While product innovation has driven Stonhard’s growth over the years, it is now developing innovative services as well. One is Stonkleen, a maintenance service for Stonhard polymer floors that utilizes products private labeled by Chemspec, another RPM business. Additionally, its construction management group frees up Stonhard territory managers from being on site during time-consuming installations.

RPM’s industrial businesses fall into one of two categories: companies with leading brands that operate in huge, fragmented markets; or businesses with a leading share in specialty niche markets. These examples illustrate some of 2007’s prominent projects and new products.

Built with a structural glass system using no vertical dividers, The Nelson- Atkins Museum of Art expansion in Kansas City (below) is considered one of the world’s most complex architectural wonders. Only Tremco’s commercial sealants and waterproofing business had the breadth of product, engineering capabilities and experience to meet the challenges it presented.

An important aspect of RPM’s growth strategy is to expand globally. The Euclid Chemical Company is making tremendous strides in this regard, particularly in Latin America. Pictured above is the Centro Comercial Antara Polanco, an open-space, multi-level shopping mall in Mexico City that extensively used Euclid Chemical concrete admixtures in its construction.

Brighter Packaging = Bigger Profits
Day-Glo, known for its fluorescent colorants, has gained Food and Drug Administration approval for its GemTone polymeric dyes to be used to brighten food packaging. They will help groceries “pop” off retailers’ shelves and into consumers’ shopping carts.