Trico
Trico Corporation, founded 1917 and based in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, is a privately held lubrication management and contamination-control provider serving industrial and heavy-process customers with hardware, sensors, oil-analysis services, and digital reliability platforms distributed globally via authorized resellers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1917
- HeadquartersPewaukee, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Trico does
Trico Corporation, founded in 1917 and headquartered at 1235 Hickory Street, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, is a privately held industrial company that designs, manufactures, and distributes lubrication management and contamination control products. The company serves industrial and heavy-process customers across eight named verticals — Pulp & Paper, Power Generation, Refining, Chemical Processing, Waste/Wastewater Treatment, Mining, Food & Beverage, and General Manufacturing — addressing a problem set in which contamination is cited as a contributor to up to 75% of hydraulic failures and 82% of wear-related failures.
The product portfolio is organized around a "Journey of the Lubricant" framework spanning arrival, storage, transfer, application, and lifecycle stages. Core hardware includes the four-tier Spectrum Bulk Oil Storage System family (Essential, Performance, Intelligent, and Performance Plus), Opto-Matic and Sensei Enabled Closed-System Constant Level Oilers, patented Watchdog Desiccant Breathers, wall-mount and portable filtration carts, and Machine Vitals multi-sensor condition monitors. Underlying technical differentiators include Dual-Phase Microglass Filtration at β2000+ efficiency, kidney-loop recirculation architectures, and a patented knit-polyester desiccant breather media. The digital layer comprises the Sensei Web Platform for remote condition monitoring, the Orbital oil-analysis dashboard, and the Trico mobile companion app.
Trico monetizes through five streams: hardware sales (constant level oilers, breathers, bulk storage, filtration systems), lab-based oil analysis services (used oil, turbine, wear particle, coolant, transformer), recurring subscriptions to Sensei and Orbital, on-site field services (lubrication management assessments and lube room design/implementation), and training programs. Distribution is exclusively through a global authorized distributor network rather than direct-to-end-user sales; lead capture and demand generation run through content marketing (Lubricology blog, YouTube, email newsletter) feeding distributor-sourced quotes. Customer concentration is dispersed across multiple verticals with no publicly disclosed named end customers.
Trico firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trico
- Legal name
- Trico Corporation
- Website
- https://tricocorp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1917
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Trico Corporation, founded 1917 and based in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, is a privately held lubrication management and contamination-control provider serving industrial and heavy-process customers with hardware, sensors, oil-analysis services, and digital reliability platforms distributed globally via authorized resellers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trico industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Lubrication Management Equipment
- NAICS
- Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Filtration, Condition Monitoring & Fluid Management (Filters, Breathers, Oil Analysis, Cooling) (IMAHAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Maintenance Lubrication & Oil Handling Equipment (Greasing, Dispensing, Used Oil) (IMAHALAJ), Lubrication, Oil Analysis & Tribology Services (EUAEAKAI)
Keywords
Where Trico is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pewaukee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Trico business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Lubrication Hardware Products: Sale of physical lubrication management products including constant level oilers, desiccant breathers, bulk oil storage systems, filtration systems, grease lubrication equipment, and visual inspection tools. Products sold through distributor network globally.
- Oil Analysis Services: Laboratory-based used oil analysis, wear particle analysis, turbine & large reservoir analysis, transformer oil analysis, and onsite sampling services. Supports contamination control and equipment reliability decisions.
- Digital Solutions Subscriptions: Software-as-a-service offerings including Sensei Web Platform for remote monitoring, Orbital dashboard for oil analysis, and Trico mobile app. Digital platforms integrate with hardware products for continuous monitoring.
- Training Services: Professional training services including advanced machine condition analysis, machinery & lubrication training, and customized private training programs.
- Field Services: On-site services including lubrication management assessment, lube room design & implementation, and sample point identification surveys.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Trico product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trico manufactures and sells industrial lubrication management hardware—including Spectrum Bulk Oil Storage Systems, Opto-Matic constant level oilers, Watchdog desiccant breathers, and wall-mount and portable filtration systems—paired with digital monitoring platforms (Sensei, Orbital, Trico App) and supporting services (oil analysis, field services, training) to help industrial customers control lubricant contamination and extend equipment life.
Product overview
Trico Corporation is a lubrication management solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of industrial products and services. The core product line centers on the Spectrum Bulk Oil Storage System family (including Essential, Performance, Intelligent, and Performance Plus variants) that provides controlled lubricant storage and dispensing. Supporting products include Opto-Matic and Watchdog constant level oilers, Watchdog Desiccant Breathers, and various filtration systems (wall-mount and portable filter carts). The digital platform layer includes Sensei for predictive equipment reliability and Orbital for oil analysis management, with Machine Vitals sensors providing continuous condition monitoring. Services include oil analysis, field services, and training. The portfolio operates as a unified ecosystem where physical lubrication products (storage, application, filtration) integrate with digital monitoring platforms (Sensei, Orbital) for data-driven reliability decisions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sensei: Digital platform enabling proactive, data-driven equipment reliability decisions through condition monitoring and oil analysis.
