September 2020 SPRAY 31
A character-driven industry
The early captains of the aerosol filling industry were often very colorful. Herman “Shep” Shepherd,
founder of Aerosol Techniques in Bridgeport, CT, always wore thick, white gym socks.
Wayne Speer of Morton Pharmaceuticals and Shirlo attended CSMA meetings with his left arm
decorated with up to 15 or 20 bracelets. “Cy” Goldberg visited larger aerosol plants on an annual
basis, seated in a chauffeur-driven Cadillac and wearing a tuxedo. Philip Sagarin of VCA,
Inc. made “state visits” bearing fresh bagels said to have come from a bakery in Grand Central
Station, New York City. Bob Chase had a huge recreation area in his Chicago home, as well as a
house on a golf course near Acapulco, Mexico. An executive in the early paint aerosol industry
had beach chairs in his office and invited friends to send him little cardboard match folders for
his collection. Finally, there was Rusty (last name forgotten) who invariably wore old-fashioned
bowler hats when visiting plants and association meetings. Several billionaires also became
involved with the burgeoning aerosol industry in pursuit of new product developments.
72 years & counting
DuPont developed the earliest aerosol statistics; for example, in 1948, the first full year of production, the industry
produced 5 million insect sprays, 2 million room deodorants and 500,000 paints and coatings, for a total of 7.5 million
units. In 1949, the total more than doubled. Expansions of this magnitude are almost unheard of and point to the
dedication and energy of aerosol industry founders. They probably never visualized the diverse 4 billion units of today’s
aerosol industry in the U.S. and approximately 16+ billion units globally that they pioneered, but we can appreciate
their many formative accomplishments. Spray
LLOYD T. FLANNER
General Chemical Division (Allied Chemical
Corp.)
Developed superior insecticides using
piperonyl butoxide syneresis.
Created ski wax, furniture polish and
automotive sprays.
FRED TAYLOR (and R. F. Prindle)
Lehn & Fink Products Division
(Sterling Drug Co.)
Created Amphyl, Dual and Lysol
Disinfectant-Deodorants.
STANLEY SVEDAS
Turtle Wax, Inc.
Created Penny Shine and automotive
cleaners and waxes.
FRED LENSE
Texize Chemical Co.
Created Spray-n-Wash and K2r spot
cleaners.
RIDGEWAY V. SHARPLESS (and A.C.
Miller)
Gulf Research & Development Co.
(Div. Gulf Oil Co.)
Improved pyrethrum insecticides and
Meelium room deodorizers.
WALTER C. BEARD, JR.
The Risdon Manufacturing Co.
Developed the first Mechanical Break-Up
(MB-U) actuators.
MORRIS J. ROOT
Barr-Stalfort Co.
Created superior hair sprays and other
cosmetics.
FRED PRESANT
Aerosol Techniques, Inc.
Developed aerosol antiperspirant/
deodorants and other items.
WALTER K. LIM
Aerosol Services Co.
Improved numerous aerosol products.
LYLE D. GOODHUE
Airosol Company, Inc.
Created insecticides with synergized
allethrin; other pyrthroids.
FRANKLIN D. HAASE
Peterson Filling & Packaging Co.
Inventor of the first water-based air
fresheners and insecticides.
GEORGE L. KITCHEN
Connecticut Chemicals Ltd.
Developed improved household aerosol
products.
WILLIAM (BILL) BONHAM
Aerosol Systems Inc.
Developed numerous household aerosol
products.
GEORGE C. CASS
Krylon Dept. (Borden Co.)
Improved regular and water-based aerosol
paints.
HERMAN LANE
Lenk Manufacturing Co.
Reformulated Windex Glass Cleaner for
aerosol packaging.
STEVE KLISCH (and William Wellman)
Colgate Palmolive Co.
Developed hydrocarbon-propelled shave
cream and underarm deodorant.
LEWIS MANTELS
Claire Manufacturing Co.
Formulated improved hair sprays and
other personal care aerosols.
FRANK SCOTTI
Boyle-Midway Division (American Home
Products Inc.)
Improved many household aerosols.
Created new cookware lubricant using
nitrous oxide.
DANIEL TERRY
Bon Ami Division (Chemagro, Inc.)
Formulated first aerosol window cleaner.
STACEY (JACK) CAMPBELL
(and C. “Pete” Clapp)
Continental Filling Corp.
Developed glass aerosol business,
including unique removal of solids from
complete cologne and perfume aerosols.
KENNETH KLAUSNER
General Chemical Division (Edgewater)
Formulated sanitizing quick-breaking
foam aerosols.
Early Aerosol Formulators (1947–1957)
Herman “Shep” Shepherd
(1921–2011)