Gougeon Brothers

What Gougeon Brothers does

Gougeon Brothers, Inc. is a Bay City, Michigan-based manufacturer of specialty two-part epoxy systems founded in 1969 by brothers Meade, Joel, and Jan Gougeon. The company operates four branded product lines: WEST SYSTEM (marine epoxy for boat building and repair, sold through marine chandleries and hardware stores globally); PRO-SET (laminating, infusion, high-temp, tooling, assembly, and clear coating epoxies for OEM composites manufacturers in marine, automotive, and aerospace); Entropy Resins (biobased epoxies with proprietary Super Sap technology, USDA Certified Biobased Products targeting board sports and artisan markets); and PRO-VAC (vacuum bag consumables for advanced composites manufacturing). All epoxy products are formulated and manufactured in-house at the company's ISO 9001:2015-registered plant on the Saginaw River, with rigorous batch-level quality control including Peak Exothermic Temperature, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, and viscosity analysis. The company also publishes Epoxyworks magazine (100,000+ subscribers) and offers custom formulating and testing services through in-house chemists and technical advisors holding degrees in chemistry, composites, and engineering. Gougeon Brothers was an employee-owned company under an ESOP established in 1983 until its May 2025 acquisition by Pro-Set Formulated Resin Systems LLC, a holding company of Iron Path Capital, with Pro-Set subsequently acquiring UK-based Wessex Resins and Adhesives Ltd. in December 2025 to consolidate composite resins and adhesives business across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia.

Name

Gougeon Brothers

Legal name

Gougeon Brothers, Inc.

Website

https://gougeon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bay City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Epoxy Product Sales: Manufacture and sale of branded epoxy systems (WEST SYSTEM, PRO-SET, Entropy Resins) and associated products (G/flex, Six10, PRO-VAC vacuum consumables). Revenue from direct product sales to boat builders, repair yards, OEMs, and end consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gougeon Brothers formulates and manufactures specialty two-part epoxy systems under multiple brands (WEST SYSTEM for boat building and repair, PRO-SET for OEM composite manufacturing, and Entropy Resins with Super Sap biobased technology for board sports and artisan markets). The company also distributes PRO-VAC vacuum bag consumables, publishes Epoxyworks magazine, and offers in-house custom formulating and testing services from its ISO 9001:2015 registered plant in Bay City, Michigan.

Product overview

Gougeon Brothers, Inc. is a manufacturer of specialty epoxy products organized as a multi-brand portfolio. The company produces four distinct epoxy brands: WEST SYSTEM (consumer marine epoxy for boat building and repair), PRO-SET (OEM industrial epoxy for composites manufacturers in marine, auto, and aerospace industries), Entropy Resins (biobased epoxy with Super Sap technology for board sports and artisan markets), and PRO-VAC (vacuum bag consumables for composite manufacturing). Additionally, the company publishes Epoxyworks magazine and offers specialty epoxy products like G/flex Toughened Epoxies and Six10 Thickened Epoxy Adhesive as add-on modules compatible with the WEST SYSTEM brand. All products are manufactured at the Bay City, Michigan plant and the company is ISO 9001:2015 registered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WEST SYSTEM: Two-part (resin and hardener) epoxy systems developed for use in boat building and boat repair. Products include WEST SYSTEM 105 Resin with 205 Fast, 206 Slow, 207 Special Clear, and 209 Extra Slow Hardener combinations. Readily available at marine retailers and hardware stores worldwide.
• PRO-SET
• Entropy Resins
• PRO-VAC
• Epoxyworks

