Kleen Blast

What Kleen Blast does

Kleen Blast (DBA Kleen Blast Abrasives) is a privately held industrial distributor and specialty abrasive manufacturer founded in 1962 and headquartered in Tacoma, Washington. The company supplies surface preparation products and sandblasting equipment to industrial contractors, maintenance managers, and plant operators across the West Coast of the United States, with stated reach into the continental US. It operates five regional warehouse/distribution centers in Tacoma (WA), Portland (OR), Hayward (CA), Rancho Cucamonga (CA), and El Cajon (CA), supporting same-day parts pickup and just-in-time delivery.

The product portfolio spans house-brand specialty abrasives (Kleen Blast Classic Abrasive, Kleen Kut Garnet, Kleen Blast Select Garnet, Kleen Strip Kieserite, Kleen Grit, Kleen Industrial Sands) and a broad catalog of third-party blasting media, equipment, parts, consumables, and safety gear. House-brand products hold certifications including QPL (MIL-A-22262B), California Air Resources Board (C.A.R.B.) outdoor blasting approval, SSPC AB1, NSF 61, and MIL-SPEC compliance, which gate procurement for military, municipal, and water-utility buyers. Kleen Blast is an authorized distributor for nine equipment brands — CLEMCO, BULLARD, RPB/GVS, AIR SYSTEMS, SCHMIDT, EMPIRE, NECO, VAN AIR, and WESTERN TECHNOLOGY — making it a multi-brand channel for capital equipment and replacement parts.

The business model is transactional and direct-to-consumer: products are sold through an e-commerce catalog and website (with free shipping on parts and equipment orders over $100), supplemented by phone/email ordering and same-day pickup at each branch. Pricing is unit-based (pay-as-you-go) with typical media SKUs in the $20–$74 range and capital equipment items in the $2,400–$2,800 range; pallet, truckload, and equipment financing are also offered. Revenue streams are Abrasive Media Sales, Equipment and Parts Sales, and Same-Day Pickup Parts. A related entity, Kleen Industrial Services, provides spent abrasive recycling and compliant disposal, extending the offering into closed-loop media handling.

Name

Kleen Blast

Legal name

Kleen Blast

Website

https://kleenblast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kleen Blast is a privately held, Tacoma-based industrial distributor and specialty abrasive manufacturer, founded in 1962 and operating five West Coast distribution centers. It supplies blasting media, equipment, and parts to industrial contractors, maintenance managers, and plant operators across ship, tank, pipeline, and aerospace applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Abrasives and Sandblasting Equipment

NAICS

Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (327)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Surface Preparation Equipment (Shot Blasting, Scarifiers, Grinders) (IMAHALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Surface Treatment & Finishing Equipment (Coating, Plating, Deburring, Shot Blasting) (IMAHADAJ), Dust Collection & Air Filtration Equipment (Industrial) (IMAHALAF)

Keywords

• Abrasive blasting media
• Sandblasting equipment supply
• Industrial surface preparation
• Blast media distribution
• Abrasive blast safety gear

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Abrasive Media Sales: Sale of blasting abrasives including garnet, steel grit, aluminum oxide, glass bead, crushed glass, walnut shell, and specialty media. Products sold in various packaging from 50 lb bags to 2,200 lb super sacks.
2. Equipment and Parts Sales: Sale of abrasive blast equipment, safety equipment, parts and accessories, and consumables. Includes CLEMCO products, safety gear, and related equipment.
3. Same-Day Pickup Parts: Essential parts and accessories available for same-day pickup to support equipment maintenance needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kleen Blast manufactures house-brand abrasive blasting media (Iron Alumina Silicate, garnet, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, walnut shell, corn cob, sodium bicarbonate, glass bead, crushed glass, silica sand) and distributes third-party industrial sandblasting equipment, safety gear, parts, and consumables. The company operates five regional warehouses across California, Oregon, and Washington serving industrial contractors, maintenance managers, and plant operators across ship hull cleaning, tank restoration, pipeline surface preparation, concrete treatment, and aerospace surface preparation applications.

