Functional Products Inc. was founded in 1985 in Northeast Ohio with a simple mission: to solve lubrication challenges through innovative chemistry and responsive technical support. Today, we develop and manufacture high-viscosity polymer additives including tackifiers, viscosity modifiers, specialty additives, and formulated packages that help lubricant manufacturers create high-performance lubricants and greases for demanding applications around the world. From our headquarters and manufacturing facility in Macedonia, Ohio, we develop, manufacture, test, and support the polymer technologies that have defined the FUNCTIONAL brand for more than four decades.
Our products support the blending of tens to hundreds of millions of gallons of finished lubricants and greases each year across industrial, automotive, food-grade, and specialty markets worldwide. Beyond manufacturing, customers rely on Functional Products for formulation guidance, laboratory support, and technical expertise backed by decades of industry leadership through publications, conference presentations, industry associations, and award-winning research.
40+ Years of Technical Leadership and Friendship to the Lubrication Community
For more than four decades, lubricant formulators have relied on Functional Products Inc. to solve challenges involving viscosity control, tackiness, grease structure, sustainability, food-grade compliance, and specialty performance requirements.
A joke post about industrial trick-or-treating for Halloween on our LinkedIn page (see the latest news and excitement from Functional Products Inc.)
Functional Products Inc. excels in both lubricants and greases by understanding the key differences in what makes each type of lubrication strategy most impactful.
New hires at your company? The Functional Products team can run training on-site or online to bring them up to speed on core concepts behind tribology, lubrication, and additive selection.
Tackiness is a complex interaction of specialized polymers in oil. The right option depends on many factors like equipment speed, oil life, operating temperature, and the overall formulation. FUNCTIONAL V-176 is a versatile tackifier to start with.
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The "App Chart" is a 20+ year old tradition. Most of these products are still in production today - how many can you spot?
Our technical team has instructed in 'Polymers in Grease' at the NLGI Advanced Grease Course for over 10 years.
Our team puts in the work to help customers optimize their formulations via high-throughput experimental design.
Our lab operates multiple four-ball wear testers to run ASTM D4172, D2783, D2266, D2596, D5183, and 20-100 hour KRL shear (CEC L-45-A-99) tests for customers. Our testing is complimentary to help aid customers in developing high effective and competitive products for the lubricant, grease, and metalworking markets.
Specialty grease development is a key area of interest. By providing new additives, we offer formulators a way to differentiate and compete with commodity products.
FPI supports new industry initiatives to recruit and retain new talent to Tribology and Lubrication.
Lubricant tackifiers impart viscoelasticity to lubes and greases to ensure the product adheres to moving equipment without flinging off. This guarantees lower product consumption, improved workplace cleanliness, and delivery of additive chemistry to wherever friction is occurring.
Our grease development team has worked with all standard grease thickener types plus highly exploratory emerging technologies that are creating the frontier of new grease technology and performance.
We support the European Lubricating Grease Institute (ELGI) in its mission to support European grease manufacturers in making better grease and navigating the EU's regulatory complexity.
This ad from 2000 showcases that we have always been a problem-focused technical supplier. Big problems require the right tool for the job and we offer a wide variety in every product category to suit your need.
Tackiness and viscoelasticity of grease a key selling point and quality that end users look for. We operate highly precise instruments like the Falex TAA in our lab to *quantify* the texture, feel, and tack of grease.
One of the earliest FPI ads on record dates to 1989. The Functional team are experts at making our additives accessible to your plant's specific capabilities for blending and solubilizing. Polymers have been the key to our formulation strategies since 1985.
Viscosity is the most critical parameter in proper lubricant selection. Let us help you get it right depending on your specific application and design constraints.
This product line card from 2004 details our capabilities from 20+ years ago and we've only continued to build on these abilities ever since. Looking back on our history is key to paving the way forward.
PARATAC was acquired from Infineum in 2017. The legacy tackifier brand, first invented in the 1930's, continues its history forward with Functional Products Inc. now producing and supplying the material.
