For more than 90 years, the Wels family has demonstrated that manufacturing can continue to thrive here in New York through innovation, quality and an unwavering commitment to customers.

Founded in Brooklyn in 1935 and now operating from a manufacturing facility in the Bronx, Twi-Laq has remained family owned through four generations, proving that local manufacturing still has an important place in New York’s economy.

Today, the company is led by the fourth generation of the Wels family. Jonathan, Sandy, David and Steven Wels work side by side every day, continuing the values established by the generations before them. Together, they remain committed to the same principles that have guided the company for more than nine decades; manufacturing quality products, treating customers like partners and ensuring Twi-Laq remains a proud New York manufacturer for generations to come.

“People ask why we still manufacture in New York. The answer is simple. This is our home. It’s where our employees live, where our customers are, and where our family built this business. We believe New York manufacturing is worth fighting for.” That commitment extends well beyond the walls of the company’s Bronx manufacturing facility. Every product produced locally supports New York jobs, regional suppliers, transportation companies and the network of small businesses that make up the state’s manufacturing economy.

Every bottle that leaves Twi-Laq’s Bronx manufacturing facility represents far more than a cleaning product. It represents New York jobs, American manufacturing, family ownership and a commitment to keeping manufacturing alive where it has belonged for more than 90 years.

Manufacturing in New York also gives the company something increasingly rare; the ability to innovate quickly, maintain complete control over product quality and respond directly to customers’ needs.

“My great-grandfather used to make chemicals in the morning and sell them out of his car in the afternoon.”

The company’s commitment to innovation began with founder Arthur Wels, an industrial chemist who believed every problem presented an opportunity to create something better. Like many great inventions, Twi-Laq’s first breakthrough began with an everyday frustration. After being assigned dishwashing duty following a family gathering, Arthur decided there had to be a better way. Rather than complain, he headed back to his laboratory. The result was a revolutionary liquid detergent that dramatically reduced washing time and eliminated the need for hand drying. The product was featured in a 1953 newspaper article and helped establish a philosophy that continues to guide the company today.

Whether developing advanced floor finishes, specialty maintenance products, custom formulations or private label solutions, the company continues to focus on helping customers operate more safely, more efficiently and more sustainably. Long before sustainability became an industry priority, the Wels family believed customers should never have to choose between product performance and environmental responsibility.

The company was among the first manufacturers in New York City to develop and produce Green Seal Certified cleaning products for New York City public schools, helping establish a higher standard for environmentally preferable cleaning throughout one of the nation’s largest school systems.

Today, that commitment continues through highly concentrated formulations that reduce packaging, transportation and waste while lowering costs for customers. Manufacturing locally further reduces transportation impacts and strengthens regional supply chains, demonstrating that environmental stewardship begins not only with what’s inside the bottle, but with where and how it’s made.

While products and technology have evolved over the past 90 years, one thing has remained consistent, relationships come first.

For generations, schools, healthcare systems, municipalities, distributors and facility managers have worked directly with members of the Wels family. Customers don’t call an anonymous service center. They speak with people who understand their facilities, know their challenges and stand behind every product that leaves the factory.

The company’s commitment to New York extends beyond manufacturing. Through partnerships with organizations such as the New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID), Twi-Laq helps create meaningful employment opportunities while supporting New York’s Preferred Source Program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision to continue manufacturing locally allowed the company to quickly produce hand sanitizers, disinfectants and other essential products when New York needed them most.

As Twi-Laq enters its tenth decade, its mission remains remarkably simple: continue innovating, continue manufacturing in New York and continue earning the trust of every customer.

More than 90 years after the company was founded, the Wels family continues to believe that every purchase from a local manufacturer is more than buying a product. It supports New York jobs, strengthens communities, preserves manufacturing knowledge and helps ensure that companies like Twi-Laq can continue building in New York for generations to come.

Today, with nine members of the fifth generation growing up around the family business, the Wels family is working to preserve more than a company; they are preserving a legacy. Whether the next generation chooses to carry it forward or forges its own path, the opportunity will be there, just as it was for the generations before them.