Product overview

Kleen Blast is a specialized supplier of surface preparation products and equipment, operating as an authorized distributor for multiple brands including CLEMCO, BULLARD, RPB, AIR SYSTEMS, SCHMIDT, EMPIRE, NECO, VAN AIR, and WESTERN TECHNOLOGY. The company manufactures house-brand abrasives and distributes from five regional warehouses across California, Oregon, and Washington. The product portfolio consists of multiple interconnected categories: Blast, Polish & Tumble Media (including house brands KLEEN KUT Garnet, KLEEN BLAST CLASSIC, KLEEN GRIT, and branded products like ERVIN steel abrasives, POTTERS glass beads, and VIBRA FINISH vibratory media); Abrasive Blast & Air Equipment (featuring CLEMCO H2O Power Guns); Safety Equipment (helmets, suits, respirators); Parts & Accessories; Consumables; Innovative Products; Surface Decontamination; and Corrosion Removal and Inhibition products. The company serves contractors, maintenance managers, and plant operators across ship hull cleaning, tank restoration, pipeline surface preparation, concrete treatment, and aerospace applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kleen Kut Garnet: Garnet sandblasting media available in 50 lb bags and 2,200 lb super sacks, with grit sizes including #80, 30/60, and 20/40. Also used for waterjet cutting applications.
• Kleen Blast Classic Abrasive
• Kleen Blast Select Garnet
• Kleen Strip
• Kleen Grit
• Kleen Industrial Sands

Products and services

• Blast, Polish & Tumble Media Abrasive media line including garnet, steel grit, aluminum oxide, glass bead, crushed glass, walnut shell, sodium bicarbonate, corn cob, plastic media, and silica sand for cleaning, polishing, and coating removal applications.
• Abrasive Blast & Air Equipment Industrial sandblasting equipment including CLEMCO H2O Power Guns for wet and dry blasting, blast cabinets, and air equipment for industrial surface preparation operations.
• Safety Equipment Personal protective equipment for blasting, painting, and surface cleaning operations including helmets, blast suits, blast gloves, knee pads, and respiratory protection for high-dust and confined space work.
• Parts & Accessories Replacement parts and accessories for sandblasting equipment and blast cabinets, distributed as authorized partner for CLEMCO, SCHMIDT, EMPIRE, NECO, BULLARD, RPB, AIR SYSTEMS, VAN AIR, and WESTERN TECHNOLOGY, with many items available for same-day pickup.
• Corrosion Removal and Inhibition Products Products and chemical treatments for removing existing corrosion from metal surfaces and inhibiting future corrosion on industrial assets.
• Surface Decontamination Products Products for preparing surfaces for decontamination and treating contaminated surfaces in industrial cleaning applications.
• Kleen Blast Classic Abrasive (House Brand) House-manufactured Iron Alumina Silicate blasting media, water-quenched, black, angular to sub-angular granules with zero free silica. QPL approved (MIL-A-22262B), C.A.R.B. approved for outdoor blasting, and SSPC AB1 certified. Used on ships, bridges, refineries, and structural steel.
• Kleen Kut Waterjet Garnet (House Brand) Natural inert mineral garnet with 7.5-8 Mohs hardness, available in 50 lb bags and 2,200 lb super sacks, reusable up to six times. Used for waterjet cutting and heavy blasting applications.
• CLEMCO H2O Power Gun Lightweight, compact wet/dry blast gun available in 16 ft and 30 ft hose configurations with optional hopper and cart. Provides nearly the power of a small pressure-blast system for dustless blasting and vapor blasting.
• CLEMCO CMS-4 Carbon Monoxide Monitor-Alarm Carbon monoxide monitor that detects CO in breathing-air supply and triggers audible, visual, and vibratory alarms at concentrations of at least 10 parts per million to alert operators of unsafe conditions.
• Bullard Abrasive Blasting Suit Heavy duty blast suit, blast gloves, and knee pads from BULLARD designed for tough blasting environments and professional blasters, featuring long-lasting professional-grade construction.
• Ervin Amagrit Stainless Steel Grit High-quality stainless steel grit abrasive claimed to be 100 times more durable than non-metallic abrasives. Used for aluminum castings, stainless steel forgings, zinc die-castings, and blast cabinets.
• Ervin Amacast Stainless Steel Shot 300-series stainless steel shot with up to 5,000 or more impacts and exceptional corrosion resistance, providing nearly dust-free blasting for cleaner work environments.
• Natrium Sodium Bicarbonate Media Pure sodium bicarbonate blast media in Formula 150 (medium) and Formula 260 (coarse) grades. Used for fire and mold restoration, automotive, aerospace, and turbine cleaning.
• Potters Impact Glass Beads Ballotini grade impact glass beads for metal cleaning, finishing, peening, and deburring. MIL SPEC PRF-9954D compliant. Provides a clean finish without significant metal removal.
• Spent Abrasive Recycling Services Spent abrasive recycling service operated through related entity Kleen Industrial Services, working with customer corporate recycling guidelines to provide compliant disposal and repurposing solutions for used blasting media.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• CLEMCO IndustriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKleen Blast is an authorized distributor for CLEMCO blast equipment, including the H2O Power Gun wet blast systems. CLEMCO provides safety helmets, suits, gloves, and respiratory protection equipment.
• BULLARDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for BULLARD safety equipment including Heavy Duty Blast Suits, Blast Gloves, and Knee Pads designed for professional blasting environments.
• RPB (GVS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for RPB respiratory protection and safety equipment products.
• AIR SYSTEMScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for AIR SYSTEMS breathing air equipment and safety products.
• SCHMIDTmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for SCHMIDT blast equipment parts and accessories.
• EMPIREmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for EMPIRE blast equipment and parts.
• NECOmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for NECO blast equipment and parts.
• VAN AIRmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for VAN AIR equipment and products.
• WESTERN TECHNOLOGYmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for WESTERN TECHNOLOGY equipment and products.
• Kleen Industrial ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated company providing spent abrasive recycling services. Works with customers' corporate recycling guidelines to provide compliant spent media disposal and repurpose solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MSC Industrial Direct: MSC Industrial is a national MRO distributor carrying abrasive products, safety equipment, and metalworking consumables. It is an incumbent competitor across shared SKUs (garnet, glass bead, walnut shell, blast suits, respirators) with an enterprise sales motion that increasingly encroaches on specialty distributors like Kleen Blast.
• Grainger (W.W. Grainger): Grainger is a broad industrial MRO distributor carrying abrasive media, blast equipment, safety gear, and consumables across the US via an extensive e-commerce and branch network. While not a surface-preparation specialist, it competes with Kleen Blast for procurement-led media and safety purchases, particularly from larger plant-operator accounts.

