J.C. Whitlam Manufacturing has a proud history of over 100 years in business, always under the ownership and management of the same family. Established in 1900, Mr. Whitlam developed the first “lead-free” (and non-toxic) thread sealing compound he called Tyte-Unyte®. To demonstrate to plumbers and wholesalers that it was not poisonous, Mr. Whitlam would open a can of Tyte-Unyte® and eat some of it! Manufacturing both paint coatings and thread sealant, the company grew steadily and Tyte-Unyte® became the standard for threaded joints in the plumbing industry. In World War I, the armed forces, principally the U.S. Navy, pre-empted virtually the company’s entire production, which also was the case in World War II, when J.C. Whitlam Manufacturing operated under an A-1 priority, right along with the largest defense plants. Today, J.C. Whitlam manufactures over 300 chemical specialty products including pipe joining sealants, solvents, and equipment with operating responsibility now in the hands of its third and fourth generations.
