HoldTight
HoldTight Solutions is a Houston-based specialty chemical company, founded in 1998 and now a division of Corrosion Innovations, that sells HoldTight 102 wet blasting additive and HT 365 thin-film coating to marine, offshore, industrial, infrastructure, and automotive customers worldwide through a global distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What HoldTight does
HoldTight Solutions, Inc. is a Houston-headquartered specialty chemical company founded in 1998 by Peter Petkas that develops and sells chemical surface preparation additives used during wet abrasive, vapor abrasive, ultra-high pressure, and soda blasting. Its core product, HoldTight 102, is a wet blasting additive that lowers water's surface tension to penetrate the surface profile and remove salts, abrasives, light oils, and greases while preventing flash rust for 72+ hours, and the portfolio has since expanded to include the HT 365 thin-film preservation coating (up to one year of corrosion protection), HoldTight SP8, SaltProof chloride test kits, a Water Quality Test Kit, and the DeFelsko PosiTector SST. The technology has been independently validated by NLB/Benchmark Labs (zero residue via Gas Chromatography) and by a 5-year beach atmospheric exposure test at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Beachside Corrosion Testing Facility, and is approved by nearly all major coating manufacturers and used in CARC coating specifications for US Army tactical vehicles.
The business model is a one-time consumable sale of proprietary chemical products distributed exclusively through a global network of specialty coatings and blasting distributors, served from a Houston headquarters and a production facility in Germany that was added in December 2019 to address EU and adjacent international demand. End customers span Marine, Offshore, Industrial, Infrastructure, and Automotive verticals, with documented adoption across government agencies (US Army, US Coast Guard), large industrial projects (Chrysler Plant), marine and offshore contractors, and specialty restorers. Pricing is unit-based at "pennies per square foot" with dilution ratios of 1:50 to 1:250, and the company supports distributors via a dedicated portal while actively recruiting new distributors worldwide.
In February 2024, HoldTight was acquired by Corrosion Innovations, a global industrial corrosion prevention solutions provider whose portfolio includes the Corr-Ze and CHLOR*RID product lines, and HoldTight now operates as a division of Corrosion Innovations. Leadership transitioned post-acquisition with founder Peter Petkas moving to CEO, Ken Rossy elevated to President, and Alex Petkas promoted to VP of Product Development and Technical Services, while Ken Rossy also took a Division Vice President role at the parent. The company has been recognized as the industry's #1 best seller in surface preparation, and selected customers have used HoldTight 102 to win industry awards including the 2021 CoatingsPro Contractor Awards.
HoldTight firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HoldTight
- Legal name
- HoldTight Solutions, Inc.
- Website
- https://holdtight.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- HoldTight Solutions is a Houston-based specialty chemical company, founded in 1998 and now a division of Corrosion Innovations, that sells HoldTight 102 wet blasting additive and HT 365 thin-film coating to marine, offshore, industrial, infrastructure, and automotive customers worldwide through a global distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HoldTight industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Chemicals for Surface Preparation
- NAICS
- Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)
- SIC
- Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial Protective Coatings (IMAEAHAB)
Keywords
Where HoldTight is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
HoldTight business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Chemical Surface Preparation Products: HoldTight generates revenue through the sale of its proprietary chemical solutions for surface preparation. Products include HoldTight 102 (salt remover/flash rust preventer), HT 365 (temporary preservation coating), and related testing kits. Sold through a global distributor network at cost of 'pennies per square foot'.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Industrial-grade surface preparation chemicals sold via distributor network |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
HoldTight product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HoldTight manufactures and sells proprietary specialty chemical additives for surface preparation prior to industrial coating application. Its flagship product, HoldTight 102, is a wet blasting additive that decreases water's surface tension to remove salts, abrasives, light oils, and greases while preventing flash rust. The company also sells HT 365 thin-film preservation coating and field-ready chloride testing kits, serving marine, offshore, industrial, infrastructure, and automotive customers globally through a distributor network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HoldTight 102: Flagship wet blasting additive that decreases water's surface tension to remove all contamination including salts, abrasives, light oils, and greases while preventing flash rust.
- HT 365
- SaltProof
Products and services
- HoldTight 102 Salt Remover and Flash Rust Preventer
Quantifiable outcome
- Zero residue left behind - confirmed by independent Gas Chromatography testing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use HoldTight
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
HoldTight technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
HoldTight partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Corrosion InnovationsflagshipCorrosion Innovations, a leading global industrial corrosion prevention solutions provider, acquired HoldTight in February 2024. The acquisition strengthens Corrosion Innovations' global footprint and combines HoldTight's surface preparation products (HoldTight 102 and 365) with Corrosion Innovations' Corr-Ze and CHLOR*RID product lines.
