Acquisitions

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 approximately 175 acquisitions, with nearly 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.

Recent Acquisition

RPM’s most recent acquisition was announced on December 18, 2019, when its Mantrose-Haeuser business acquired Profile Food Ingredients, LLC, a manufacturer of dry stabilizer and emulsifier blends for the food industry. Headquartered in Elgin, Illinois, Profile Food Ingredients has annual net sales of approximately $25 million. This acquisition presents significant opportunities to leverage the combined sales forces of the entities, expand sales of specialty ingredients to the food industry and broaden RPM’s reach in international markets.

The Best Home for Entrepreneurial Companies

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 many 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.