Gilson Company

What Gilson Company does

Gilson Company is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of construction materials testing equipment, founded in 1939 and headquartered in Lewis Center, Ohio. The company designs, produces, and distributes precision instruments used to test aggregates, soils, concrete, and asphalt for civil engineering and construction applications. Its catalog spans more than a dozen product categories — test sieves, sieve shakers, screen shakers, sample splitters, compression machines, soil compactors, abrasion machines, ovens, scales, and supporting lab equipment — all engineered to comply with ASTM and AASHTO test standards that govern federal and state infrastructure procurement.

The business operates a direct-to-customer model combining an enterprise field sales team (800-444-1508 inbound line) with a direct e-commerce storefront at globalgilson.com and a separate international sales channel. Unit pricing ranges from approximately $1,000 for accessories (e.g., vacuum pumps) to over $21,000 for higher-end equipment such as the LA Abrasion Machine, with a recurring services stream in sieve verification and calibration. Customer segments are led by civil engineering laboratories, construction firms, and government agencies (DOTs), with secondary penetration into pharmaceutical and food science labs.

The company is currently extending its historically hardware-only franchise into software and IoT, evidenced by the Gilson CONTEMP Concrete Maturity System (cloud-connected sensors) and the Gilson Guardian Cloud Sharing Application (subscription data platform). Revenue, headcount, and ownership data are not publicly disclosed; the company completed a 16,000 square foot expansion of its Ohio headquarters in 2020 and continues to participate actively in major industry trade shows such as World of Concrete, CONEXPO-CON/AGG, and ASTM/AASHTO committee meetings.

Name

Gilson Company

Legal name

Gilson Company, Inc.

Website

https://karolwarner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Gilson Company, founded in 1939, manufactures construction materials testing equipment including test sieves, compression machines, soil compactors, and abrasion machines. The Ohio-based private firm sells primarily to civil engineering laboratories, construction firms, and government agencies, and is now extending into cloud-connected concrete monitoring products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Materials Testing Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Screening & Sizing Equipment (IMAHAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crushing, Screening & Mineral Sizing Equipment (IMAKANAD), Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services) (IMAGAFAH)

Keywords

• Construction materials testing
• Sieve analysis equipment
• Aggregate testing equipment
• Concrete compression testing
• Asphalt testing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Lewis Center

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling construction materials testing equipment including test sieves, sieve shakers, compression machines, and related accessories. Products sold directly to laboratories and field testing operations.
2. Replacement Parts and Accessories: Ongoing sales of replacement parts, accessories, and consumables for testing equipment including brushes, pans, and calibration weights.
3. Services and Calibration: Sieve verification and calibration services, screen tray verification, and other technical services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gilson Company manufactures and supplies construction materials testing equipment, including test sieves, sieve shakers, screen shakers, sample splitters, and dedicated testing equipment for aggregates, asphalt, concrete, and soils. Products are designed to comply with ASTM and AASHTO standards for civil engineering laboratories, construction firms, contractors, and government agencies, with applications extending to pharmaceutical and food science particle sizing. The company also offers replacement parts, accessories, sieve verification and calibration services, and a cloud-based data sharing application (Gilson Guardian).

