating coating adhesion by cross-hatch method. Compliant with ASTM D3359 Method B and DIN 53151. Includes ergonomic handle design for right and left-handed users.
• iMix M2M Pro Gyroscopic Mixer Gyroscopic mixer designed to optimize workflow with an industry-first intelligent Service App. Provides optimized mixing repeatability for paint and coating samples. Available as special limited time summer sale.
• iShake Pro Vibrational Case Shaker Vibrational case shaker that automatically recognizes container size and selects optimal speed, time, and clamping pressure. Features intelligent Service App for workflow optimization. Available as special limited time summer sale.
• Gardner-scrub Washability Abrasion Tester Washability scrub tester for evaluating coating abrasion and scrub resistance. Available in ASTM D2486 and ISO 11998 compliant versions. Multiple sizes including 10-inch and 16-inch single cycle configurations.
• Taber Abrasers and Wear Testers Complete line of abrasion testing equipment from TABER Industries including Taber 1700 Single Abrasion Tester, Taber 1750 Dual Abrasion Tester, Taber Linear Abraser 5770, Taber Reciprocating Abraser 5900, and Taber Crock Meter for rub and color transfer testing.
• Temperature Measurement Instruments Temperature measurement products including Pt100 Precision Digital Thermometers, Spirit Thermometers, DataPaq Oven Tracker data loggers, CurveX 4 Oven Temperature Data Logger, and EasyTrack Profiling Systems (4 and 6 channel).
• Gloss and Haze Meters Optical measurement instruments for surface appearance evaluation including PosiTector GLS Gloss Meters (20/60/85° configurations) for measuring gloss, sheen, and haze on painted surfaces.
• Moisture Meters Moisture measurement instruments including Tramex MEX5 Moisture Meter and Delmhorst JX-20 Moisture Meter for various industrial applications.
• Laboratory Supplies General laboratory equipment and supplies including Vortex Mixers, Overhead Stirrers (Achiever 5000 series), Optical Micrometers, Dual Magnification Stereo Microscopes, Spatulas, and Stainless Steel Trays.
• pH, Conductivity and Refractometers Liquid property measurement instruments including Exstik EC500 Cond/pH/TDS Meter for measuring pH, conductivity, and total dissolved solids.
• Holiday Detectors Coating continuity testers for detecting pores and holidays in protective coatings applied to metal substrates.
• Drying Time Recorders Instrumentation for measuring and recording coating drying time including Quadracycle Drying Time Recorder and Ultracycle RHT Drying Time Recorder for all types of coatings.
• Gel Timers Gardner Gel Timers (Standard and Hot Pot certified versions) for determining gel point and cure behavior of coating materials.
• Instrument Calibration and Service ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited calibration laboratory and ISO 9001 compliant service department offering preventative maintenance, calibration, certification, and repair for GARDCO and partner-brand instruments. Covers Length/Dimensional, Mass & Mass Related/Mechanical, Photometry & Radiometry/Optical, and Thermodynamic/Thermal measurement services.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Anton Paar: Austrian manufacturer of rheology, viscosity, and density measurement instruments; competes with GARDCO's viscometer and density cup lines and serves the same paint, coatings, and specialty chemicals customers.
• DeFelsko: Specializes in coating thickness, surface profile, and climate measurement instruments — the PosiTector 6000 line that GARDCO distributes is actually a DeFelsko product, making it a closely aligned competitor and partner.
• TABER Industries: AMETEK-owned manufacturer of abrasion and wear testers including the Taber Abraser line that GARDCO distributes; competes in abrasion/washability testing alongside the Gardner-scrub product family.
• ElektroPhysik: German manufacturer of coating thickness measurement instruments and eddy-current/magnetic gauges — directly comparable to GARDCO's thickness-gauge offerings, especially in European industrial markets.
• Elcometer: UK-based manufacturer of coating thickness gauges, adhesion testers, surface profile instruments, and inspection equipment — directly comparable product line to GARDCO's PosiTector 6000, PAT 2000, and Calling Card gauge.
• BYK-Gardner: Sister company under the same Altana parent (per gardco.com's altana.com email domain), manufacturing color, appearance, and physical-properties test instruments for paints and coatings. Highly overlapping catalog makes BYK-Gardner both a peer and a distribution partner for GARDCO.
• Rhopoint Instruments: UK-based manufacturer of gloss, haze, and appearance measurement instruments — competes with GARDCO's PosiTector GLS line while also being distributed through GARDCO's brand portfolio.
• TQC Sheen: Netherlands-based manufacturer of paint testing instruments including viscometers, washability testers, and drying-time recorders; distributes alongside GARDCO and competes in overlapping categories such as viscosity and abrasion testing.
• AMETEK Brookfield: Viscosity and rheology instrumentation leader under AMETEK; competes directly with byko-visc and Zahn cup product lines and is simultaneously a distribution partner carried on GARDCO's catalog.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Diversified analytical instruments giant with material characterization and QC solutions spanning paints, chemicals, and life sciences; broader portfolio and global service network make it a recurring incumbent competitor for enterprise accounts GARDCO also serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/paulgardnerco
• YouTubeyoutube.com/Gardco1
• Facebookfacebook.com/paulgardnercompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paul-n-gardner-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/paulngardnercompany

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GARDCO