Permatex

Since 1909, quality Permatex products have been used in workshops around the world.

The first Permatex product was a shellac designed to bond bicycle tires to their rims. Constant A. Benoit Sr. founder of the Permatex Company, enjoyed going to car races in his spare time. In 1915 Mr. Benoit attended a 24-hour endurance race at the Sheepshead Bay track near his Brooklyn New York laboratory. He observed that many of the cars were forced to make frequent pit stops to replace blown cylinder head gaskets.

The mechanic for driver Ralph DePalma's car sought Mr. Benoit's help after Mr. DePalma's car blew its head gasket for the fourth time. Mr. Benoit applied some of his experimental gasket cement and the DePalma car drove the rest of the 24-hour race without any further gasket problems. On that day, Permatex entered the automotive maintenance chemicals business. The Permatex Company became one of the early leaders in using professional auto racing to prove product performance and to promote sales.

In 1936, the very famous American stock-car driver Bill France, Sr., assembled a racing engine using only Permatex Form-A-Gasket products. Later Milt Marion won the first race at the Daytona Beach Road Course with car number 23, the "Permatex 300" NASCAR race at the Daytona International Speedway became one of America's premier racing events. In the mid 1970's Bobby Allison, one of NASCAR's superstars built a late model Chevrolet sportsman engine entirely with Permatex brand threadlockers. The car, built without a single cut gasket or lockwasher, ran 300 miles at Talladega Motor Speedway (America's fastest super speedway at record speeds).

Constant Benoit died in 1950 and his son Pete took over the Permatex Company. Pete shifted the company's manufacturing plant from Brooklyn, New York to Kansas City in 1954 - to take advantage of a more central shipping location. Pete Benoit preferred Florida's

sunny climate, so he moved the company headquarters to West Palm Beach in 1962. In 1963, the Automotive Warehouse Distributor's Association (AWDA) honored him with their prestigious Automotive Man of the Year award. Soon the Permatex Company built a 12,000 square foot corporate and international sales office in West Palm Beach.

The Permatex product line was expanded and the company continued to prosper. In 1972, the Permatex Company was sold to Loctite Corporation. The business was moved to Cleveland Ohio and integrated with the Woodhill Chemical Company.

In the late 1970's Woodhill Permatex launched Permatex Blue Silicone which went on to become the largest selling blister carded chemical item in the American auto parts business. In August 1980, the Woodhill Permatex division moved to a brand new 175,000 square foot facility with over 100 employees.

In February 1990, DL Banite, Inc., America's oldest manufacturer of waterless hand cleaners became a part of the Permatex line. Later that year, Permatex launched Fast Orange citrus hand cleaners, which is now a core Permatex product line

Permatex was purchased by a group of private investors in 1999. As a private company in 2000, Permatex introduced an unprecedented fifty new products, acquired the No Touch tire care line, bought the Loctite Mexican Hardware Business, and purchased the NOS (Nitrous Oxide Systems) fuel and fluid additive and treatment product lines.

In January of 2001 Permatex finalized on the acquisition of the Permatex International Business from Loctite. In 2002, Permatex re-entered the industrial market with a broad range of products including its proprietary waterless hand cleaners; silicone-based sealant and gasketing materials, anaerobic adhesives, epoxies, lubricants and other specialty chemicals.

In December of 2005 Permatex was acquired by ITW (Illinois Tool Works Inc.), a NYSE listed US based corporation. ITW was founded in 1912 and is a Fortune 200 diversified manufacturing company with more than a 90 year history. ITW's 650 decentralized business units in 45 countries employ nearly 49,000 people focused on creating value-added products and innovative customer solutions.

As a part of ITW’s Performance Polymers Group, Permatex continues it’s commitment to be an innovator and leader in adhesives, sealants and automotive aftermarket maintenance products.