What penetone does

Penetone Corporation, operating commercially as West Penetone U.S.A., is a manufacturer of specialty industrial cleaners, degreasers, sanitizers, corrosion inhibitors, and H2S scavengers headquartered at 375 Murray Hill Parkway, East Rutherford, New Jersey. The company is the U.S. operating entity of the West family of companies — a diversified industrial group tracing its origins to 1882 when Robert West arrived from Cambridge, England with a coal tar-based disinfectant formula. Penetone maintains a catalog of 250+ products organized across solvent cleaners, alkaline cleaners, acid cleaners, specialized products (including H2S scavengers, iron sulfide dissolvers, and pipeline pigging chemicals), deicers, aerosols, lubricants, and paint strippers. Notable sub-brands include Citrikleen (citrus-based biodegradable solvents), Penair (transportation and aircraft cleaners meeting MIL-PRF-85570 Type II specifications), and WESTOP (water-based corrosion inhibitors). The company serves Oil & Gas (primary vertical, with specific solutions for drilling, pipelines, vessel/tank cleaning, shutdown/turnaround, and H2S scavenging), Metal Production, Transportation, Printing, and general industrial applications, and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification along with multiple military and aerospace specification approvals.

Penetone operates a direct sales go-to-market model via toll-free phone lines for West and East U.S. regions and a shared [email protected] inbox, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of formulated chemical products to enterprise and industrial buyers across multiple verticals. The business model is vertical-specialized industrial B2B chemical sales, with distribution scope spanning claimed presence in 50 countries and affiliated manufacturing/operating companies in Canada (West Penetone Inc. in Montreal since 1925, R&M Chemicals acquired 2006, Accuchem acquired March 2022 in Edmonton). Marketing is conducted through the company's website organized by industry sector and product category, supplemented by SDS/technical bulletin documentation and organic social channels on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The company has executed a long-term consolidation strategy centered on the North American industrial chemicals market, beginning with West Chemical Products' 1976 acquisition of Penetone Corporation (then 50 years old), restructured into West Penetone Inc. in 1992, and extended through the 2006 R&M Chemicals acquisition and 2022 Accuchem acquisition. More recently, West Penetone divested its military and commercial aerospace products portfolio to Chemisphere (an Integrity Partners Group company), signaling a refocus on core industrial cleaning and chemical solutions. Ownership remains within the West family of companies; the entity is privately held with no public ticker, funding rounds, or revenue disclosure.

Name

penetone

Legal name

Penetone Corporation

Website

https://penetone.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Penetone manufactures specialty industrial cleaners, degreasers, sanitizers, H2S scavengers, and corrosion inhibitors across 250+ SKUs under brands including Citrikleen, Penair, and WESTOP. The East Rutherford, NJ-based company serves Oil & Gas, Metal Production, Transportation, Printing, and general industrial customers as part of the West family of companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Surface Active Agent Manufacturing (325613)

SIC

Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Surfactants & Performance Additives (IMAEABAL)

Keywords

• Industrial cleaners
• Specialty degreasers
• H2S scavengers
• Corrosion inhibitors
• Oil and gas chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

East Rutherford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Specialty Chemicals: Manufacture and sale of specialty cleaners, degreasers, and sanitizers for industrial processing, production, and maintenance. Products are sold directly to industrial customers across multiple sectors including Oil & Gas, Metal Production, Transportation, and general industrial applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Penetone manufactures specialty cleaners, degreasers, sanitizers, corrosion inhibitors, H2S scavengers, and related chemical solutions for industrial processing, production, and maintenance. The company offers 250+ products organized into named product lines (Citrikleen, Penair) and categories (solvent cleaners, alkaline cleaners, acid cleaners, specialized products, deicers, aerosols, lubricants, paint strippers) used across oil & gas, metal production, transportation, printing, and general industrial applications.

Product overview

West Penetone is a manufacturer of specialty cleaners, degreasers, and sanitizers for industrial processing, production, and maintenance applications. The company offers over 250 innovative products across multiple specialized product lines including the Citrikleen (citrus-based solvents), Penair (aircraft and transportation cleaners), and core Penetone branded products. Product categories span Solvent Cleaners, Alkaline Cleaners, Acid Cleaners, Specialized Products (including H2S Scavengers, Iron Sulfide Dissolvers, and Pipeline Pigging chemicals), Deicers, Aerosols, Lubricants, and Paint Strippers. The company serves diverse industries including Oil & Gas (with specific solutions for drilling, pipelines, vessel/tank cleaning, shutdown/turnaround, and H2S scavenging), Metal Production, Transportation, Printing, and General Use applications. Penetone operates as part of the West family of companies with over 125 years of expertise and a presence in 50 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Citrikleen®: Product line of biodegradable, citrus-based solvent cleaners and degreasers
• Penair®
• WESTOP

