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A Proud History

Master Chemical Corporation, now Master Fluid Solutions was founded by Clyde A. Sluhan in 1951, not simply as a business for the sake of making profit, but as a company dedicated to the improvement of manufacturing productivity to benefit mankind with a higher standard of living at an ever lower cost. Clyde believed that he was put on the earth not to "pursue happiness", but to help others, and in the words of philosopher Leo Rosten, "to have it make some difference that (he) lived at all."

A Proud History

1951

Looking Back

Clyde A. Sluhan

Video clip of Clyde A. Sluhan, from "Miracle at Point of Cut", "Problem solving is our value in your operation. Research to reality, applied chemistry in metal removal. At Master Chemical, this is the working idea for progress."

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Humble Beginnings

Clyde A. Sluhan was born on November 14, 1911, and was sent with his two sisters to the Lutheran's Orphan Home in Toledo, Ohio. Clyde was always grateful for the care of the Lutheran Sisters. Clyde received a deep faith in Christ, and a strong work ethic that would carry him far.

Humble Beginnings

In 1933 Clyde became the second person from the Lutheran's home to earn a college degree. After a few jobs in Toledo, Clyde took a job as a chemist for a textile sizing company in Atlanta. Clyde was soon introduced to Marian Elliott, his wife to be, and co-founder of Master Chemical.

Development of TRIM^®

In 1936, after the birth of their first son Elliot, Clyde and Marian moved to Connecticut where he worked for American Cyanamid and developed early cutting and grinding fluids.

Development of TRIM^®

In 1936, after the birth of their first son Elliot, Clyde and Marian moved to Connecticut where he worked for American Cyanamid and developed early cutting and grinding fluids.

Clyde then went to work for F.E. Anderson Oil Company promoting its products. During his travels he noticed a great need for cutting fluids and continued developing them. When the owner of F. E. Anderson changed his agreement to sell the company to Clyde, he and Marian decided to start their own company. After 3,528 separate formulations, Clyde perfected a formula, and he and Marian moved their family to Toledo, Ohio, situated in the heart of US manufacturing. Master Chemical was officially incorporated in 1951, and he and Marian began building their company.

Early Days

Master Chemical started as a true family business, in an old potato warehouse in Downtown Toledo. Clyde manufactured and sold product, Marian handled the books and orders, and their three children, Elliott, Bill, and Sally helped with it all.

Early Days

Clyde and Marian hired distributors and began concentrating on product support and education of customers and sales engineers. After years of continuous, steady growth, Master Chemical broke ground for their new headquarters in 1962, in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Recycling and Conservation

In 1971, Master Chemical started developing recycling systems to extend the life of products. The orphanage and living through the Great Depression made Clyde despise waste. While it might mean lower sales volume, Clyde, with the help of his son Bill and service engineer, Jay Threadgill, developed what would become an industry standard, the "XYBEX system". This allowed customers to reduce coolant waste by up to 80%. Profit took a backseat to conservation and doing the right thing.

Recycling and Conservation

Growth to the Present

In 1981, Master Chemical opened a second plant in Huntsville, Texas and this launched a period of growth that continues to this day. Master Fluid Solutions now has offices and manufacturing in China, Europe, India, Thailand, and Vietnam. Regardless of size, Master Fluid Solutions remains family owned, and is driven by "the Golden Rule".

2025

Looking Forward

Legacy Letter from Bill & Sally:

The Sluhan Family Vision is that Master Fluid Solutions will continue to be a dynamic and growing business which builds long-term value for all stakeholders.

In recognition of the spirit of its founders, "we intend for Master Fluid Solutions to remain a family-owned (and if possible, family-managed business). We will not trade long-term business strength and viability for rapid, short-term, and unsustainable growth."

"We expect the Board of Directors and Management to plan and execute a long-term sustainable path towards profitable growth that will benefit the owners, our employees, and our external stakeholders."

"The Master Fluid Solutions Corporate Vision, Values, and Mission presented here were developed by the Board of Directors and Management to align with the Sluhan Family Vision. They — the Directors, Management, and Sluhan Family — are committed to ensuring that the execution of the Corporate Visions, Values, and Mission, through the long-term corporate strategy, continues to perpetuate a dynamic and growing business with a focus on innovating value-added solutions to meet our customers' complex needs."

"We ask that Master Fluid Solution employees embrace these visions so that every action is driven by a desire to achieve them."

William A. Sluhan Sally Sluhan Wright

Sluhan Family Vision:
As good stewards of our heritage:

"We endeavor to maintain a foundation of core Judeo-Christian values summarized by adherence to the Golden Rule: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'"
"Our vision is for Master Fluid Solutions to be a dynamic and growing business entity which builds long-term value for all stakeholders."
"We will not trade long-term business strength and viability for rapid, short term, and unsustainable growth."
"Safety is non-negotiable, and we commit to do all that is necessary to ensure the safety of our employees, our distributors, and our customers before purchase, during use, and after disposal of product."

Toledo Community Foundation Page: toledocf.org

Great grandchildren of Clyde and Marian Sluhan

Community Work & Charity Support

Helping and supporting people in need in the communities in which we live and work.

Awards

Clyde set the standard for helping the industry.

Awards

Clyde set the standard for helping the industry.

Awards

Master Fluid Solutions continues to receive many awards and certificates for extraordinary performance in the metalworking industry.

A Great Company

Our commitment to environmental responsibility and product stewardship is supported by extensive training of our associates, distributors, and end-users. We believe sound environmental practices that contribute to less waste, lower costs, and higher efficiency make good economic sense. We attract, retain, and develop Great People by fostering a culture that enhances creativity, continuous learning and improvement, teamwork, responsibility, and mutual trust.