Your Problem: A way to contain spills without absorbing them.
Our Solution: Dam it up with our reusable dike.

Customers love our absorbent socks. Then they asked for one that would contain a spill without absorbing it. They wanted it to stick to the floor, but it had to be removable. It had to be flexible. It had to be reusable. It had to stand up to chemicals. That wish list led us to urethane. Because it's so versatile, we knew we could design a formula that would give us every property we were looking for. And then we found out that's easier said than done. We went through dozens of formulations and experiments. Too hard and it wouldn't seal. Too sticky and it would pull up the floor tiles. But we kept at it. Finally, we hit on the right combination and created our patented reusable dike.

The original SPILLBLOCKER® Dike was first to market. Shortly after, we introduced the LEAKBLOCKER™ Dike to contain machine leaks. And for bigger spills, we developed a taller dike with connectors to make it easy to handle. Now customers had a choice: absorb the spill or dam it up.

Your Problem: A way to keep spills from going down the drain.
Our Solution: Seal them out with one tough cover.

Right after the SPILLBLOCKER® Dike hit the market, customers told us they wanted a drain cover that worked just like the dike — sticks to the drain but is reusable. We adapted our urethane formula and released the DRAINBLOCKER® Drain Cover. It worked great: seal the drain; pick it up; wash it; use it again. There was just one problem... people would leave it outside for weeks and it wasn't made for that application. It would tear. Or UV exposure would make it sticky and gooey. Either way, it wasn't pretty.

So we went back to work on a cover that could stand up to abuse. We developed more than 15 different versions. We reinforced the top layer with everything from rubber to vinyl to fiberglass. We battled with tack and strength in the bottom layer. If it sealed well, it would tear when we picked it up. If it didn't tear, it wouldn't seal. After ten years of trial and error we still didn't give up. We kept working on the problem until we found a way to bond a rugged top layer of DuPont™ Elvaloy® Vinyl with a better tacky urethane bottom layer. The result was a strong, flexible, UV resistant, and weatherproof cover that sealed a drain like Fort Knox. We finally had our next-generation DRAINBLOCKER® — and it's the toughest cover on the market.

Your Problem: Pouring liquids into a drum makes a mess.
Our Solution: Keep it clean with our funnels.

Burpless® Funnels came out of closed container regs. The funnels on the market took forever to drain. They burped. They splashed. They made a mess of the drum, the floor, and the person with the bucket. People would open the 3/4" bung to vent the drum, but as soon as they did, they were out of compliance. We started getting phone calls... customers asking, "Can you make funnels for us?"

We had to find a way to equalize the pressure without loosening the bung. We came up with a built-in vent to let air escape, but it took awhile to get the funnel just right. We made tall funnels. Wide funnels. Funnels so heavy they tipped the drum over. When we figured everything out, we had the world's first Burpless® Funnel. It helped customers comply with regs. But even better — they could empty a 5-gallon bucket in 17 seconds without a single splash.

Your Problem: Drum lids are hard to open.
Our Solution: Put our lid on it.

We knew there had to be a better way to get into a drum than hassling with the bolt ring. So we developed a latching drum lid that would help comply with regs. Early versions were clunky...pins broke...hinges got pinched. We tried a freezer handle that weighed a ton. Lots of failures, lots of replaced lids. But the customers who tested the prototypes stuck with us and gave us ideas on how to improve them.

Once we had the basic lid design down, we worked on specific problems. We made a lid that controls vapor. Another one that removes vapor. We made one with FM-approved fusible plugs for flammables. We made a fast-latch ring that works with a lever so it's easy to attach and take off. And we made the first-ever lid for poly drums. So no matter what's in the drum, we have a lid that makes it a snap to open and close.

Your Problem: Transformers leak in transit.
Our Solution: One bad bag.

Customers were using spill pallets to transport leaking pole-mounted transformers. And pumping them out before they were moved cost a bundle. We believed there had to be a better way. 12 prototypes, 7 onsite tests and 6 months later, we invented...a bag that didn't work. Then we came up with one that did. It was road tested for weight, puncture tested for strength, and ultimately delivered with a bow on top — so one person could gather it up. Plus, it eliminated the pump-out and carried 2 tons, no sweat.

At first, industry experts were skeptical. But we thought the problem through and we knew we were on the right track. Now there's a bad bag in 5 different sizes to fit every transformer.