Product overview

Gilson Company is a manufacturer and distributor of construction materials testing equipment offering an integrated portfolio of precision testing instruments. The product line centers on materials testing and particle sizing equipment for aggregate, soil, concrete, and asphalt applications, with complementary offerings in general laboratory equipment. The portfolio includes core product categories: Sieving equipment (Test Sieves, Sieve Shakers), Screening systems (Screen Shakers, Gilson Testing Screen), Sample Division equipment (Splitters, Dividers), and specialized testing lines for Aggregates, Asphalt, Concrete, and Soils. Supporting categories cover Ovens/Furnaces, Crushers/Pulverizers, Temperature/Humidity instruments, Scales/Balances, and General Lab equipment. The flagship Gilson Testing Screen, pioneered in 1939, established the company's reputation, with ongoing innovation including recent products like the CONTEMP Concrete Maturity System (cloud-connected sensors) and Gilson Guardian cloud data management application. Products are distributed via catalog, web, dealer network, and international sales channels, with offerings meeting ASTM and AASHTO standards compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Test Sieves Woven-wire and precision test sieves used for particle size analysis and gradation testing of construction materials; sold to civil engineering labs, construction firms, and government agencies.
• Sieve Shakers Mechanical and sonic (GilSonic AutoSiever) sieve shakers that agitate test sieves for standardized particle size separation; for materials testing laboratories.
• Screen Shakers Screening equipment for separating and sizing larger aggregate samples, headlined by the Gilson Testing Screen (Gilso-Matic) and the new Testing Screen model; for aggregates and coarse materials testing.
• Sample Splitters and Dividers Sample splitting and dividing equipment used to obtain representative subsamples from bulk construction materials; used in testing laboratories.
• Aggregates Testing Equipment Testing equipment for coarse and fine aggregates, including the Los Angeles (LA) Abrasion Machine; for civil engineering labs and construction material producers.
• Asphalt Testing Equipment Equipment for testing asphalt mixes, including Marshall Compactors for specimen compaction, Rice Test Shakers for theoretical maximum specific gravity, and the Two-Stage High Vacuum Pump; for asphalt laboratories and contractors.
• Concrete Testing Equipment Equipment for fresh and hardened concrete testing, including compression machines, the Concrete Phoenix System, and the cloud-connected Gilson CONTEMP maturity system with reusable sensors; for concrete testing laboratories and contractors.
• Soils Testing Equipment Soils testing equipment including Servo Control Load Frames and the Gilson Mechanical Soil Compactor; for geotechnical and civil engineering testing laboratories.
• Ovens and Furnaces Lab ovens and furnaces used for drying, heating, and conditioning construction material samples; for materials testing laboratories.
• Crushers, Pulverizers and Mills Sample reduction equipment including crushers, pulverizers, and mills used to prepare construction material samples for further testing; for materials testing laboratories.
• Temperature and Humidity Equipment Temperature and humidity monitoring and control equipment for laboratory and curing room conditions; for materials testing facilities.
• General Lab Equipment General-purpose laboratory equipment, supplies, and accessories to support materials testing workflows.
• Scales and Balances Precision scales and balances for weighing construction material samples during testing; for materials testing laboratories.
• Gilson Guardian Cloud Sharing Application Cloud-based subscription application that pairs with the Gilson CONTEMP Concrete Maturity System to share real-time concrete strength and maturity data between project stakeholders; for contractors, testing labs, and engineers.
• Sieve Verification and Calibration Services Verification and calibration services for test sieves to confirm compliance with ASTM and AASHTO standards; for materials testing laboratories.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Humboldt Mfg. Co. Humboldt Mfg. Co. is a leading manufacturer of construction materials testing equipment, offering sieves, sieve shakers, compression machines, and concrete/asphalt/soil testing equipment directly competing with Gilson's product lines.
• Controls Group: Controls Group is an Italian-based manufacturer of testing equipment for construction materials including concrete, cement, aggregates, soils, and asphalt - directly comparable to Gilson's product portfolio.
• ELE International: ELE International is a global manufacturer of materials testing equipment for construction and civil engineering labs, with a product line closely aligned to Gilson's aggregates, concrete, soil, and asphalt testing categories.
• Tinius Olsen: Tinius Olsen manufactures materials testing machines including compression machines and load frames for construction materials testing - directly comparable to Gilson's load frames, compression machines, and concrete testing equipment.
• Forney: Forney provides concrete and materials testing equipment including compression machines and rebar locators, competing directly with Gilson's concrete and asphalt testing product lines.
• Qualitest: Qualitest is a manufacturer of testing equipment including construction materials testing machines, comparable to Gilson's compression machines and asphalt/concrete testing product lines.
• Test Mark Industries: Test Mark Industries manufactures concrete, cement, aggregate, and soils testing equipment, with a product portfolio directly overlapping Gilson's materials testing categories.

Broad incumbents

• Instron: Instron (part of Illinois Tool Works) is a large incumbent manufacturer of materials testing machines and load frames, with broader applications including metals, polymers, and composites - adjacent to Gilson's soil/asphalt testing load frames.
• MTS Systems: MTS Systems is a large incumbent in materials and durability testing equipment, serving automotive, aerospace, biomedical, and construction materials testing - broader than Gilson's construction-focused portfolio.
• Enerpac: Enerpac is a large incumbent in industrial tools and load testing equipment with applications spanning construction materials testing - adjacent to Gilson's load frame and compression testing equipment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeglobalgilson.com/gilson-videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/karol-warner

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Gilson Company