Cretex Specialty Products

What Cretex Specialty Products does

Cretex Specialty Products is a Waukesha, Wisconsin-based manufacturer of proprietary products for preventing inflow and infiltration (I&I) in municipal sanitary sewer systems. Founded in 1983 and operating as an affiliated entity of Cretex Companies, Inc., the company sells a six-product portfolio anchored by the PRO-RING manhole grade adjustment system — the world's first and only manhole adjustment ring made from Expanded Polypropylene (EPP), marketed with a 100-year design life and PFAS-free construction. Complementary products include the LSS Internal Chimney Seal (50-year warranty), X-85 External Chimney Seal (25-year warranty), Internal Joint Seal, External Cretex Wrap, and a line of manhole lid sealing products. Technical positioning is supported by ASTM C-923, AASHTO M-306 HS-25, ASTM C-877 Type II, and BABA certifications, with PRO-RING DOT-approved in 27 U.S. states and Ontario as of 2024.

The product suite is engineered for both new construction and rehabilitation of aging concrete infrastructure, addressing the failure point between the manhole frame and cone (which the company attributes to 80%+ of I&I sources). Key technical differentiators are PRO-RING being 95% lighter than concrete (14 lbs for a 6-inch ring), chemical/salt resistance, single-day installation, and adjustable to 1/4-inch precision without mortar. PRO-RING has accumulated 14 consecutive years of zero warranty claims since its 2009 debut in Beloit, Wisconsin, where the original installation has reportedly saved that municipality over $504,000 in wastewater treatment costs.

The company generates revenue through hardware sales via a network of independent sales representatives and exclusive master distributors across the U.S. and Canada, supplemented by USA Blue Book distribution and a direct Request-a-Demo program. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer segments are primarily municipalities, public works departments, water and wastewater utilities, and state DOTs across North America. The company does not pursue external funding and operates as a self-sustaining subsidiary within the Cretex Companies group.

Name

Cretex Specialty Products

Legal name

Cretex Specialty Products

Website

https://cretexseals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cretex Specialty Products is a Waukesha, Wisconsin-based manufacturer of proprietary manhole sealing and grade adjustment products, including the PRO-RING EPP adjustment ring system, serving municipalities, utilities, and state DOTs across the U.S. and Canada since 1983.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Sewer Infrastructure Products

NAICS

Rubber and Plastics Hoses and Belting Manufacturing (326220)

SIC

Gaskets, Packg & Sealg Devices & Rubber & Plastics Hose (3050)

akta.pro primary industry

Seals, Gaskets & Fluid Connectors (O-rings, packings, rotary seals, quick couplers) (IMAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Manhole grade adjustment
• Sewer infiltration prevention
• Chimney sealing products
• Municipal sewer infrastructure
• Manhole joint sealing

Headquarters

HQ city

Waukesha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Manhole Sealing Products: Cretex generates revenue through the sale of proprietary manhole and pipe sealing products including PRO-RING adjustment systems, chimney seals, joint seals, and related accessories. Products are sold through a network of independent sales representatives and distributors across the US and Canada.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cretex Specialty Products manufactures and sells manhole and pipe sealing products designed to prevent inflow and infiltration (I&I) in municipal sewer systems. The product line includes PRO-RING manhole adjustment rings made from Expanded Polypropylene, internal and external chimney seals, pipe joint seals, external wraps, and lid sealing products. These are sold to municipalities, public works departments, utility companies, and state DOTs primarily through independent sales representatives and exclusive distributors across the United States and Canada.

Product overview

Cretex Specialty Products is a manufacturer of sewer I&I (Inflow & Infiltration) prevention and mitigation solutions, offering a comprehensive portfolio of six core product lines. The product suite includes the PRO-RING manhole adjustment system (EPP-based concrete alternative), LSS Internal Chimney Seal, X-85 External Chimney Seal, Internal Joint Seal, External Cretex Wrap, and Manhole Lid Sealing Products. These products work together to address all aspects of manhole sealing: grade adjustment, chimney sealing (internal and external), joint sealing, pipe wrapping, and lid sealing. All products are designed, manufactured, and backed by industry-leading warranties (25-50 years) to prevent groundwater and stormwater infiltration into municipal sewer systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PRO-RING: World's first and only manhole grade adjustment rings made from Expanded Polypropylene (EPP). Provides an alternative to concrete grade rings with 100-year design life.
• LSS Internal Chimney Seal
• X-85 External Chimney Seal