Your Problem: On-site drums need secondary containment.
Our Solution: Just bag 'em.

SPCC says 55-gallon drums of oil at utility substations require secondary containment. Utility crews complained that overpacks were just too hard to work with. They wanted a hoistable bag. But it had to last outdoors and be tough enough to drag over gravel. Finding the right base was our biggest challenge — nothing we tried passed our 360° concrete drag test.

Then, one of our engineers went snow tubing and realized that the solution was right under her, uh, nose. The bottom of the tube was made of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene...and a perfect match for our drum bag. We sewed a sample to the bottom and took the bag out for a drag. It handled everything we dished out. Now there's an easy way to contain oil drums and stay in compliance. Just hoist and haul them in our drum containment bag — no overpacks required.

Your Problem: Nuisance leaks from pipes and valves.
Our Solution: Wrap them up.

Customers needed a way to control nuisance leaks from pipes and valves. Especially the ones that weren't bad enough for a repair shutdown but were bad enough to violate regs. We knew that our oil-only absorbent mat would solve the problem...the trick was getting it to stay put. Our inspiration? A diaper. We tucked a double layer of mat into a clear polyethylene liner, added some handy drawstrings — and just like that, nuisance leaks were all wrapped up.

Wrap it up or bag it — keeping nuisance leaks and drips under control has never been easier!

Your Problem: Spill pads are too weak for walkways.
Our Solution: One tough son of a stitch.

In our early days, we offered PIG® Mat for leaks, drips and spills and TRAFFIC MAT® Rug for high-traffic areas. But customers kept telling us they wanted something in the middle—an absorbent mat they could walk on. That's why we thought stitch-bonding might just be the solution we were looking for.

The first prototype went to resident mat man Tim "The Thumb" McMillen for his infamous abrasion test. Tim has the uncanny ability to shred absorbent mats just by rubbing them with his calloused, guitar-picking thumb. Most can only take one or two swipes before they're toast. He tested the prototype. It passed. He tested another prototype. It passed again. In fact, that zigzagged mat passed every test we threw at it. It didn't scuff. It didn't rip. It was one tough son of a stitch—durable and absorbent.

We knew we had a winner. But what to call our new mat? We were tossing around ideas when Nino got ahold of it. "Hey, this looks like elephant hide!" he shouted. And the name— Elephant Mat—stuck.

Zigzag stitching makes Elephant Mat tough enough to stand up to heavy foot traffic.

Your Problem: Funnels can't drink fast enough.
Our Solution: All slurp. No burp.

Burpless® Drum Funnels came out of closed-container regs. The drum funnels on the market took forever to drain. They burped. They splashed. They made a mess of the drum, the floor, and the person with the bucket. People would open the 3/4" bung to vent the drum, but as soon as they did, they were out of compliance. We started getting phone calls...customers asking, "Can you make drum funnels for us?"

We had to find a way to equalize the pressure without loosening the bung. We came up with a built-in vent to let air escape, but it took awhile to get the funnel part just right. We made tall funnels. Wide funnels. Funnels so heavy they tipped the drum over. When we figured everything out, we had the world's first Burpless® Drum Funnel. It helped customers comply with regs. But even better—they could empty a 5-gallon bucket in 17 seconds without a single splash.

Your Problem: Clear oil leaks are hard to see.
Our Solution: Expose those dirty little secrets.

Our UV-resistant oil absorbents were a hit with utility customers. But one nagging problem remained: light-colored oil is nearly invisible on white absorbents. That meant utility crews had to pick them up to check for equipment leaks. They needed absorbents that would change color to make these outdoor nuisance leaks visible. Simple idea. Actually making it work—not so much.

First, we found an oil-reactive pigment used by the cosmetics industry. We mixed it into the filler for absorbent pillows and tested it. The color changed...inside the pillow. Not too helpful. We needed to create the color change on the surface of the absorbent. Next, we coated a layer of spunbond with adhesive and pigment. It changed color, but what a mess. Pigment powder went everywhere. Adhesive clogged the spunbond and blocked the absorbent layer. Back to the drawing board.

Taming the pigment.

We knew we had to control the pigment, so we mixed it with wax and made a crayon. Then we scribbled the color onto the spunbond and tested it. It worked. The oil was absorbed and the color change was obvious. We knew we were on the right path-but playing with crayons wasn't going to get us into production.