FUNCTIONAL-branded sunglasses (with a mini technical datasheet) given out during the spring/summer conference season are made with recycled plant fibers in the resin. Polymers touch everything we do.
We support the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers' Association (ILMA) in its mission to protect small business blenders in a rapidly changing market.
Copper strip corrosion (ASTM D130) and turbine oil rust (ASTM D665) testing are routine parts of additive and formulation design.
We've continued to expand operations for over 20 years since moving to the Bavaria Road facility in Macedonia Ohio.
The Functional team has won numerous awards for innovative developments and service within industry organizations.
In 2019, Functional Products Inc. doubled the footprint of its Bavaria Road operations to continue supporting rapid growth.
We support local STLE sections in order to spread the word about tribology and lubrication.
We've been offering additives for specialty food machinery and biobased/biodegradable lubricants for over 30 years. The most successful of these exploratory products are still key products and have been honed by decades of field experience.
Our lab also serves the metalworking fluid market through testing of our various water-based and emulsifiable chemistries available to formulators.
Functional Products Inc. maintains an ISO 9001 with Design quality management system.
We run a variety of in-house test methods to rapidly screen formulations. This 'steel strip corrosion' test uses layers of air, oil, and water to assess how water will rust steel at different interfaces of the metal strip.
Functional Products Inc. has been a proud corporate member of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) since 2000.
Meet our technical and sales teams at the STLE Annual Meeting in May each year. Our exhibition booth is a great place to pick up the latest brochures and literature.
Ferrous corrosion ("rust") is a massive cost on industries across the world. Functional Products Inc. produces highly effective corrosion inhibitors based on amine phosphate chemistry.
Environ represents FUNCTIONAL lubricant and grease additives in India and at local events like the NLGI India conference. We maintain a global supply chain.
Successful changeovers between additives are key to ensuring clean additive gets to your blending plant. FPI uses high resolution FTIR spectroscopy to ensure proper cleanouts as we rotate between twelve different base oils to create our portfolio of highly specialized additives.
This tackifier selection guide dates back over two decades and still features some of our most popular tackifiers. These options are specially tuned to address the unique conditions of various lubricated equipment.
Foam can be a critical problem for lubricant users. We offer a range of specialized defoamers to suit both traditional and specialty lubricants.
Functional Products Inc. presents at key industry conferences around the world in order to educate customers and help create the next frontiers in lubricant design.
We manufacture and deliver tailor-made additives backed by global logistics and technical support to help you discover the next big thing.
Functional Products Inc. develops additives and customer formulations for greased or oiled bearing applications.
Our grease lab operates a small-scale open kettle production system in order to model how our additives interact in customer greases and which options will best accomplish the desired performance level.
Our rheometers and environmental chambers allow us to cool oil as low as -70C / -94F to study the effects of very low temperatures on lubricant and grease fluidity.
Our lab designs and formulates with a wide variety of polymer viscosity modifiers and base stocks required to meet or exceed ASTM D6278 Kurt-Orbahn diesel injector shear stability testing.
We run extensive testing on polymers to create semi-fluid coatings, gels, and rust preventative bases.
During conference season, the team hits the road with our traveling exhibition table which features our most current technical literature to inform formulators and technical decision makers throughout the industry.
Continuous improvement continues to pay off as we continue decades of service to the lubrication industry. Our quality management system is ISO 9001 with Design certified.
Based in Macedonia Ohio, we reach all across the world with a global distribution network driven by our own in-house export team.
Water-resistance is a key improvement gained by using specialized 'grease polymers' in lithium, calcium, or other types of grease to meet new industry specifications like NLGI HPM and HPM-WR.
New to biobased/biodegradable or EAL lubrication? We've been doing it for over 30 years - let us share our expertise.
The images above represent just a small portion of our history: technical publications, product launches, laboratory development work, plant expansions, industry participation, and customer support efforts spanning multiple generations of lubricant technology. Together, they reflect decades of product development, manufacturing growth, technical collaboration, and customer partnerships that continue to shape Functional Products Inc. today.
