Austin Powder Company

Founded in 1833 in Akron, Ohio by five brothers from Vermont, Austin Powder evolved from a small black powder producer into a global leader in explosives. The company is one of the oldest explosives manufacturers in the world and the oldest manufacturing company in the State of Ohio. In 1867, Austin acquired Cleveland Powder Co., later relocating production to Glenwillow in 1891 where it built manufacturing facilities, housing, a school, town hall, and general store for employees. In 1930, Austin constructed the Red Diamond dynamite plant in McArthur, Ohio, which became the main U.S. Production site by 1972. Under new ownership in the late 20th century, Austin embarked on global expansion first into Latin America then Europe, with acquisitions of Zvobrovka Vsetin in the Czech Republic and Dynamit Nobel Wien in Austria. In the 2010s, Austin added ammonium nitrate plants, acquired Malaysia’s Tenaga Kimia, and expanded into southern Africa and Australia. In 2024, Austin appointed its first Global Director of Sustainability and welcomed American Industrial Partners as a partial owner.

Austin Powder operates in over 27 countries, runs 30 manufacturing plants, and employs more than 4,800 people worldwide. The company’s mission is to improve the world through the safe and responsible use of explosives. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Austin Powder operates through five primary business units/regions: the United States and Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, and the Detonator companies. The company provides advanced blasting and rock fragmentation solutions across various industrial sectors including large-scale mining, quarrying, construction, oil and gas, and seismic applications. Austin Powder manufactures explosive products and controls much of its own destiny through vertical integration, from highly energetic chemicals to detonator manufacturing. Innovation is central to operations, driven by dedicated research and development teams globally. Austin Powder provides the highest quality blasting products and services safely, efficiently, and responsibly, with a focus on practical technology, operational excellence, and vertically integrated capabilities.