Our answer was little wax dots. Working with a company that does specialty adhesive printing for the garment industry, we came up with a way to print the dots on the spunbond. We tweaked the mixture until we had the best combination of wax, pigment and UV inhibitor. Then we adjusted the printing process until everything was just right. The result: light-colored oil that hits the spunbond layer dissolves the wax dots and creates a vibrant color change as it's absorbed. No more dirty little secrets—our Oil-Only Absorbent Mat with Color Flare™ Technology exposes outdoor nuisance leaks from the very first drip.

Your Problem: Big spills need extra absorbency.
Our Solution: Even more suck per buck.

While we were creating PIG BLUE® Absorbent Mat, it seemed like a new cellulose absorbent pad hit the market every week. Most were slippery, dusty or just plain flimsy. And none could meet our quality standards.

It's easy to cut corners and rush a product out the door. But we were on a mission. Our new mat had to be strong, super absorbent, durable, and fire retardant, with no dust and no slippery scrim holding it together. In other words, it had to be a PIG® Mat.

So we took the time to do things right. We scoured the globe for materials and new technologies. We pushed every new idea to the limit. Machines overloaded. Mountains of material piled up. We tortured prototypes with test after test. Our engineers worked around the clock, obsessing over the details. We spent months installing a world-class mat production line. Then we tweaked and tuned our manufacturing process.

When the dust finally settled, we had the only high-performance cellulose mat good enough to wear the PIG® Brand. And it's our most absorbent mat ever. So when big spills demand bigger absorbency, try PIG BLUE®—the mat with even more suck per buck.

Your Problem: Poly drums buckle ordinary pallets.
Our Solution: 9,000-lb. UDL — no BS.

The first poly spill containment pallets on the market were huge, high and weak. So when we had the chance to develop our own line, we went for it. Our first pallets were great for steel drums. But when customers began using aqueous solvents stored in poly drums, we started getting calls about the grates buckling. At first, we couldn't figure out what was happening. But as we studied the problem, we discovered how poly drums exerted pressure on pallet grates and caused them to fail. To make a stronger spill pallet, we had to accurately simulate poly drums. We looked for a machine to do load testing, but none existed—so we invented our own and named it "The Big Press."

Patience pays off.

Some of our tests lasted more than six months, but our patience helped us develop the lowest, sturdiest spill containment pallets on the market. We used 4"-thick grates. We determined the best channel locations for maximum strength. They can be moved with a forklift, even when they're loaded. And with a 9,000-lb. UDL, the heavy-duty four-drum spill pallet can support a small car.

Redefining standard duty.

We didn't stop at heavy-duty pallets. We also developed the only standard-duty spill containment pallet made to store poly drums. It's lower, more compact, and built for strength. And we've never had another call about the grates failing. Not one. So when we say our poly pallets don't bow, buckle or break, it's no BS.

Your Problem: In outdoor applications, skimpy absorbent mats blow away.
Our Solution: A blanket with staying power.

A utility customer told us their oil absorbent mats disappeared at their outdoor sites. And with SPCC and stormwater regulations to comply with, the vanishing act didn't cut it. The work crew anchored the absorbents to keep them from blowing away, but by their next inspection, the absorbents were gone.

Dust in the wind.

It wasn't the wind that was to blame: constant UV exposure had turned the utility company's absorbents to dust. So we designed a blanket with pockets of oil-only poly filler that would stand up to outdoor conditions. We gave it a tough, UV-resistant spunbond shell, sturdy heat-welded seams and heavy ballast to hold it down, even in 40 mph winds.

Building it from the ground up.

To produce our absorbent blanket, we spent six months building and testing a new machine to fill and seal the pockets. When we were happy with the results, we put the blanket through a battery of tests. We drenched it with oil. It soaked it up faster than we could pour. We took a garden hose to it. The blanket stayed dry. (We got soaked.) We turned a leaf blower on it. It didn't budge. We slammed it down. It shrugged us off. We fried it with UV rays. It didn't break a sweat. The result: an absorbent, oil-only weighted blanket that helps you control nuisance leaks at remote sites—and sticks around until you come back.

Your Problem: Bare totes are open to the elements.
Our Solution: Go under cover.

