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Our History

In the beginning...the first Permatex Constant Benoit died in 1950 and his son
product was a shellac designed to bond Pete took over the Permatex Company. Pete
bicycle tires to their rims. Constant A. shifted the company’s manufacturing plant
Benoit Sr., founder of the Permatex from Brooklyn, New York to Kansas City in
Company, enjoyed going to car races 1954 - to take advantage of a more central
in his spare time. In 1915, Mr. Benoit shipping location. Later, preferring Florida’s
attended a 24-hour endurance race at sunny climate, Pete moved the company
the Sheepshead Bay track near his Brooklyn, New York headquarters to West Palm Beach in 1962.
laboratory. He observed that many of the cars were forced to make Soon the Permatex Company built a 12,000
frequent pit stops to replace blown cylinder head gaskets. square foot corporate and international sales office in West Palm Beach.

The mechanic for driver Ralph DePalma’s car sought Mr. Benoit’s The Permatex product line was expanded and the company
help after DePalma’s car blew its head gasket for the fourth continued to prosper. In 1972, the Permatex
time. Mr. Benoit applied some of his experimental gasket cement Company was sold to Loctite Corporation.
and the DePalma car drove the rest of the 24-hour race without The business was moved to Cleveland, Ohio
any further gasket problems. On that day, Permatex entered the and integrated with the Woodhill Chemical
automotive maintenance chemicals business. The Permatex Company. In the late 1970’s, Woodhill Permatex
Company became one of the early leaders in using professional launched Permatex Blue Silicone which went
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auto racing to prove product performance and to promote sales. on to become the largest selling blister carded
chemical item in the American auto parts
In 1936, American stock-car driver and mechanic Bill France, Sr.,
business. In August 1980, the Woodhill Permatex division moved to a
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assembled a racing engine using only Permatex Form-A-Gasket
brand new 175,000 square foot facility with over 100 employees.
products. Later, Driver Milt Marion won the first race at the Daytona
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Beach Road Course with the Form-A-Gasket Test Car # 23. In 1966, In February 1990, DL Banite, Inc., America’s
the Permatex 300 became only the second race on the NASCAR oldest manufacturer of waterless hand cleaners
schedule to be named for a corporate sponsor. The Permatex became a part of the Permatex line. Later
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300 NASCAR race at the that year, Permatex launched Fast Orange
Daytona International citrus hand cleaners, a staple of the
Speedway became one Permatex product line and a standard of the
of America’s premier emerging citrus hand cleaner industry.
racing events. In the
In January of 2001, Permatex finalized
mid 1970’s, NASCAR
the acquisition of the Permatex
superstar Bobby Allison
International Business from Loctite.
built a late model Chevrolet
In 2002, Permatex re-entered the
sportsman engine entirely
industrial market with a broad range of products including
with Permatex brand
its proprietary waterless hand cleaners, silicone-based
threadlockers. The car, built
sealant and gasketing materials, anaerobic adhesives,
without a single cut gasket
epoxies, lubricants, and other specialty chemicals.
or lock washer, ran 300 miles
at Alabama International
Motor Speedway (Talladega).

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