Products and services

• Protective Cream 311 A smooth, white, thick-bodied hand protective cream formulated to provide an invisible, uniform protective film barrier between the skin and potential irritants found in industry and around the home. Holds Military Approval A-A-50169A Type III.
• PENETONE 4022PS A desludging additive designed to aid in the softening, dispersion, and removal of wax and sludge deposition in tank and pipeline cleaning applications. Used alone or as a diluent or cutter stock additive, it effectively promotes dissolution of paraffinic or paraffin-like deposits.
• WESTOP 480 A water-based corrosion inhibitor that protects iron, steel and other ferrous alloys during immersion and in open air, even when the atmosphere is humid. Effective even when highly diluted.
• Penair Product Line
• Citrikleen Product Line
• ROC 55X
• Metasol
• West Surf 10
• Scavex AG
• TPC Solvent Precision cleaning solvent degreaser meeting P-D-680B/A-A-59601B Type I specifications. USDA authorized for use only in non-processing plants. Part of the solvent cleaners category alongside Formula 724, Formula 730, Formula 990, Four-Way, Inhibisol Os, Navee 42, Penmul variants, Pensolv variants, and Envirosol.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced decontamination times for vessel and tank cleaning operations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 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 and minor.

• AccuchemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022West Penetone acquired Canadian company Accuchem in March 2022. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Accuchem has been manufacturing industrial chemicals since 1993, strengthening West Penetone's presence in the Western Canadian market.
• R&M ChemicalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Strategic acquisition in 2006 to strengthen presence and operations in Western Canada. R&M Chemicals had been working for over 40 years in the development and manufacture of high-quality industrial cleaning products.
• ChemisphereminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChemisphere, an Integrity Partners Group company, acquired the military/commercial aerospace products portfolio from West Penetone. This represents a portfolio divestiture rather than a strategic partnership.
• Lafferty EquipmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquipment products are listed and distributed through the Lafferty equipment list, showing a distribution relationship for cleaning equipment products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ZEP Inc. ZEP manufactures and distributes industrial and institutional cleaners, degreasers, and maintenance chemicals across multiple verticals. Directly comparable to Penetone in product mix, customer base (industrial/facility maintenance), and sales-led distribution model.
• Chemisphere: Chemisphere acquired Penetone's military/aerospace portfolio and is a specialty chemical manufacturer focused on aviation and industrial cleaning. Comparable as a direct counterparty in the recent portfolio divestiture and overlapping aerospace/military cleaning chemistry.
• Spartan Chemical Company: Spartan Chemical is a private manufacturer of specialty cleaners, degreasers, and sanitation products for industrial, institutional, and food service markets. Highly comparable to Penetone in product categories, vertical mix, and sales-led industrial distribution.
• Simple Green: Simple Green manufactures non-toxic, biodegradable industrial and household cleaners and degreasers. Comparable to Penetone's Citrikleen line in environmentally positioned industrial cleaning chemistries and end-user overlap.
• Hasa Inc. Hasa produces specialty chemicals including industrial cleaners, sanitizers, and water treatment products serving industrial and pool/spa markets. Comparable to Penetone in specialty chemical manufacturing scale, formulation focus, and direct-to-customer industrial sales.
• Buckeye International: Buckeye International manufactures industrial cleaners, disinfectants, and floor care products for institutional and industrial customers. Comparable to Penetone in industrial cleaning formulations, vertical mix including transportation and facilities maintenance, and channel overlap.

Emerging players

• Pilot Chemical Company: Pilot Chemical is a private specialty chemical manufacturer focused on surfactants, disinfectants, and pilot-scale chemistries. Comparable to Penetone in surfactant manufacturing (e.g., West Surf 10), specialty chemistry focus, and downstream cleaning/industrial end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Stepan Company: Stepan is a publicly traded specialty chemical manufacturer producing surfactants, polymers, and specialty products for cleaning, personal care, and industrial applications. Comparable to Penetone in surfactant and specialty chemistry categories serving industrial cleaning customers.
• Ecolab: Ecolab is a large global provider of water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions including industrial cleaners, sanitizers, and oilfield chemicals. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing across multiple of Penetone's verticals, including Oil & Gas and industrial cleaning, with significantly greater scale.
• Henkel: Henkel operates a global adhesives, sealants, and consumer/industrial care business with specialty cleaning chemistries and surface treatment products. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping industrial maintenance and cleaning chemistry offerings and much larger R&D and global distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwyJZchuLBhN_gSUDtZQueg
• Facebookfacebook.com/westpenetone
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-penetone-inc-

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 penetone