HOST
HOST is a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of proprietary dry extraction carpet and floor cleaning equipment and consumables, serving education, healthcare, hospitality, government, food service, and building service contractors through distributors, rental partners, professional cleaners, and direct website sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersRacine, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What HOST does
HOST (operated by Racine International, LLC) is a Racine, Wisconsin-based manufacturer and supplier of carpet and floor cleaning equipment, founded in 1938 when Rench and the Bigelow Sanford Co. patented "Powder-ene," the first dry carpet cleaning powder. The company's core technology, the HOST Dry Extraction Cleaning System, replaces water, steam, and shampoo with a proprietary absorbent powder that is brushed into the carpet to capture soil and then vacuumed out, eliminating drying time and enabling immediate return to service. HOST sells a portfolio of proprietary machines (Liberator, Freestyle, Reliant, BrushLite, Applicator, Esprit, Aridex) along with branded consumables including HOST Dry Extraction Cleaner, HOST SJ, Spot Remover, PREP Pre-Clean, Odor Exploder, the Carpet Spot Removal Kit, and the spotZAPPER 2-in-1 Brush, plus replacement parts and accessories. Documented functional outcomes include 78% dust mite reduction, 75% dust mite allergen reduction, 85% cat allergen reduction, and 85% mold spore reduction from a single HOST cleaning.
HOST makes money through three streams: (1) equipment sales through distributors and direct website, (2) consumable product sales that create ongoing repurchase tied to installed machines, and (3) parts and accessories (brushes, filters, organizers, hose kits). Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed, with sales routed through a multi-tier channel including a nationwide distributor network, regional rental partners, professional cleaning service companies, and a direct e-commerce storefront at hostdry.com. The customer base is distributed across multiple verticals: Education (K-12 and universities), Healthcare, Hospitality (hotels and resorts), Government & Municipalities, Food Service, Building Service Contractors, Businesses & Retail, and Resorts & Casinos. HOST's competitive positioning rests on Green Seal certification, USDA BioPreferred designation (EPA Establishment Number 074202-WI-001), LEED credit eligibility, and the HOST School training program, which has certified over 22,750 industry professionals since 1978. The company is private, an LLC, with 101–250 employees and no disclosed investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity.
HOST firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HOST
- Legal name
- Racine International, LLC
- Website
- https://hostdry.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- HOST is a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of proprietary dry extraction carpet and floor cleaning equipment and consumables, serving education, healthcare, hospitality, government, food service, and building service contractors through distributors, rental partners, professional cleaners, and direct website sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HOST industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Cleaning Equipment and Consumables
- NAICS
- Polish and Other Sanitation Good Manufacturing (325612), Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing (3256)
- SIC
- Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Deep Carpet, Rug & Upholstery Cleaning (HSAEABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Green Carpet, Rug & Upholstery Cleaning (Low-tox/Plant-based) (HSAEAGAH), Carpet & Upholstery Stain & Odor Removal (Pet/Smoke/Mold) (HSAEAIAE)
Keywords
Where HOST is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Racine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
HOST business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Equipment Sales: Sale of proprietary cleaning machines (Liberator, Freestyle, Reliant, BrushLite, Applicator, Esprit, Aridex). Machines are sold directly through distributors and via the company website.
- Cleaning Product Sales: Sale of HOST branded cleaning products including Dry Extraction Cleaner, HOST SJ, Spot Remover, PREP Pre-Clean, Odor Exploder, Carpet Spot Removal Kit, spotZAPPER brush, and spotting brushes. Products are sold in various sizes from small jars to 30 lb buckets.
- Parts & Accessories: Sale of replacement parts including brushes, filters, organizers, tools, and hose kits for HOST equipment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Equipment and products sold via distributor network |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
HOST product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HOST manufactures and supplies proprietary dry extraction carpet and floor cleaning equipment and consumable cleaning products. Its system uses absorbent powder instead of water, steam, or shampoo, applied with HOST-branded machines (commercial Liberator, residential Freestyle, multi-surface Reliant, BrushLite, Applicator, upholstery Esprit and Aridex) and Green Seal Certified cleaning compounds (HOST Dry Extraction Cleaner, HOST SJ, Spot Remover, PREP Pre-Clean, Odor Exploder).
Product overview
HOST is a dry extraction cleaning system company offering a comprehensive portfolio of equipment and cleaning products. The core offering consists of HOST Dry Extraction Cleaner and HOST SJ (the main dry cleaning powders) used in conjunction with specialized equipment machines including the Liberator (commercial), Freestyle (residential), Reliant, BrushLite, Applicator, Esprit (upholstery), and Aridex (compact upholstery). The system is supplemented by add-on cleaning products like Spot Remover, PREP Pre-Clean, Odor Exploder, and a Carpet Spot Removal Kit, plus accessories such as the spotZAPPER 2-in-1 Brush and Spotting Brushes. All core cleaning products are Green Seal Certified, providing an environmentally preferred alternative to traditional water-based carpet cleaning methods.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Liberator: Commercial cleaning machine
- Freestyle
- Reliant
- Esprit
- Aridex
- BrushLite
- Applicator
- HOST SJ
- HOST Spot Remover
- HOST PREP
- HOST Odor Exploder
- spotZAPPER
Products and services
- Liberator Commercial-grade carpet cleaning machine designed for heavy-duty use in commercial settings.
- Freestyle Residential cleaning machine designed for home use with convenient stair-cleaning capability.
- Reliant Versatile cleaning machine suitable for various cleaning applications.
- BrushLite Lightweight brush attachment for targeted cleaning applications.
- Applicator Application tool for distributing cleaning products evenly across surfaces.
- Esprit Upholstery cleaning system designed for furniture and fabric care.
