Tec Laboratories

Tec Laboratories, Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Pharmaceutical
Founded	1977
Founder	Robert L. Smith
Headquarters	Albany, Oregon , United States
Products	Over-the-counter dermatological pharmaceuticals (including Tecnu, Licefreee!)
Number of employees	35 (2014)
Parent	Quest Products, LLC (since 2024)

Tec Laboratories, Inc. is a privately held producer specializing in over-the-counter dermatological pharmaceuticals. Established in 1977 by chemical engineer and former Mead Johnson executive Robert L. Smith, the company is based in Albany, Oregon. Its leading product, the poison oak scrub Tecnu, is available through roughly 47,000 retail locations and had sold more than 53 million units by 2014.

History

During the early 1950s, chemist Dr. Robert Smith created a waterless cleanser designed to remove radioactive dust from skin. After moving to Oregon in 1962, his wife discovered that this cleanser, called Tecnu (short for “technically new”), effectively prevented poison oak rash by eliminating urushiol oil from both skin and clothing. Additional tests demonstrated its efficacy in removing grease, sap, pitch, and even skunk odor. The Forestry Department at Oregon State University also conducted evaluations of the product.

In 1977, Smith launched Tecnu Enterprises to bring the scrub to market, initially operating out of his family’s garage in Corvallis before relocating to a dedicated manufacturing site in Albany. The company adopted the name Tec Laboratories, Inc. during the mid-1980s.

By 2014, Tec Laboratories maintained a 58,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Albany with a workforce of 35 full-time employees supplemented by seasonal workers during busy periods. Since its inception, the company reported total sales exceeding 53.3 million units.

In 2024, Quest Products, LLC—a portfolio company based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin—acquired Tec Laboratories, thereby broadening Quest’s product range to include the Tecnu and Licefreee brands.

Products

Originally a supplier of specialized safety products, Tec Laboratories has expanded its offerings to include over-the-counter skin care treatments, insect repellents, head lice remedies, and wound care items distributed nationwide through major drugstore chains. All manufacturing remains centralized in Albany, Oregon.

Prominent products include Tecnu Outdoor Skin Cleanser, Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy Scrub, Tecnu Rash Relief Spray, Licefreee! Non-toxic Lice Killing Hair Gel, Calagel Medicated Anti-itch Gel, 10-Hour Repellent, and Corticool 1% Hydrocortisone Gel. The Licefreee line was introduced in 2011 after a Tec employee sought an alternative to existing lice treatments with unpleasant odors. By 2013, Licefreee represented over 35% of Tec’s total sales and fueled a 48% growth rate for the company.

In April 2011, the FDA issued a warning letter regarding StaphAseptic First Aid Antiseptic/Pain Relieving Gel—which had shown effectiveness against community-associated MRSA in an Oregon State University study—due to unapproved drug claims under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. While the company was required to respond within 15 days, no product recall was anticipated. By 2014, Tec Laboratories discontinued StaphAseptic and introduced Tecnu First Aid Gel as part of its product lineup.

Company culture

Tec Laboratories’ mission statement highlights values such as innovation, trustworthiness, joie de vivre, and esprit de corps. Since 1997, supervisors have been referred to as "coaches," reflecting a transition from hierarchical management toward self-managed teams and transparent financial practices. An "Appreciation Station" located in the main corridor fosters employee recognition. Additionally, a profit-sharing program allocates a portion of pre-tax earnings back to employees; in 2013 this amounted to $9,000 per worker.

The company has received the Hall of Fame Award from Oregon Business magazine for maintaining a presence on its "Oregon Top 100 Small Businesses" list for twelve consecutive years. It frequently appears on Oregon’s "100 Best Companies to Work For" rankings—including the "100 Best Green Companies to Work For in Oregon"—and has earned numerous business and industry accolades that highlight its robust corporate culture and significant market position.