Products and services

• PRO-RING The world's first and only manhole grade adjustment rings made from Expanded Polypropylene (EPP). PRO-RING serves as a concrete grade ring alternative with a 100-year design life, 95% lighter than concrete, tongue-and-groove joints, and PFAS-free construction. For municipalities and public works departments managing sanitary sewer infrastructure.
• LSS Internal Chimney Seal

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-30% overall cost savings vs concrete rings over 100-year design life
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Florida Pipeline SupplycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Newest sales representative added in 2024, located in Orlando, FL. Provides sales support and product demonstrations for Florida area customers.
• Fluid Tech Inc. (Michael Lung)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Representative for Hawaii expansion in 2024. Located in Waipahu, HI. Contact: [email protected], Phone: (808) 596-0900. Provides product demonstrations and sales support for Hawaiian municipalities.
• infraStruct Products and ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Exclusive master distributor agreement for Ontario, Canada. infraStruct Products and Services of Edmonton, Alberta serves as the exclusive distribution partner for Cretex products in the Ontario region.
• Municipal Sewer Tools (Victoria Fellows-Rebozo)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Dedicated representative for San Diego, California area. Located in Carlsbad, CA, serving as the go-to contact for all Cretex Specialty Products inquiries and product demonstrations in the San Diego region.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Oldcastle Infrastructure (CRH): Oldcastle Infrastructure, a CRH company, is one of North America's largest producers of concrete manholes, drainage structures, and pipe products—directly competing with Cretex's legacy concrete-ring alternatives across municipal DOT and utility procurement channels.
• Contech Engineered Solutions: Contech is a large, diversified infrastructure solutions provider whose stormwater and sanitary sewer product portfolio (including manhole and pipe sealing/rehabilitation products) overlaps Cretex's offerings, but operates as part of a much broader site-development product suite.
• Forterra: Forterra is a major concrete and drainage infrastructure manufacturer that sells traditional concrete manhole grade rings—the product category PRO-RING directly displaces—plus manhole structures and pipe, making it both a competitor and a potential channel partner for Cretex.
• Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS): ADS is a leading provider of water management products including drainage pipe and stormwater chambers; it sells into the same municipal DOT and utility procurement channels as Cretex and increasingly offers adjacent rehabilitation and sealing solutions.

Emerging players

• Avanti International: Avanti manufactures chemical grouts, polyurethane resins, and injection materials used for manhole and sewer I&I sealing—an alternative or complementary technical approach to Cretex's mechanical seal and ring solutions for the same inflow/infiltration use cases.
• MultiSeal Inc. MultiSeal produces manhole chimney seals and pipe joint sealing products for the municipal sewer market, offering competitively priced alternatives to Cretex's LSS and X-85 seals, particularly for budget-constrained municipalities.

Direct peers

• Hamilton Kent: Hamilton Kent manufactures sealing systems for manholes, wet wells, and sewer infrastructure, including rubber gaskets and chimney seals that directly overlap Cretex's LSS Internal Chimney Seal, X-85 External Chimney Seal, and internal joint seal product categories.
• Pipeline Seal & Insulator, Inc. PSI supplies internal and external manhole seals, pipe joint seals, and manhole chimney seals to the municipal market, with products that overlap Cretex's seal portfolio across the same ASTM standards and municipal buyer base.
• Press-Seal Corporation: Press-Seal is a direct competitor manufacturing manhole chimney seals, pipe joint seals, and external wraps for municipal sewer infrastructure—essentially Cretex's legacy product lines (LSS, X-85, External Cretex Wrap) with overlapping ASTM C-923 / C-877 compliance and shared municipal customers.
• Sealing Systems, Inc. Sealing Systems, Inc. produces manhole chimney seals and joint seals for inflow and infiltration prevention in sewer collection systems—a direct competitive line to Cretex's LSS, X-85, and internal joint seals serving the same municipal and utility customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CretexSP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5o2taJkHztNLl0Zu_m5KXQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1127073

Compliance10 records

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 Cretex Specialty Products