Olson Explosives

What Olson Explosives does

Olson Explosives, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned commercial explosives distributor founded in 1960 and headquartered in Decorah, Iowa. The company supplies a full line of commercial explosive products and related technical services to the surface and underground aggregate, mining, sand, industrial minerals, and construction markets throughout the Upper Midwest. Technical capabilities center on shot design and timing, signature hole analysis, bore tracking, vent shaft design and blasting, and mine planning assistance, delivered by an unusually experienced team of 33 employees with a combined 477 years of industry experience as of year-end 2018.

Name

Olson Explosives

Legal name

Olson Explosives, Inc.

Website

https://olsonexplosives.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Explosives Distribution

NAICS

Explosives Manufacturing (32592), Support Activities for Mining (2131)

SIC

Wholesale-Construction & Mining (No Petro) Machinery & Equip (5082)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Explosives (Mining & Quarrying) (IMAEALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction & Demolition Explosives (IMAEALAB), Explosives & Ammunition Logistics (Class 1) (TLAIAJAD)

Keywords

• Commercial explosives
• Blasting services
• Aggregate mining supplies
• Industrial minerals distribution
• Construction blasting products

Headquarters

HQ city

Decorah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Explosive Products: Sale and distribution of commercial explosive products to mining, aggregate, sand, industrial minerals, and construction customers throughout the Upper Midwest.
2. Transportation and Cartage Services: Over-the-road transportation and commercial cartage services for explosives products and general commodities. The trucking operation serves 17 states and hauls products for Olson Explosives, other Orica Independent Distributors, and general commodities under contract.
3. Technical Services: Technical assistance services including shot design and timing, signature hole analysis, bore tracking, vent shaft design and blasting, and mine planning assistance to support long-term customer success.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Olson Explosives supplies a full line of commercial explosive products, technical blasting services (including shot design and timing, signature hole analysis, bore tracking, vent shaft design and blasting, and mine planning assistance), and over-the-road transportation and commercial cartage services to surface and underground aggregate, mining, sand, industrial minerals, and construction customers throughout the Upper Midwest. The company is a member of the Orica Independent Distributor Group and operates its own trucking fleet across 17 states.

Product overview

Olson Explosives offers a unified portfolio of commercial explosive products paired with technical services and transportation capabilities. The core offering is a full line of commercial explosives serving the surface and underground aggregate, mining, sand, industrial minerals, and construction sectors in the Upper Midwest. Technical Services (shot design, bore tracking, mine planning) and Transportation/Cartage Services support the core products and provide additional value to customers and fellow explosive distributors throughout a 17-state region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Explosive Products Full line of commercial explosive products supplied to surface and underground aggregate, mining, sand, industrial minerals, and construction customers throughout the Upper Midwest, sourced via the Orica Independent Distributor Group.
• Technical Blasting Services Professional technical services for blasting operations, including shot design and timing, signature hole analysis, bore tracking, vent shaft design and blasting, and mine planning assistance, provided by experienced technical sales staff to mining, aggregate, and construction customers.
• Transportation and Commercial Cartage Services

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

One partnership is on record.

• Orica Independent Distributor GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOlson Explosives is a member of the Orica Independent Distributor Group of companies. This affiliation provides access to Orica's product portfolio and brand support, allowing Olson Explosives to serve customers throughout the Upper Midwest and collaborate with fellow explosive distributors in the region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Geo blasting suppliers (e.g., other Orica Independent Distributors): Other privately held regional explosives distributors within the Orica Independent Distributor Group operating across the Upper Midwest and adjacent states. They sell into the same mining, aggregate, sand, and construction end markets, often collaborating to service fellow distributors rather than competing head-to-head in the same micro-geography.
• Austin Powder Company: A privately held US manufacturer and distributor of commercial explosives and blasting services for mining, quarrying, and construction. Most direct competitor to Olson, with comparable full-line commercial explosives offering and technical blasting services across multiple US regions.
• Senex Explosives: A privately held US distributor of commercial explosives, blasting supplies, and accessories serving quarry, construction, and mining customers. Closely comparable to Olson in scale and service mix: regional distribution, full-line commercial explosive products, and technical blasting support.

Regional players

• Hepburn Engineering Inc. Canadian blasting and drilling contractor focused on mining, quarry, and construction blasting across Ontario and surrounding regions. Operates in a comparable commercial explosives service model, but primarily Canadian geography versus Olson's US Upper Midwest focus.

Broad incumbents

• Dyno Nobel: One of the largest global commercial explosives producers with operations spanning industrial and mining blasting, including ammonium nitrate, emulsions, and detonators. Provides overlapping commercial explosives products as part of a much broader, internationally diversified portfolio versus Olson's regional focus.
• Orica Limited: Global leader in commercial explosives and blasting systems for mining, quarrying, and infrastructure; the parent/affiliate organization whose Independent Distributor Group Olson belongs to. Olson sources through Orica and competes against both Orica direct sales and other Orica distributors, making Orica both a partner and a competitive reference point.

Others

• Instantel (by Kistler): Provider of vibration and overpressure monitoring equipment and software used in blasting operations adjacent to Olson's blast design and timing services. Comparable as an enabling technology supplier into the same blaster and aggregate operator customer base rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Davey Bickford USA / Daveyfire: Manufacturer and supplier of commercial initiating systems including detonators and boosters for the mining and quarrying industries. Comparable as a commercial explosives supply-chain participant feeding into the same blasting ecosystem Olson services; not a direct full-line competitor but adjacent in product breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/olson-explosives-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Olson Explosives