Acquisitions are a key element of RPM’s overall growth strategy. The company actively pursues acquisitions of free-standing entrepreneurial companies and product lines that complement its portfolio of specialty coatings and sealants businesses. Over the last 30 years, RPM has completed more than 170 acquisitions, with over 70 of these transactions being completed during the last decade.
RPM creates shareholder value by attracting successful entrepreneurial companies and applying a disciplined approach to investing in their continued growth.
Early in the fiscal 2018 third quarter, RPM's Rust-Oleum business group acquired Whink Products, a specialty cleaners manufacturer and marketer that is the market share leader in the rust stain removal segment. Based in Eldora, Iowa, Whink has annual net sales of approximately $6 million. Its leading brands include Rust Stain Remover and Rust Guard.
Also during the third quarter, RPM’s Rust-Oleum Group acquired Miracle Sealants Company, a manufacturer of sealers, cleaners, polishes and related products primarily for tile and natural stone. Based in Arcadia, Calif., Miracle Sealants has annual net sales of approximately $25 million. A leading brand with professional installers for over 30 years, Miracle Sealants has broad national distribution in tile shops across the U.S., as well as in big box retailers. Among its leading products is 511 Impregnator, the industry standard in hard surface floor sealers.
RPM’s acquisition philosophy, initiated by Thomas C. Sullivan, who ran RPM from 1971 until 2002 and retired from the board in 2016, is to “Seek good companies. Create an atmosphere where the founders and managers stay with their companies. Then, get out of their way.”
This entrepreneurial culture has been a key attraction to business owners in the industry as demonstrated by the fact that today the majority of RPM’s operating companies are managed by their founders, second- or third-generation family members or the managers they trusted to lead their companies. For this reason, RPM is considered to be the “best home for entrepreneurial companies” in the industry.