Products and services

• WEST SYSTEM Epoxy Two-part (resin and hardener) marine epoxy systems developed for boat building and repair. Formulated to maximize physical properties and ease of use. Includes 105 Resin and 205 Fast, 206 Slow, 207 Special Clear, and 209 Extra Slow Hardener combinations, easily tailored with fillers, additives, and pigments. Available at marine retailers and hardware stores worldwide.
• PRO-SET Epoxy OEM brand of laminating, infusion, high-temp, tooling, assembly, and clear coating epoxies for creating strong, lightweight composites. Standard formulations allow selection of resin by viscosity and hardener by speed, with uniform 3:1 mix ratios for in-shop custom blends. Manufactured at Bay City, Michigan plant.
• Entropy Resins with Super Sap Technology Biobased epoxy brand featuring Super Sap technology that replaces petrochemicals with renewable, biobased materials. Offers laminating, casting, and compression molding epoxies for woodworkers, artists, and board sports equipment makers.
• WEST SYSTEM G/flex Toughened Epoxy Rubber toughened epoxy that bonds tenaciously with plastics, aluminum, and hardwoods, and resists stress from expansion, contraction, shock, and vibration. Available in cartridge and syringe formats.
• WEST SYSTEM Six10 Thickened Epoxy Adhesive Thickened two-part epoxy packaged in a chambered, self-metering cartridge that dispenses with a standard caulking gun, combining convenience with the strength of WEST SYSTEM epoxy.
• PRO-VAC Vacuum Bag Consumables Vacuum bag consumables for technically advanced composites manufacturers, covering low-temperature wet lay-up and infusion through autoclave curing. Products include vacuum bag films, release fabrics, release films, release and sealant tapes, breather fabrics, infusion mesh, and resin and vacuum distribution hoses and fittings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Laminated wood specimens were so strong they broke NASA's test machine
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wessex Resins and Adhesives Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025Wessex Resins and Adhesives was a family-run UK manufacturer and long-standing licensing partner for Gougeon Brothers in Europe. Acquired by Pro-Set in December 2025, uniting the two entities under single ownership to consolidate composite resins and adhesives business across Europe, Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia.
• USA Bobsled TeamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The USA Bobsled Team used WEST SYSTEM 105 Resin with 205 Fast Hardener for sled repairs throughout their 2020 season, completing repairs sometimes in hotel lobbies before competitions.
• NASAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1978In 1978, GBI manufactured laminated wood specimens for use in NASA's Wind Energy Project Office. Tests were performed to determine the strength of an epoxy bond between a threaded steel rod and laminated wood specimen. The GBI specimens were so strong they actually broke NASA's test machine.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• System Three Resins: Specialty manufacturer of marine and woodworking epoxies, including the RotFix, Clear Coat, and SilverTip product lines. Directly comparable to Gougeon Brothers as a competing branded epoxy formulator serving boat builders and composite manufacturers.
• MAS Epoxies: Manufacturer of low-viscosity marine epoxies, tabletop/coating resins, and specialty adhesives for woodworking and composites. Closely comparable product portfolio to Gougeon's WEST SYSTEM and Entropy lines.
• TotalBoat: Marine-focused coatings, epoxies, and finishes brand sold through Jamestown Distributors and direct to consumers. Directly competes with WEST SYSTEM in the recreational marine repair and boat building segment.

Broad incumbents

• Sika AG: Global specialty chemicals company with significant marine, construction, and industrial adhesives/sealants portfolios. Comparable as a much larger incumbent producing structural adhesives and composites resins for marine and industrial OEMs.
• Henkel (Loctite): Global adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings leader with Loctite brand serving industrial, automotive, and aerospace OEMs. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the structural and specialty adhesives market where PRO-SET competes.
• 3M: Diversified industrial conglomerate with extensive adhesives, composites, and marine/marine maintenance offerings. Comparable as a large incumbent competing for OEM and aftermarket structural bonding business.
• Hexion: Specialty resins and adhesives producer with epoxy, formaldehyde, and forest-product resins businesses. Comparable as a broad incumbent in epoxy resin systems serving composites and industrial customers.
• Eastman Chemical Company: Global specialty materials producer with adhesives, plastics, and chemical intermediates used in composites and coatings. Comparable as a large incumbent supplying resin chemistries into the same downstream composites and marine markets.

Emerging players

• Ecopoxy: Biobased epoxy coatings and casting resins brand focused on eco-friendly formulations for woodworking, art, and DIY. Comparable to Gougeon's Entropy Resins line as a biobased/sustainability-led competitor in board sports and artisan segments.

Regional players

• Resoltech: French-based manufacturer of high-performance epoxy and polyurethane resins for marine, aerospace, and industrial composite applications. Comparable to PRO-SET as a specialized composites resins supplier, though focused primarily on European OEM accounts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Gougeon Brothers