WD-40 makes New Jersey
its Global R&D Epicenter
Ava Caridad, Editorial Director & Veronica MacDonald Ditko, Assistant Editor
On Jan 15, the WD-40 Co. moved and expanded its global
laboratory capabilities from Summit, NJ to Pine Brook,
NJ. The new space—officially known as the WD-40
Company Technical Center—is approximately 8,000 sq ft and was
the vision of Ernest Bernarducci, VP, R&D; Meghan Lieb, Global
Director; and Michael Counts, Research Fellow. It benefits the
entire corporation as the primary R&D facility for the WD-40 Co.
globally.
The brand new WD-40 Co. Technical Center in Pine Brook, NJ. The location
offers an equidistant commute for the WD-40 employees based there.
“This is a big step up from what we had before, and for the
benefit of the whole organization,” said Richard Dolan, WD-40’s
Director of R&D, Americas.
Playing on the definition of tribology—the study of friction,
wear and lubrication—Bernarducci explained, “We like to refer to
ourselves as a tribe, which is different from a team because a tribe
is interdependent. This group supports WD-40 R&D around the
globe. The goal is to get our 16 R&D facilities around the world
to function together. In fact, the company will be holding our 6th
Annual WD-40 R&D Summit in June.”
The maker of WD-40 Multi-Use Product, the WD-40 Specialist
and WD-40 BIKE lines, 3-IN-ONE Oil, Lava and Solvol
hand cleaners, X-14 and 2000 Flushes toilet bowl cleaners,
X-14 bathroom cleaners and Carpet Fresh, Spot Shot and 1001
carpet care products plans to use the Pine Brook location as a
training facility for its scientists, as well as to hold webinars for
new sales staff orientation, product demonstration, marketing
and safety.
Features of the new facility include a large training room, three
“huddle” or conference rooms, offices, conversation lounge, eat-in
kitchen and laboratory.
The most dramatic change has been the growth of a previous
12x12 ft laboratory room in Summit to a lab approximately onethird
of the new office space in Pine Brook. The prior lab had
limited abilities and was damaged when a flood destroyed about
half of the Summit office. The new laboratory includes a functioning
quality lab for teaching, product improvement and pH, gravity,
lubrication and standard testing. There is also an incubation evaluation
room; a compounding room for implementing research of
lubrication, corrosion and cleaning products; a hood for spray-out
testing and two equipment rooms. There is, however, no actual
aerosol filling performed in the lab.
The team that makes it all happen! Back row, left to right: Chris Aiello, Scientist, R&D; Michael Counts, Research Fellow; Richard Dolan, R&D, Americas;
and Thomas Williams, Associate Scientist. Front row, left to right: Inez Kowalski, Manager, Regulatory Affairs; Ernest Bernarducci, VP, R&D; Meghan Lieb,
Global Director; and Faye Ericka Ramirez, Scientist, R&D. Not pictured: Judith Knight, Senior Scientist.
20 Spray June 2019