- Aridex Compact upholstery cleaning system for smaller cleaning tasks.
- HOST Dry Extraction Cleaner Green Seal Certified dry extraction cleaning powder that absorbs soil and holds it until vacuumed, providing a water-free cleaning alternative for carpets.
- HOST SJ Specialized dry extraction cleaning formula designed for use with HOST machines, validated to reduce allergens including dust mites by 78% and mold spores.
- HOST Spot Remover Targeted spot removal solution for treating specific stains and spills on carpets and upholstery.
- HOST PREP Pre-Clean Pre-clean treatment applied before the main dry extraction process to loosen heavily soiled areas.
- HOST Odor Exploder Odor elimination product designed to neutralize and remove unwanted smells from carpets and fabrics.
- HOST Carpet Spot Removal Kit Complete kit containing tools and products for spot removal from carpets.
- HOST spotZAPPER 2-in-1 Brush Dual-purpose brushing tool combining spot treatment and brushing action for effective stain removal.
- Spotting Brush (Carton of 12) Carton of 12 professional-grade spotting brushes for targeted stain treatment.
- HOST Parts and Accessories Replacement parts including brushes, filters, organizers, tools, and hose kits for HOST equipment.
Quantifiable outcome
- One cleaning with HOST System using HOST machines reduces dust mites by 78%, dust mite allergen by 75%, cat allergen by 85%, and mold spores by 85%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use HOST
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles8 records
HOST technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
HOST partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Green SealcoreHOST products are Green Seal Certified, meeting high environmental standards for safer chemicals, responsible sourcing, manufacturing sustainability, and sustainable packaging. Green Seal is a global nonprofit that certifies products and services meeting rigorous environmental standards.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HOST competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tennant Company: Tennant is a leading manufacturer of industrial and commercial cleaning equipment and coatings. It overlaps with HOST in commercial floor-care equipment but addresses a much broader portfolio (riders, scrubbers, sweepers) rather than specializing in dry carpet extraction.
- Nilfisk: Nilfisk is a global manufacturer of professional cleaning equipment including vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbers, and carpet extractors. It competes with HOST in commercial carpet-care machinery but at much larger scale and with a broader product portfolio.
- Kärcher: Kärcher is a global leader in cleaning technology with a wide range of commercial and consumer cleaning machines, including carpet cleaners. It competes with HOST across multiple cleaning categories and dwarfs HOST in scale, geographic reach, and R&D investment.
Direct peers
- Rug Doctor: Rug Doctor manufactures and rents carpet cleaning machines directly to consumers and professionals. It is the most direct comparable to HOST in business model (equipment + cleaning solutions + rental channel), though it leans more consumer/retail than HOST's B2B/institutional focus.
- Bissell Commercial: Bissell's commercial division sells carpet cleaners and extractors to professional cleaners, BSCs, and hospitality customers. It directly overlaps with HOST's commercial cleaning machine line and institutional customer base, though with a stronger wet-extraction portfolio.
- Prochem: Prochem manufactures carpet and upholstery cleaning equipment and chemistry for the professional cleaning industry. It competes with HOST across both machines and cleaning products, with comparable B2B distribution through cleaning-industry distributors.
- Bridgepoint Systems: Bridgepoint Systems formulates and supplies professional carpet and upholstery cleaning chemicals sold through distributors. It is a direct peer in HOST's consumables/chemistry side, targeting the same BSC, hospitality, and institutional cleaner customers.
- Chemspec: Chemspec manufactures specialty cleaning chemicals for carpet, upholstery, and restoration professionals. It overlaps with HOST's cleaning-product portfolio and shares the same B2B channel through janitorial distributors and BSCs.
- Powr-Flite: Powr-Flite manufactures commercial cleaning equipment including vacuum cleaners, carpet extractors, and floor machines. It is a direct peer in commercial carpet-care machinery and shares HOST's janitorial-distributor go-to-market.
Emerging players
- CleanCraft Products: CleanCraft Products produces green-certified cleaning chemicals for the commercial cleaning industry, including carpet care. It is a smaller, sustainability-focused peer that overlaps with HOST's Green Seal-certified positioning in institutional and government channels.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
HOST social profiles
Digital presenceHOST compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
HOST financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HOST leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
HOST funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HOST 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 HOST
What does HOST do?
HOST manufactures and supplies proprietary dry extraction carpet and floor cleaning equipment and consumable cleaning products. Its system uses absorbent powder instead of water, steam, or shampoo, applied with HOST-branded machines (commercial Liberator, residential Freestyle, multi-surface Reliant, BrushLite, Applicator, upholstery Esprit and Aridex) and Green Seal Certified cleaning compounds (HOST Dry Extraction Cleaner, HOST SJ, Spot Remover, PREP Pre-Clean, Odor Exploder).
Is HOST a public or private company?
HOST is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was HOST founded?
HOST was founded in 1938. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is HOST based?
HOST is headquartered in Racine, United States, in the North America region.
How does HOST make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are cleaning Product Sales and parts & Accessories.
Who are HOST's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tennant Company, Nilfisk and Kärcher. Direct peers are Rug Doctor, Bissell Commercial, Prochem, Bridgepoint Systems, Chemspec and Powr-Flite. CleanCraft Products is listed as an emerging player.
Does HOST have an API?
No public API is recorded for HOST.
What industry is HOST in?
HOST's product category is Commercial Cleaning Equipment and Consumables. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAEABAD, Deep Carpet, Rug & Upholstery Cleaning, with a secondary code of HSAEAGAH, Green Carpet, Rug & Upholstery Cleaning (Low-tox/Plant-based). Its NAICS code is 325612 and its SIC code is 2842.