Direct peers

• Axxiom (Sinto Surface Preparation): Axxiom, now part of Sinto Surface Preparation, is a manufacturer and supplier of Schmidt and related blast equipment, parts, and accessories, also carried by Kleen Blast. Both companies sell into industrial blasting contractors with overlapping equipment lines and similar consumables/services.
• Empire Abrasive Equipment: Empire manufactures blast cabinets, blast pots, and related abrasive blasting equipment, and is also an authorized-distribution partner of Kleen Blast. Both firms supply engineered blasting solutions into industrial surface preparation channels with comparable product/equipment breadth.
• Clemco Industries: Clemco is a leading US manufacturer of abrasive blast equipment, blast cabinets, and operator safety gear, and is a key brand partner of Kleen Blast as its primary equipment supplier. Both companies serve industrial contractors doing surface preparation across shipyards, refineries, and infrastructure with overlapping product lines (wet and dry blast pots, H2O power guns, helmets, suits).
• Kramer Industries: Kramer Industries is an industrial distributor of abrasive blast media, vibratory finishing media, and surface preparation equipment serving aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers in the US. Its product mix (garnet, aluminum oxide, glass bead, walnut shell, plastic media) closely parallels Kleen Blast's media portfolio.
• BlastOne International: BlastOne is a global distributor and manufacturer of abrasive blasting equipment, media, painting, and safety equipment, with a comparable mix of owned-brand consumables and third-party equipment agency lines. It competes head-to-head with Kleen Blast in West Coast industrial accounts and shares the multi-warehouse, technical-support-led model.
• Marco Group International: Marco is a direct competitor and manufacturer/distributor of abrasive blast equipment, parts, and safety supplies serving industrial contractors, shipyards, and refineries across the US. Their regional warehouse model and full-line media + equipment + safety offering closely mirrors Kleen Blast's go-to-market.
• Airblast (Airblast BV / Pneumatic Products): Airblast designs and supplies industrial abrasive blast equipment, blast rooms, and PPE, with distribution comparable to Kleen Blast's. Both compete in coating-removal and surface-preparation projects for marine, oil & gas, and infrastructure customers, though Airblast operates more internationally.

Regional players

• Midwest Finishing Systems: Midwest Finishing Systems is an industrial finishing equipment distributor for blasting, peening, coating, and polishing applications. It parallels Kleen Blast's equipment-and-media model but is regionally focused on the US Midwest rather than the West Coast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blastkleen
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kleen-Blast-103358614487438

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Kleen Blast