On July 28th 2026, Chemtek, Inc. celebrated 50 years of being in business. CEO David Rigsbee founded the company with a car, $300 to his name, and a garage to store and sell products out of. Since then, Chemtek has grown into a leader of transportation maintenance with dozens of patents, tens of thousands of customers worldwide, and billions of views across social media. Today we will explore each decade that Chemtek has been in business and how the company has evolved over the years to respond to emerging global challenges.
1976 – 1986
During his first years in business, David distributed white label chemicals under the Chemtek brand. Beginning in a garage near downtown Durham, he gradually expanded into the basement of an electrical company nearby, recruiting his brother Ronnie to assist him. In 1979 David was diagnosed with monoblastic leukemia, threatening the newly-founded company. David credits God for his recovery, and promised to continue helping people if God spared his life. Around this time David also began providing airfield maintenance solutions to commercial airports, such as striping, concrete joint repair, and more. In the same year that he was diagnosed with cancer, David formulated Avion50 to solve the problem of rubber buildup on airport runways, marking a pivotal shift from white label distributor, to manufacturer of proprietary chemical solutions.
1987 – 1996
As the Gulf War ramped up in the middle east, David saw an opportunity to leverage Avion50 to help United States armed forces keep their airfields safe. At the time, Avion50 was the only rubber removal solution that could fit alongside ancillary equipment inside of a C-130, greatly reducing the logistical burden of runway maintenance at forward operating bases overseas. David then worked to formulate Avion50 NexGen, an enhancement to the original formula allowing airfield operators to use a fraction of the water previously required to do the same job. This paradigm shift was received with open arms by Arab nations struggling to solve the problem of rubber removal on airport runways; thus, Chemtek became a globally recognized brand.
1997 – 2006
At the turn of the century, David looked towards expanding into other transportation industries. He identified that paving crews across the country were dumping thousands of gallons of diesel fuel onto the road each day, presenting environmental challenges by polluting local watersheds. In 1997 Chemtek introduced PavePro Gold, a heavy duty asphalt remover that was 100% biodegradable and non-combustible. PavePro would later become one of the most recognized brands in the asphalt paving industry.
2007 – 2016
As a result of evolving environmental regulations, PavePro became a highly popular alternative to diesel fuel, particularly within state and DOT jobs. David continued to grow the PavePro brand, launching new and improved formulas like PavePro Green (a two-in-one asphalt release agent and remover) and PavePro Blue (a QPL listed roller and truck bed release agent for state projects), while adding new products like PaveRX (an asphalt rejuvenator). David also began patenting new products within the same theme of sustainability. NeSilex – a silica dust suppressant – was introduced to the market in order to combat respirable silica dust, a common and deadly occupational health hazard in the construction industry. He also returned to his roots in the aviation maintenance space, working with Findlay Irvine to introduce the GripTester CFME to the western hemisphere.
2007 – 2016
As David’s children got older, they began taking leadership roles in the business. Starr – David’s eldest daughter – became CFO and vide-president of the company, spearheading the accounting and admin department. Josh – David’s eldest son – explored multiple roles in the company before deciding on sales. After spending years developing an effective sales strategy and traveling around the country to connect with customers, Josh became director of the sales department and manager of the inside sales team. Matthew joined the Chemtek team after graduating college, leveraging his marketing and communications skills to build Chemtek’s industry-leading digital infrastructure.
Although Chemtek looks very different than it did in 1976, the core mission hasn’t changed; Chemtek will always remain committed to solving problems for its customers and working to make the world of transportation maintenance a safer and more sustainable place.