- Clemco IndustriescoreClemco Industries provided wet abrasive blasting equipment for the Graveyard Carz show restoration. HoldTight 102 is used with Clemco Wetblast Flex equipment to demonstrate superior surface preparation and flash rust prevention.
- NASA Kennedy Space CenterflagshipNASA conducted 5-year independent third-party testing of HoldTight 102 at their Beachside Corrosion Testing Facility. Panels prepared with HoldTight 102 performed best after 5 years of beach atmospheric exposure testing.
- Graco (EcoQuip)coreGraco's EcoQuip equipment is featured in HoldTight demonstration videos showing wet blasting capabilities. The companies work together to demonstrate the power of wet blasting against traditional dry blasting.
- Strand's Industrial CoatingscoreLong-time distributor and partner of HoldTight. President Carter Strand provides salt removal solutions for tank coatings business. Featured in distributor spotlight and Q&A sessions.
- Rapid PrepcoreHoldTight President Ken Rossy conducted Q&A session with Mark Lawrence of Rapid Prep. Rapid Prep is a distributor and partner in the surface preparation industry.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HoldTight competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hempel: Global industrial and marine coatings manufacturer. Competes with HoldTight indirectly by offering integrated coating systems with proprietary surface preparation recommendations to marine and offshore customers.
- PPG Industries: Diversified global coatings major with significant industrial, marine, and infrastructure presence. A potential HoldTight customer at scale but also a competitor through its own approved surface preparation specifications and chemistries.
- Carboline: Major industrial coatings manufacturer that sells approved coating systems compatible with HoldTight 102. While not a direct chemistry competitor, Carboline competes for the broader corrosion-prevention budget and influences surface-prep specification decisions.
- Cortec Corporation: Established specialty chemical manufacturer offering a broad portfolio of corrosion inhibitors, surface preparation additives, and protective coatings. Competes with HoldTight in industrial surface preparation but serves a much wider corrosion prevention portfolio.
- Daubert Cromwell: Long-standing manufacturer of rust preventive and corrosion protection chemicals used in industrial and military surface preparation. Overlaps with HoldTight's flash-rust and salt-removal use cases across industrial and infrastructure segments.
- Axalta Coating Systems: Global coatings supplier to industrial, refinish, and infrastructure markets. Competitively positioned around approved coating systems that include surface preparation protocols analogous to HoldTight's chemistry.
Others
- Graco: Manufacturer of fluid handling and spray equipment including EcoQuip vapor abrasive blasting systems featured alongside HoldTight 102 in product demonstrations. An equipment ecosystem partner rather than direct chemistry competitor.
- Clemco Industries: Manufacturer of wet and dry abrasive blasting equipment used together with HoldTight 102. While a channel/technology partner rather than a direct competitor, Clemco influences the equipment ecosystem in which HoldTight's chemistry is consumed.
Direct peers
- CHLOR*RID: Manufacturer of soluble salt removal chemistries used in surface preparation prior to coating application. Now a sibling brand under Corrosion Innovations alongside HoldTight, directly competing in the same product category with overlapping distributor channels.
- Corr-Ze: Producer of corrosion prevention and surface preparation chemistries. Also part of Corrosion Innovations, making it a direct competitor and now co-branded portfolio product alongside HoldTight 102 and HT 365.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HoldTight social profiles
Digital presenceHoldTight financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HoldTight leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
HoldTight funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HoldTight 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 HoldTight
What does HoldTight do?
HoldTight manufactures and sells proprietary specialty chemical additives for surface preparation prior to industrial coating application. Its flagship product, HoldTight 102, is a wet blasting additive that decreases water's surface tension to remove salts, abrasives, light oils, and greases while preventing flash rust. The company also sells HT 365 thin-film preservation coating and field-ready chloride testing kits, serving marine, offshore, industrial, infrastructure, and automotive customers globally through a distributor network.
Is HoldTight a public or private company?
HoldTight is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was HoldTight founded?
HoldTight was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is HoldTight based?
HoldTight is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does HoldTight make money?
One revenue line is on record: chemical Surface Preparation Products.
Who are HoldTight's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hempel, PPG Industries, Carboline, Cortec Corporation, Daubert Cromwell and Axalta Coating Systems. Others are Graco and Clemco Industries. Direct peers are CHLOR*RID and Corr-Ze.
Does HoldTight have an API?
No public API is recorded for HoldTight.
What industry is HoldTight in?
HoldTight's product category is Specialty Chemicals for Surface Preparation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAGAB, Industrial & Protective Coatings, with a secondary code of IMAEAHAB, Industrial Protective Coatings. Its NAICS code is 32551 and its SIC code is 2851.