Twin State Environmental

What Twin State Environmental does

Twin State Environmental operates the Raptor® Tank Cleaning Systems division of family-owned Twin State, Inc., a multi-division industrial company headquartered in Davenport, Iowa. Founded in 1958, the division designs, engineers, manufactures, and installs robotic railcar tank cleaning systems that eliminate confined-space human entry during heel removal and tank cleaning. The proprietary Raptor® platform uses automated pressurized wash heads with five pre-programmed wash patterns, touchscreen and remote cellular monitoring, variable flow (95–260 GPM) and pressure (0–500 PSI) capability, Bottom Outlet Valve (BOV) heel removal, and IP69K-rated 316 stainless steel construction. The system removes heels exceeding 10,000 pounds and cleans most railcars in 2–3 hours versus days with traditional methods.

The company operates a dual business model combining equipment sales and cleaning services. Raptor® fixed-base and mobile systems are sold as custom turn-key solutions to Class I railroads, railcar leasing companies (notably GATX), and independent cleaning operators, with installations completed at GATX Terre Haute, Hollidaysburg Rail Car Services, INEOS Styrolution (Bay City, TX), and Cathcart Rail/Utica Tank Cleaning. Simultaneously, Twin State operates its own cleaning facilities in Durant, Iowa (on Iowa Interstate Railroad, connected to all Class 1 carriers) and Richardton, North Dakota (on BNSF), with a $3.6 million Grand Forks, ND facility planned for 2026. In February 2024 the company acquired the Bristol Units product line (Models M-7, M-8A, TC-N1) from Tanker Wash Systems, expanding its portfolio into jet-based tank cleaning systems.

The company holds OU Kosher certification for food-grade railcar cleaning, enabling service to edible oil and animal fat shippers. Customer segments span railcar owners/operators, chemical and petroleum shippers, industrial facilities (oil and gas, chemical manufacturing, water treatment), and the food and agriculture industry. Recent activity (2023–2025) signals an aggressive geographic and operational expansion. Ownership remains with the founding Tinsman family through multiple generations, with Scott Tinsman III as CTO and Charles (Chip) Lee Jr. as President.

Name

Twin State Environmental

Legal name

Twin State Environmental

Website

https://twinstateenvironmental.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Twin State Environmental operates the Raptor® Tank Cleaning Systems division of family-owned Twin State, Inc., designing and operating robotic railcar tank cleaning systems and facilities for Class I railroads, railcar lessors, and chemical and food-grade shippers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Railcar Tank Cleaning Equipment

NAICS

Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914)

SIC

Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561)

akta.pro primary industry

Pressure Washing & Jetting Equipment (IMAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Utility & Maintenance Vehicle Manufacturing (Street Sweepers/Vacuum Trucks) (IMACAFAI), Pump & Compressor Packages (Skids, Booster Sets) (IMAHANAG), Industrial Vacuum & Tank Cleaning Services (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAL), Chemical Tank Cleaning, Decontamination & Turnaround Waste Services (BPALAHAH)

Keywords

• Railcar tank cleaning
• Robotic cleaning systems
• Heel removal services
• Industrial tank cleaning
• Railcar maintenance equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Davenport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales and Installation: Twin State Environmental designs, engineers, manufactures, and installs Raptor® Tank Cleaning Systems for new facilities as well as upgrades of existing cleaning operations. Custom turn-key solutions for fixed base or mobile systems, including components from Robotic Wash Heads and Control Cabinets to Pumps, Piping, Platforms, Rail Track, Steam Boilers, Air Compressors, Pressure Washers, Buildings and Concrete.
2. Railcar Cleaning Services: Company operates owned cleaning facilities in Durant, Iowa and Richardton, North Dakota, providing direct railcar cleaning services to customers. Services include heel removal, full cleaning, Kosher washes, and specialty cleaning for various commodities. Customers include railcar owners, shippers, and Class I railroads.
3. Mobile Cleaning Services: Mobile Raptor® system provides on-site railcar cleaning services at customer locations, eliminating the need for customers to transport railcars to fixed facilities.
4. Parts and Service: Company provides ongoing parts and service support for Raptor® and Bristol automated robotic cleaning systems, including maintenance, repairs, and technical support.
5. Chemical Compatibility Consulting: Extensive chemical compatibility guide provided for equipment service and maintenance, supporting customers in selecting appropriate cleaning methods for various commodities and chemical compounds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Twin State Environmental, operating as Raptor® Cleaning Systems, designs, engineers, manufactures, and installs proprietary robotic railcar tank cleaning systems that eliminate the need for human confined-space entry. The company sells custom turn-key Raptor® Tank Cleaning Systems to enterprise customers and also operates its own railcar cleaning service facilities in Durant, Iowa and Richardton, North Dakota, providing direct heel removal and tank cleaning services to Class I railroads, railcar leasing companies, and chemical/petroleum shippers.