Invention and reinvention are what we do best. For more than four decades, Functional Products has evolved alongside the lubricant industry, adapting to new technologies, regulations, and market demands. Today, we are trusted by independent lubricant blenders, regional manufacturers, and global Fortune 500 companies to provide unique solutions that help their brands stand out in competitive markets.
Milestones Along the Way
What began as a small specialty additive manufacturer has grown into a trusted technical partner for lubricant and grease formulators across the globe. Over four decades, we’ve built a reputation for responsiveness, creativity, manufacturing excellence, and reliability—qualities that continue to guide us today.
1985 🏗️
Founded in Cleveland, Ohio
Functional Products Inc. was established to develop and manufacture custom polymer solutions and additive chemistries under the FUNCTIONAL brand for lubricant formulators seeking improved performance and dependable technical support.
1990s 🔬
Building the Foundation
Expanded our manufacturing portfolio with viscosity modifiers, tackifiers, and specialty additives designed for performance and ease of use. Operations were relocated to our current headquarters and manufacturing facility in Macedonia, Ohio, in 1998.
2000s 🌎
Expanding Reach to a Global Presence
As our manufacturing capabilities and product portfolio grew, so did our customer base. We began supporting lubricant manufacturers throughout North America and around the world with consistent supply, responsive technical service, and dependable production.
2010s 🏆
Innovation & Recognition
Expanded into bio-based and environmentally acceptable lubricant technologies while continuing to invest in polymer innovation. Functional Products scientists contributed award-winning papers and presentations in tribology and grease technology. Functional Products Inc. acquired the PARATAC® tackifier brand in 2017 and expanded its headquarters and manufacturing facilities in 2019.
2020s ⚠️
Fast Response to Changing Times
Functional Products became a valued manufacturing partner during a rapidly changing global marketplace, helping customers maintain supply through responsive product development, dependable production, and flexible manufacturing. We also expanded our digital technical resources, making decades of formulation knowledge more accessible through online application guides, formulation tools, and AI-assisted product selection.
Today ⚙️
Your Technical Partner for Tomorrow
While products and technologies continue to evolve, one thing has remained constant: the trust we’ve earned from our customers. Over four decades, that trust has grown from solving one-off formulation challenges to supporting increasingly ambitious development programs, larger commercial opportunities, and long-term technical partnerships. As our customers continue to succeed, Functional Products continues to grow alongside them through innovative chemistry, responsive manufacturing, and collaborative technical support.
Why Our History Matters to You
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Formulators & Brand Stewards
Our decades of research and manufacturing experience give you access to proven additive chemistries backed by real-world testing. We’ve helped formulators solve difficult challenges, accelerate development, and create products that stand apart in the marketplace.
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OEMs & Technical Decision Makers
Lubricant performance is about more than meeting a specification. Whether you’re validating a new specification or improving an existing formulation, our team helps bridge laboratory development and commercial production with practical solutions that perform consistently in the field.
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Supply Chain Professionals
Because we develop and manufacture our core technologies in-house, we maintain direct control over quality, production, and responsiveness. Combined with resilient supply chains and strong distributor relationships, that means dependable supply and fast turnaround when you need it most.
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Future Team Members
Functional Products Inc. has grown by encouraging curiosity, collaboration, and technical excellence. Joining us means contributing to innovations that keep global industries moving while working in a supportive, entrepreneurial culture.
The Next Chapter
Our story is still being written. As the lubricant industry navigates the challenges of electrification, sustainability, and globalization, Functional Products Inc. remains committed to leading with innovative chemistry, American manufacturing, responsive technical service, and a people-first approach.
Forty years ago, Functional Products set out to solve difficult lubrication problems through chemistry. That mission remains unchanged. Whether you’re developing the next generation of industrial lubricants, electric vehicle fluids, food-grade greases, or specialty formulations, we’re ready to help Make it FUNCTIONAL.
