Wagner Petrographic

What Wagner Petrographic does

Wagner Petrographic is a privately held petrographic laboratory headquartered at 122 North 1800 West, #7, Lindon, Utah. Founded in 1995 and operating continuously for over 30 years, the company specializes in thin section preparation services for geological, materials science, mining, construction materials testing, and academic research applications. Its customer base spans private sector companies, government agencies, and students, served through direct channels including an online order portal, toll-free and local phone lines, and email ordering accompanied by a downloadable submittal sheet.

The company's core offering is precision thin section production at standardized 24x46 mm dimensions (with 3"x2" available for larger samples) and a target final thickness of 30 microns, extendable to ultra-thin sections below 20-25 microns. Technical differentiation rests on specialized sample processing equipment: an ultra-high vacuum chamber for epoxy impregnation (in red, blue, UV blue, or clear formulations) that reveals microporosity, and a high-pressure chamber capable of 800-1200 PSI for higher-quality epoxy penetration. Additional services include chemical staining (calcite, iron, K-spar, plagioclase, dual carbonate), single and double-polished sections finished with 1/4 micron abrasive for SEM analysis, grain mount sections, polished billets, and digital petrographic imaging in both cross-polarized (XPL) and plane-polarized (PPL) light modes.

Wagner operates a transactional, per-unit revenue model with publicly disclosed pricing ranging from $27 for a standard petrographic thin section to $150 for a large double-polished section, plus add-on fees for pressure impregnation, epoxy, stains, orientation marking, and handling. Expedited services command premiums of +25% (1/2 Rush), +50% (Rush), +100% (Express 4-7 working days), +200% (Express 2-3 working days), and +300% (Same Day). The company is founder-owned (Scott Wagner serves as Founder, Owner, and Chief Executive Manager), employs between 11 and 50 people, and reports no venture capital, private equity, or institutional investment. The marketing footprint is essentially direct: a corporate website with a recently relaunched design in 2026, online ordering, and a published PDF price list. No public revenue figures, M&A activity, partnerships, or formal certifications were disclosed.

Name

Wagner Petrographic

Legal name

Wagner Petrographic Inc.

Website

https://wagnerpetrographic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wagner Petrographic is a privately held petrographic laboratory in Lindon, Utah that provides thin section preparation, epoxy impregnation, staining, polishing, and digital imaging services to private sector companies, government agencies, and academic researchers across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lindon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Thin Section Preparation Services: One-time fees per thin section produced. Pricing varies by section type (standard, grain mount, polished), size, and add-on services. Core revenue from sample preparation services including epoxy infusion, staining, and polishing.
2. Add-on Services and Modifications: Revenue from supplementary services including pressure impregnation, stains (calcite, iron, dual carbonate, K-spar, plagioclase), orientation marking, and expedited processing tiers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Wagner Petrographic is a service-oriented petrographic laboratory located in Lindon, Utah that produces thin sections of rock and material samples for geological, mining, construction materials, and academic analysis. Core offerings include standard, grain mount, polished, double polished, stained, and ultra-thin section preparation, supported by epoxy impregnation, pressure impregnation, mineral staining, digital imaging (XPL/PPL), and prioritized turnaround services.

Product overview

Wagner Petrographic is a service-oriented petrographic laboratory offering thin section preparation services for geological and materials analysis. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of products including standard thin sections, stained sections for mineral identification, epoxy infusion services for porosity analysis, and polished sections for SEM analysis. Additional offerings include grain mount sections, digital imaging (XPL/PPL), ultra-thin sections, polished billets, and pressure impregnation services. The core offerings are delivered as individual service modules that customers can select based on their analytical requirements, with standard turnaround times ranging from weeks to same-day service for expedited orders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Petrographic Thin Sections Standard petrographic thin sections cut to 24x46 mm or 3"x2" dimensions, with a typical final thickness of 30 microns; other thicknesses available on request. Used by geologists, petrographers, mining and exploration firms, construction materials labs, and academic researchers.
• Grain Mount Thin Sections Grain mount thin sections available in 24x46 mm and 3"x2" dimensions, optionally with red or blue epoxy. Used for loose-grain and sediment petrographic analysis.
• Polished Thin Sections Single side polished and double polished thin sections in 24x46 mm (3"x2" by special request), with surfaces finished to 1/4 micron abrasive, suitable for SEM analysis.
• Stained Thin Sections Thin sections stained for identification of Calcite, Iron, Dual Carbonate, K-spar, and Plagioclase minerals.
• Epoxy Impregnation Services Sample impregnation with red, blue, UV blue, or clear epoxy using an ultra-high vacuum chamber to ensure quality and reveal microporosity. Offered in clear, blue, blue fluorescent, and yellow fluorescent epoxy variants.
• Pressure Impregnation Services High-pressure epoxy impregnation at ultra-high (800-1200 PSI), medium, and normal (200 PSI) pressure levels, enabling higher quality impregnation of porous or friable samples.
• Polished Billets Polished sample billets prepared in 24x46 mm or 3"x2" dimensions for downstream analysis workflows.
• Digital Petrographic Imaging (XPL/PPL) Digital imaging of thin sections using a petrographic microscope under cross-polarized light (XPL) and plane-polarized light (PPL) for documentation and analysis.
• Expedited Turnaround Services Priority processing tiers for thin section orders: 1/2 Rush (3-4 weeks, +25%), Rush (10-14 working days, +50%), Express (4-7 working days, +100%), Express 2-3 working days (+200%), and Same Day (+300%) with Overnight service also available.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• PetroTech Services: Smaller US-based petrographic sample preparation lab serving geological consultants and exploration companies. Less established than Wagner but competes for the same thin section prep work in the private sector.

Direct peers

• Spectrum Petrographics: US petrographic thin section laboratory serving mining, environmental, and academic customers with standard, polished, and stained thin sections. Closely comparable service menu and small-lab operating model.
• Quality Thin Sections: US-based thin section preparation service offering standard, polished, and grain mount sections to geological and materials science customers. Directly comparable in core service offering and per-unit pricing model.
• Texas Petrographic Services: Texas-based petrographic laboratory offering thin section preparation, stained sections, and impregnation services to mining, geological, and academic clients. Directly comparable to Wagner in service scope, customer type, and per-unit pricing model, with similar specialization in craft-driven sample prep.
• Vancouver Petrographics: Canada-based petrographic laboratory providing thin section preparation, blue epoxy impregnation, and stained sections to mining and academic clients. Comparable service line and small specialist-lab structure; primarily North American market focus.
• Petrographic International: Specialty petrographic sample preparation laboratory providing thin sections, impregnations, and staining for geological and materials science clients. Direct peer in niche thin-section service market.
• Advanced Petrographic Services: Pittsburgh-area petrographic laboratory providing thin section preparation, point counting, and modal analysis for mining and engineering geology clients. Comparable craft-driven service with similar customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Activation Laboratories: Large commercial analytical laboratory offering geochemistry, mineralogy, and sample preparation including thin sections as part of a broad testing portfolio. Larger, broader player that competes with Wagner on the preparation step within larger bundled contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wagnerpetrographic

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 Wagner Petrographic