Product overview

Twin State Environmental operates as Raptor® Cleaning Systems, offering a portfolio of robotic railcar and tank cleaning products and services. The core offering is the Raptor® Tank Cleaning System - an automated robotic system that eliminates the need for human entry when cleaning railcar tanks. The product line includes fixed-base systems (sold to customers) and company-operated cleaning facilities. The company also acquired the Bristol Units product line (automatic jet cleaning systems) in 2024, expanding its portfolio of tank cleaning equipment. A mobile version of the Raptor® system is available for on-site deployment. Services include both facility-based cleaning at company locations and industrial tank cleaning across various industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Raptor® Tank Cleaning System Proprietary robotic automated railcar tank cleaning system that removes heel and sediment without human entry. Features touchscreen controls, 5 pre-programmed wash patterns with full 360-degree rotation, variable flow (95-260 GPM) and pressure (0-500 PSI), and utilizes the Bottom Outlet Valve (BOV) for efficient heel removal. Built with IP69K Food Grade 316 stainless steel, Teflon, and Viton components. Designed for Class I railroads, railcar leasing companies, and independent tank car cleaning operators.
• Mobile Raptor® System Mobile version of the Raptor® cleaning system that can be deployed to customer locations for on-site railcar cleaning. Features push-button operation, touchscreen interface, cellular connectivity for remote monitoring, and configurable options including steam and pressure washer integration. Handles the same range of materials as fixed systems including hazardous and non-hazardous commodities.
• Raptor® Bristol Units (M-7, M-8A, TC-N1) Automated jet cleaning systems for tanks acquired from Tanker Wash Systems in February 2024. Model M-7 uses high-pressure water/solvent at up to 250 GPM and 250 PSI; Model M-8A delivers speed and position controlled jet stream for full diameter cleaning; TC-N1 features sealed hatch mounting design that contains fumes or spray for highway trailers or rail cars.
• Railcar Cleaning Services Facility-based railcar cleaning services at company-owned facilities in Durant, Iowa (Iowa Interstate Railway, connected to all Class I railroads) and Richardton, ND (BNSF Railway). Includes heel removal, full cleaning, Kosher washes and Kosher upgrades, oil treatments, large heel removal, and sustainable options for product reclaim/reuse. Serves railcar owners, shippers, and Class I railroads directly.
• Industrial Tank Cleaning Services
• Turn-Key Facility Design and Construction Complete turn-key facility design and construction service for railcar cleaning facilities, from greenfield site preparation through building construction to installation of all Raptor® systems and support equipment including Robotic Wash Heads, Control Cabinets, Pumps, Piping, Platforms, Rail Track, Steam Boilers, Air Compressors, Pressure Washers, Buildings, and Concrete. Ensures the facility is ready to operate safely and efficiently from day one.