- Orbital
- Trico App
- Spectrum
Products and services
- Spectrum Bulk Oil Storage System
- Opto-Matic Closed-System Oiler
- Sensei Enabled Closed-System Oiler
- Watchdog Desiccant Breathers
- Sensei Platform
- Orbital
- Trico Mobile App
- Machine Vitals
- Wall-Mount Filtration System
- Portable Filter Cart (Model 36970)
- Oil Analysis Services
- Field Services
- Training Services
Quantifiable outcome
- β2000+ filtration efficiency (only 1 in ~2,000 particles gets through at rated size)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Trico
Customer profileSegments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Trico technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature8 records
Trico partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Trico competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pall Corporation: Pall is a global leader in industrial filtration and fluid clarification, directly comparable to Trico's filtration carts, wall-mount filtration, and kidney-loop recirculation product families serving similar heavy industrial customers.
- Donaldson Company: Donaldson manufactures industrial filtration systems including hydraulic and lube oil filtration, directly comparable to Trico's Dual-Phase Microglass Filtration and bulk oil storage offerings in similar industrial verticals.
- Oilgear: Oilgear manufactures hydraulic and lubrication systems and dispensing equipment for industrial machinery, overlapping with Trico's constant level oilers, grease lubrication, and bulk storage product lines.
- Des-Case: Des-Case is a direct competitor in industrial lubricant contamination control, offering desiccant breathers, oil analysis, and filtration systems — closely overlapping Trico's Watchdog Breathers and oil analysis product lines.
- C.C. Jensen: C.C. Jensen specializes in offline oil filtration and condition monitoring for industrial lubricants, directly comparable to Trico's kidney-loop filtration and Machine Vitals sensor offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Schaeffler Group: Schaeffler (including FAG and INA brands) provides bearings, condition monitoring (FAG SmartCheck), and lubrication solutions. It overlaps with Trico in predictive maintenance and lubrication for industrial machinery, though within a much larger industrial portfolio.
- Hydac: Hydac is a major hydraulics, filtration, and condition monitoring supplier with broad industrial reach. Its offline filtration and condition monitoring offerings are broadly comparable to Trico's contamination control and Sensei platform.
- SKF: SKF is a global bearings and rotating equipment leader that has expanded into lubrication systems and condition monitoring (SKF Insight, Lincoln lubrication). It competes with Trico for condition monitoring and centralized lubrication budgets, though as part of a much broader portfolio.
Emerging players
- Tan Delta (OilView): Tan Delta offers real-time oil condition sensors and analytics for industrial machinery. It is an emerging direct competitor to Trico's Machine Vitals condition monitoring product line.
- Buehler (ITW): Buehler provides metallographic and used oil analysis instrumentation and consumables. It overlaps with Trico's oil analysis lab services and lab instrumentation category for industrial reliability testing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Trico social profiles
Digital presenceTrico financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trico leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Trico funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trico M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trico
What does Trico do?
Trico manufactures and sells industrial lubrication management hardware—including Spectrum Bulk Oil Storage Systems, Opto-Matic constant level oilers, Watchdog desiccant breathers, and wall-mount and portable filtration systems—paired with digital monitoring platforms (Sensei, Orbital, Trico App) and supporting services (oil analysis, field services, training) to help industrial customers control lubricant contamination and extend equipment life.
Is Trico a public or private company?
Trico is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Trico founded?
Trico was founded in 1917. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Trico based?
Trico is headquartered in Pewaukee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Trico make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Lubrication Hardware Products are the primary driver. The others are oil Analysis Services, digital Solutions Subscriptions, training Services and field Services.
Who are Trico's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pall Corporation, Donaldson Company, Oilgear, Des-Case and C.C. Jensen. Broad incumbents are Schaeffler Group, Hydac and SKF. Emerging players are Tan Delta (OilView) and Buehler (ITW).
Does Trico have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trico.
What industry is Trico in?
Trico's product category is Industrial Lubrication Management Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAGAL, Filtration, Condition Monitoring & Fluid Management (Filters, Breathers, Oil Analysis, Cooling), with a secondary code of IMAHALAJ, Maintenance Lubrication & Oil Handling Equipment (Greasing, Dispensing, Used Oil). Its NAICS code is 334513 and its SIC code is 3823.