Keeping intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) outside frees up storage space. But if your totes sit on the ground, they can violate regs. And if you use open IBC containment, rain gets into the sump. Cover them with a tarp, and they're a pain to use.

Starting at the top.

Our pioneering 4-drum roll top hardcover was the starting point for our IBC containment unit. It could stand up to the elements, and it was the first on the market with double doors for easy access. But the most inventive feature was not the roll top itself. It was how we designed it to work with every new containment unit we developed. And that's where the tote came in.

Aiming lower to make it better.

Our biggest challenge was to make the IBC containment unit as low as possible while retaining volume to meet regs. So we invented a support structure that didn't cut into sump capacity. We gave it a two-way forklift entry to make it portable. We used the strongest plastic grate in the industry and put the unit through a grueling stress test on our
Big Press. Then we added the roll top. Easy access, lots of room for
pumps and supplies, and tough weather resistance make our IBC roll
top hardcover the ultimate outdoor storage solution.

Your Problem: Drain covers take a beating in the parking lot.
Our Solution: We developed one with a thick skin.

Our original DRAINBLOCKER® Drain Cover created a whole new way to keep stormwater drains safe from unwanted liquids. Trouble was, customers would leave it down — exposing the drain cover to UV rays and harsh weather — and it would degrade. Or worse, they would drive over it and shred it.

DRAINBLOCKER®: the next generation.

We knew we had the urethane sealing layer right. But creating a top layer that wouldn't rip, tear or become gooey in the sun took years of development and 15 versions. We used everything we could think of — rubber, nitrile, heavy vinyl — and we finally had a breakthrough with a material that earned the name HogHyde® Skin. It was tough, durable, UV resistant and weatherproof. The tricky part was getting the HogHyde® to stick to the urethane. We figured out that we needed a special bonding layer in the middle, but it took dozens of tries to find a combination that wouldn't separate.

Punishment in the parking lot.

We sent out a squadron of Piggers to destroy a prototype in our parking lot. It stood up to everything we dished out. Continuous driveovers. Baking sun. Dirt. Metal shards. The cover sealed tight and didn't rip when we picked it back up. We were so impressed, we made HogHyde® Skin our flagship material and patented the formula. And we proved that persistence pays off. The Drive-Over DRAINBLOCKER® Drain Cover is simply the toughest, longest-lasting, best-sealing storm drain cover on the market. Period.

Your Problem: A way to contain spills without absorbing them.
Our Solution: Dam it up with our reusable dike.

Customers love our absorbent socks. Then they asked for one that would contain a spill without absorbing it. They wanted it to stick to the floor, but it had to be removable. It had to be flexible. It had to be portable and reusable. It had to stand up to chemicals. That wish list led us to urethane. It offered the wear resistance and elasticity we wanted. It could withstand temperature changes. It resisted impact, abrasion and tearing. We could make it as soft or hard as we needed in any shape we wanted. We knew we could design a formula that would give us the combination of properties we were looking for. But then we found out that's easier said than done. We went through dozens of formulations and experiments. We made it too hard, and it wouldn't seal. Then we made it too soft, and it was hard to handle. But we kept at it. Finally, we hit on the right combination and created our patented SPILLBLOCKER® Dike. Now our customers had a choice: absorb the spill, or dam it up.

Your Problem: Indoor berms melt in outdoor conditions.
Our Solution: Stick it where the sun shines.

If a customer says one of our products is "useless" for their application, we don't get mad — we find out why. Turns out, they were using our LEAKBLOCKER™ Dike — a short-term product — for a long-term problem: containing nuisance leaks from pad-mounted transformers to comply with regs. Our dikes fit perfectly in the narrow space around the transformers. They sealed tightly and contained the leaks. They just broke down from UV exposure. We had to admit that using a dike for this application was a great idea. We just had to come up with one that would work.

Take it from the top.

To create an outdoor barrier, we started with our patented HogHyde® Skin for toughness and ultra UV resistance on top. Then we combined it with our super-sealing urethane so that it would bond to asphalt or concrete without adhesive. We gave it a narrow footprint to fit tight spaces. We made it flexible and reusable. And we added interlocking ends so it's easy to attach corner pieces or create custom lengths.

Winning the endurance marathon.

