John S. Barry, Main Force Behind WD-40, Dies At 84
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 07-23-2009, 11:00 PM   #1
Pro
 
tkle's Avatar
 
Trade: general building and masonry
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,084

John S. Barry, Main Force Behind WD-40, Dies At 84

A good friend I never knew.
Quote:
John S. Barry, Main Force Behind WD-40, Dies at 84
Published: Wednesday, 22 Jul 2009 | 3:17 PM ET
Text Size
By: Douglas Martin
The New York Times

John S. Barry, an executive who masterminded the spread of WD-40, the petroleum-based lubricant and protectant created for the space program, into millions of American households, died on July 3 in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego. He was 84.

Can of WD-40
AP

The cause was pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, said Garry Ridge, president and chief executive of the WD-40 Company.

The company says surveys show that WD-40, the slippery stuff in the blue and yellow aerosol can, can be found in as many as 80 percent of American homes and that it has at least 2,000 uses, most discovered by users themselves. These include silencing squeaky hinges, removing road tar from automobiles and protecting tools from rust.

Mr. Barry was not part of the Rocket Chemical Company in 1953, when its staff of three set out to develop a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for the aerospace industry in a small lab in San Diego. It took them 40 attempts to work out the water displacement formula. The name WD-40 stands for “water displacement, formulation successful in 40th attempt.”

Convair, a unit of General Dynamics, first used WD-40 to protect the outer skin of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion. The product worked so well that employees sneaked WD-40 cans out of the plant to use at home. Norm Larsen, the Rocket Chemical technician who invented WD-40, soon came up with the idea of selling it to the general public.

* CNBC Slideshow: Biggest Tech Blunders

WD-40 hit store shelves in San Diego in 1958. In 1961, employees came in on a Saturday to produce the first truckload shipment to meet disaster needs of victims of Hurricane Carla on the Gulf Coast. WD-40 was used to recondition flood-damaged vehicles.

Sales continued to increase, but it was the arrival of Mr. Barry as president and chief executive in 1969 that jolted the company to dominance in its unusual niche market. He immediately changed the name of Rocket Chemical to the WD-40 Company, on the indisputable theory that it did not make rockets.

Mr. Barry was fiercely dedicated to protecting the secret formula of WD-40, not to mention its trademarks and distinctive container. The company never patented WD-40, in order to avoid having to disclose the ingredients publicly. Its name became synonymous with the product, like Kleenex.

Mr. Barry acknowledged in interviews with Forbes magazine in 1980 and 1988 that other companies, including giants like 3M and DuPont, made products that closely resembled WD-40.

“What they don’t have,” he said, “is the name.”

Mr. Barry brought marketing coherence and discipline to the company. He spruced up the packaging and increased the advertising budget, but most of all he pushed for distribution. He emphasized free samples, including the 10,000 the company sent every month to soldiers in the Vietnam War to keep their weapons dry.

Within a little more than a decade, Mr. Barry was selling to 14,000 wholesalers, up from 1,200 when he started.

tkle is offline  
Warning: The topics covered on this site include activities in which there exists the potential for serious injury or death. ContractorTalk.com DOES NOT guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this site. Always use proper safety precaution and reference reliable outside sources before attempting any construction or remodeling task!

Old 07-24-2009, 03:26 AM   #2
Pro
 
bob_cntrctr's Avatar
 
Trade: renovator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 511

Re: John S. Barry, Main Force Behind WD-40, Dies At 84

Ah, good old Double-D-40, the lubricant for big chested women.
bob_cntrctr is offline  
The Following User Says Thank You to bob_cntrctr For This Useful Post:
nEighter (07-24-2009)
Old 07-24-2009, 04:05 AM   #3
Smart phone? Scan me!
 
nEighter's Avatar
 
Trade: Painting/Framing/Drywall
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: tWiliGht zOne
Posts: 2,118

Re: John S. Barry, Main Force Behind WD-40, Dies At 84

RIP mr. wd40 man.. :salute:
nEighter is offline  
Old 07-24-2009, 06:57 AM   #4
Pro
 
tkle's Avatar
 
Trade: general building and masonry
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,084

Re: John S. Barry, Main Force Behind WD-40, Dies At 84

Quote:
Originally Posted by bob_cntrctr View Post
Ah, good old Double-D-40, the lubricant for big chested women.
When she pulled out the duct tape and tie wire it was a little strange, but when she pulled out the WD , I fell in love.
tkle is offline  


« Previous Thread | Top of Page | What's New | Next Thread »
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Linear Mode
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
A question - sewer force main mabdino General Discussion 5 04-23-2009 11:35 PM
Compression T Fitting vs. Re-Threadding Galvanized Water Main mtbmac Plumbing 47 09-14-2008 12:33 AM
main trips pat c Electrical 13 08-20-2008 07:05 AM
Main v.s. Load 2 Gang Meter Bubbles Electrical 5 10-05-2007 08:05 PM

Join Now... It's Fast and FREE!

Privacy Badge
I am a professional contractor
I am a DIY Homeowner
ContractorTalk.com is for
PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTORS ONLY!

At ContractorTalk.com we cater exlusivly to professional contractors who make their living as a contractor. Knowing that many homeowners and DIYers are looking for a community to call home, we've created www.DIYChatroom.com DIY Chatroom is full of helpful advices and perfect for DIY homeowners.

Redirecing in 10 seconds
No Thanks
terms of service

Already Have an Account?