Quantifiable outcome

• Railcar cleaning time reduced from days to 2-3 hours
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• GATX CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 7 November 2025GATX Terre Haute, Indiana facility installed a Robotic Raptor® Tank Cleaning System. GATX is a major railcar leasing company that operates Raptor® systems at its facilities to serve its railcar fleet customers.
• Forcum Lannom Contractors, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 7 November 2025Forcum Lannom Contractors served as the nationally recognized engineering and construction contractor for the GATX Terre Haute Raptor® installation project.
• Cypress Rail SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025Raptor® Cleaning Systems and Cypress Rail Solutions announced partnership to bring Raptor® robotic state-of-the-art railcar cleaning and Cypress's comprehensive tank car maintenance to North Dakota. Both companies began construction of new co-located facilities in Richardton, ND (expected Q1 2026) and Twin State Environmental plans to construct a new cleaning facility on Cypress Rail's Grand Forks, ND location.
• Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 January 2025Raptor® Tank provided professional cleaning services for IAIS hazmat training tank car (IAIS 0911), supporting railroad's rail safety education and emergency preparedness initiative. The training car displays Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) emblem.
• Hollidaysburg Rail Car Services, LLCmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 December 2023Raptor Tank Cleaning Systems completed installation of Raptor® system for Hollidaysburg Rail Car Services, LLC in December 2023.
• Cathcart Rail / Utica Tank CleaningmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2020Cathcart Rail, through its subsidiary Utica Tank Cleaning, partnered with Raptor® for planned tank car cleaning operation in Belpre, Ohio. Utica Tank is switched by BIP Railroad and interchanges with CSXT. Raptor® provides technology for the operation.
• INEOS StyrolutionmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 November 2019Raptor® Tank Cleaning was selected to design, engineer and supply the resin hopper railcar cleaning system for INEOS Styrolution's new ASA plant in Bay City, TX.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tanker Wash Systems (Sandwich, IL): Former owner of the Bristol Units product line acquired by Twin State in February 2024. Directly comparable as a tank cleaning equipment specialist and former competitor in the railcar cleaning equipment market.
• URACA GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of high-pressure plunger pumps and complete cleaning systems for tank and railcar cleaning. Comparable as a long-established high-pressure pump and cleaning equipment maker in the same procurement cycle as Raptor®.
• Hammelmann Corporation: Manufactures high-pressure plunger pumps and complete water-jet cleaning systems for industrial and tank cleaning applications. Directly comparable as a high-pressure jetting equipment maker competing for industrial tank cleaning capital projects alongside Raptor®.
• Jetstream of Houston: Designer and manufacturer of high-pressure water jetting systems and automated tank cleaning equipment for refining, petrochemical, and railcar applications. Directly comparable as a peer in the industrial high-pressure cleaning equipment category.
• Hydro Engineering Equipment: Manufacturer of high-pressure water blasting equipment and automated tank/vessel cleaning systems for industrial applications. Directly comparable as a smaller-scale jetting and tank cleaning equipment competitor.
• NLB Corp: Leading manufacturer of high-pressure water jetting equipment (up to 40,000 psi) and automated tank cleaning systems for industrial vessels. Directly comparable as a robotic/automated tank cleaning competitor serving petrochemical, refinery, and railcar customers.
• Scanjet Group / Aquajet Systems: Global supplier of automated tank cleaning machines (rotating jet heads) used in chemical, food, and railcar cleaning applications. Directly comparable as a vendor of automated, no-entry tank cleaning technology competing for the same enterprise customers.

Broad incumbents

• Clean Harbors Environmental Services: North America's largest provider of environmental, energy, and industrial services including tank cleaning, decontamination, and hazardous waste management. Comparable as a broad incumbent with industrial cleaning capability overlapping Twin State's service segment.
• Veolia Environmental Services (Industrial Cleaning): Global environmental services giant offering industrial tank cleaning, decontamination, and waste management services across petrochemical, rail, and industrial markets. Comparable as a much larger incumbent competing for outsourced tank cleaning services revenue.

Regional players

• Cypress Rail Solutions: Tank car maintenance and repair services provider partnering with Twin State on co-located facilities in North Dakota (Richardton, Grand Forks). Comparable as a rail-adjacent service partner that influences Twin State's go-to-market in the Northern Plains region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvl0kQA46S5vyL5uvawGjtg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Raptor-Tank-Cleaning-Systems-298264120726884
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/twin-state-environmental

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Twin State Environmental