We tested our new dike in all kinds of conditions. Scorching sun. Driving rain. Cold. Snow. Wind. It didn't degrade. It didn't blow away. It didn't become brittle or lose adhesion. We drove over it for months with everything from forklifts to tractor-trailers. It didn't flatten out and it didn't move. In fact, it stayed put until we finally went out to pick it back up. We came up with dozens of uses around our facility, and we guarantee that our Drive-Over LEAKBLOCKER™ Dike will be anything but useless around yours.

Your Problem: Knowing where machine oil is leaking.
Our Solution: A mat that tips you off to trouble.

Absorbent mats were created in the late 1980s for oil spill response. Since they were naturally water repellent, they could float on the water's surface and absorb oil. But they were also flimsy and fell apart. So when customers started asking us for mats, we decided to create one that was better.

To make our first PIG® Mat, we started with eight layers of thermally bonded polypropylene for durability. Fine fiber construction added absorbency and liquid retention. And we designed a unique dimple pattern to speed wicking and make cleanup faster. But we knew our mat's potential went way beyond spill response, so we looked into how our industrial customers could use it. The mat soaked up oily drips and leaks like a sponge and was great at catching overspray next to machines. And because it was white, it showed where and how much oil it was absorbing. Pretty soon, we were fine-tuning PIG® Mat for specific applications.

It's evolutionary.

For over twenty years, PIG® Oil-Only Mat has been at the heart of many of our mat solutions including HAM-O® Mat and STAT-MAT Absorbents. And it's gone from workhorse on the plant floor to foundation for many of our latest outdoor products. But in all that time, one thing has remained the same: the performance and dependability that makes it PIG® Mat.

Your Problem: Transformers blow out when severe storms blow in.
Our Solution: Battle the elements with our unbeatable bag.

Transformers are everywhere. And during storm season, they can become a major hazard to public safety. Thunderstorms. Tornadoes. Hurricanes. Whatever type of storm rolls through your region, transformers routinely fall victim to Mother Nature and need to be replaced. Often by the dozen.

Transforming damage control.

One of the biggest challenges for energy companies is transporting the damaged, oil-filled transformers. Customers were pumping them out and loading them onto spill pallets. And it was costing them a bundle. We believed there had to be a better way. 12 prototypes, seven on-site tests and six months later, we invented the PIG™ Transformer Containment Bag. It was road tested for weight, puncture tested for strength, and ultimately delivered with a bow on top — so one person could gather it up. It eliminated costly pumpouts and carried 2 tons, no sweat.

New Pig offers five containment bag sizes to fit every transformer — but don't wait for skies to turn gray. Stock up ahead of time and be prepared for the worst. Just like nuisance leaks in the field, storms are unpredictable and inevitable. And with PIG™ Transformer Containment Bags on your side, anyone can battle transformers.

Your Problem: Standard mats bunch up and slide underfoot.
Our Solution: A mat that stays put no matter what™.

We saw customers trying all sorts of things to keep their absorbent mats in place. Tapes. Weights. Trays. Some were even tucking them underneath antifatigue mats or equipment corners. None of these methods worked, and all of them got in the way. At first, the solution seemed simple enough. Just make the mat sticky, right? Not even close.

Overcoming a sticky situation.

The amount of tack in the adhesive had to work for different jobs all around the plant — from foot traffic to forklifts. It had to be easy to pick back up. And leaving a sticky residue was not an option. Last but not least, the formulation had to be compatible with common industrial chemicals.

Seeing what sticks.

As we dug into the problem, we realized that every existing adhesive we tried had issues. Too gooey in high temperatures. Not sticky enough in low temperatures. And they all needed a release liner of some sort. So we had no choice. We had to invent our own way of getting the mat to stick.

Sticking with it to get it right.

We ran scores of experiments on tens of thousands of feet of material to create our own adhesive tack bottom. We developed a new process to apply it to the entire bottom of our toughest mat. Then we tweaked and fine-tuned until we got it perfect. With all that grip, the product practically named itself — PIG® Grippy® Mat. It's the revolutionary absorbent that stays put no matter what.™

Your Problem: Finding the right containment for IBCs.
Our Solution: A compact unit built to take on your totes.

The challenge in developing IBC containment is making it compact, but with enough volume to meet regs. Our first open-sump units were great for customers who had plenty of space, but others needed a smaller footprint. So we made the second generation smaller and super-strong for stacking totes, but not everyone needed the extra weight capacity. This feedback helped us make the next one just right.

We cut the size and went big on features.

To keep the unit as low as possible, we invented an independent support structure system that wouldn't cut into sump capacity. We topped it with the strongest plastic grate in the industry. We gave it a two-way forklift entry for portability. Then we added an optional bucket shelf to make dispensing super easy and to catch spills. We put the containment unit through a grueling stress test on our Big Press. We checked and double-checked the liquid capacity to make sure it would comply with regs. It passed with flying colors. And that means you can feel safe knowing our Poly IBC Containment Unit is helping to keep your totes safe.

Your Problem: Big spills are a cleanup nightmare. Our Solution: Use a mat that really sucks.

Customers have always relied on PIG® Mat for super durability, fast wicking and incredible retention. So when we decided to go after more absorbency, we had to make sure we didn't lose these properties in the process. At the time, it seemed like a new cellulose absorbent pad hit the market every week. Most were pretty absorbent, but were also slippery, dusty or just plain flimsy. And none could meet our quality standards.

Pushing past "half-fast."

We took the time to do things right. We pushed every new idea to the limit. We tested mountains of material. And it led us to discover a new way to work with cellulose: FiberFusion® Technology. It adds significant strength to cellulose so it holds together better. It creates loft to pump up the absorbency. And it spreads material more consistently to eliminate the light spots that cause leak zones in other flimsy cellulose mats.

We used our new technology to create PIG BLUE® Mat. It's made for the high-volume spills and leaks other cellulose mats can't touch. Plus, it delivers the strength, durability and liquid retention you'll only find in a PIG® Mat. So when high-performance absorbency is critical, choose PIG BLUE® Mat.

Your Problem: Complying with closed container regs. Our Solution: Latching lids that will help you cover more than just your drums.

We knew there had to be a better way to get into a drum than hassling with the bolt ring. So, in 2001, we developed a latching drum lid that would help comply with closed container regs. Early versions were clunky, though. Pins broke. Hinges got pinched. We tried a freezer handle that weighed a ton. Lots of failures, lots of replaced lids.

We made a lid for that.

Once we had the basic lid design down, we worked on specific problems. We made a lid that controls vapors and another one that removes vapors. We made one with FM-approved fusible plugs for flammables. We made the first-ever lid for poly drums and followed it up with the first-ever lid for fiber drums. Storing drums outside? Yep, we made a lid for that, too. And to make all our lids better, we developed a fast-latch ring that works with a lever, so they're easy to attach and take off. So no matter what's in the drum, we have a lid that makes it a snap to open and close.

Your Problem: Oil stains mean reg violations.
Our Solution: Cover your stones with our poly-back mat.

Our utility customers tried using everyday oil absorbent mats to comply with SPCC and stormwater regulations, but the sun would make them brittle and turn them into dust. We even got calls about absorbents just disappearing altogether.

Finding a new solution that wasn't half-baked.

We developed a UV-resistant spunbond layer and added it to our heavy-weight oil-only mat. Then we stuck the prototype on the roof and waited. The new mat withstood the sun and rain for weeks on end. We sent it to a testing lab to get solid numbers on its UV resistance. The results: good for full sun 12 hours a day, up to 12 months.

We've got your back.

We also knew that you can't hide oily drips from inspectors — they're trained to look for telltale stains on concrete and gravel. So we added a poly backing to eliminate leak-through. PIG® Poly-Back UV-Resistant Oil-Only Mat is the only outdoor absorbent with a barrier that provides an extra level of security by keeping the oil in the mat.

Your Problem: Wimpy mats fall apart fast.
Our Solution: Eight layers that hang tough to get the job done.

PIG® Mat is the strongest absorbent mat you can buy. Over the years, we've watched it perform in some of the most demanding environments out there. Steel foundries. Chemical plants. Oil refineries. Even in shops, garages and racetracks. And everywhere it's used, PIG® Mat meets every challenge. It's that tough.

So what's the secret behind PIG® Mat? It's our unique construction — the perfect combination of fine-fiber materials, thermal bonding and eight-layer design. Deceptively simple. Incredibly strong.

Since the late "80s, we've stitched it, perfed it, printed it and treated it for all the jobs you need to get done. But at the core, it"s always eight-layers strong, so it won't rip, tear or fray. Other mats may say they're strong, but they just don't stack up against PIG® Mat.