Rpm International Inc's Competitiveness

We conduct our business in highly competitive markets, and all of our major products face competition from local, regional, national and multi-national firms. Our markets, however, are fragmented, and we do not face competition across all of our products from any one competitor in particular. Several of our competitors have access to greater financial resources and larger sales organizations than we do. While third-party figures are not necessarily available with respect to the size of our position in the market for each of our products, we believe that we are a major producer of caulks, sealants, patch-and-repair products for the general consumer as well as for the residential building trade; roofing systems; urethane sealants and waterproofing materials; aluminum coatings; cement-based coatings; hobby paints; small project paints; industrial-corrosion-control products; fireproofing; consumer rust-preventative coatings; polymer floorings; fluorescent coatings and pigments; fiberglass-reinforced-plastic gratings; nail polish; water and fire damage restoration products; carpet cleaning systems and shellac-based coatings. However, we do not believe that we have a significant share of the total protective coatings market (on a world-wide basis). The following is a summary of the competition that our key products face in the various markets in which we compete:

Paints, Coatings, Adhesives and Sealants Products
The market for paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants has experienced significant consolidation over the past several decades. However, the market remains fragmented, which creates further consolidation opportunities for industry participants. Many leading suppliers tend to focus on coatings, while other companies focus on adhesives and sealants. Barriers to market entry are relatively high for new market entrants due to the lengthy intervals between product development and market acceptance, the importance of brand identity and the difficulty in establishing a reputation as a reliable supplier of these products. Most of the suppliers, including us, who provide these items have a portfolio of products that span across a wide variety of applications.


Consumer Home Improvement Products. Within the consumer segment, we generally serve the home improvement market with products designed for niche architectural, rust-preventative, decorative and special purpose paint and caulking and sealing applications. The products we sell for home improvement include those sold under our DAP, Phenoseal, Rust-Oleum, Watco and Zinsser brand names. Leading manufacturers of home improvement-related coatings, adhesives and sealants market their products to DIY users and contractors through a wide range of distribution channels. These distribution channels include direct sales to home improvement centers, mass merchandisers, hardware and paint stores, and sales through distributors and sales representative organizations. Competitors in this market generally compete for market share by marketing and building upon brand recognition, providing customer service and developing new products based on customer needs.

Industrial Protective Coatings Products. Anti-corrosion protective coatings and fireproofing must withstand the destructive elements of nature and operating processes under harsh environments and conditions. Some of the larger consumers of high-performance protective and corrosion control coatings and fireproofing are the oil and gas, pulp and paper, petrochemical, shipbuilding, public utility and bridge and highway industries. In the public sector, corrosion control coatings are used on structures such as bridges and in water and wastewater treatment plants. These markets are highly fragmented. We and our competitors compete for market share by supplying a wide variety of high-quality products and by offering customized solutions. Our protective industrial coating products are marketed primarily under our Carboline, Plasite, Nullifire, A/D Fire, Thermo-lag, Perlifoc and Epoplex brand names.

Roofing Systems Products
In the roofing industry, re-roofing applications have historically accounted for three-quarters of U.S. demand, with the remaining quarter generated by new roofing applications. The largest manufacturers of roofing systems products focus primarily on residential roofing as well as single-ply systems for low-end, commercial and institutional applications, competing mainly on price and, to a lesser degree, service. In contrast, we compete primarily for the higher-end, multi-ply and modified bitumen applications in the built-up and low-slope roofing industry. This specialty niche within the larger market tends to exhibit fewer commodity-market characteristics, with customers valuing the greater protection and longer life provided by these roofing systems, as well as ongoing maintenance, inspection and technical services. Our roofing systems are primarily marketed under our Tremco and Viapol brands. Historically, our typical roofing systems customers have included governmental facilities, universities, schools, hospitals, museums and certain manufacturing facilities. However, we are also very active in the growing market of sustainable roofing systems, and our Tremco Roofing fluid applied and restoration coating systems represent our fastest growing product segment. Our restoration systems meet sustainable objectives including energy efficiency through reflectivity and emissivity, and eliminate environmentally and economically costly landfill waste.

Construction Chemical Products
Flooring Systems Products. Polymer flooring systems are used in industrial, commercial and, to a lesser extent, residential applications to provide a smooth, seamless surface that is impervious to penetration by water and other substances while being easy to clean and maintain. These systems are particularly well-suited for clean environments such as pharmaceutical, food and beverage and healthcare facilities. In addition, the fast installation time and long-term durability of these systems and products make them ideal for industrial floor repair and restoration. Polymer flooring systems are based on epoxy, polyurethane and methylmethacrylate resins. Most of these flooring systems are applied during new construction, but there is also a significant repair and renovation market. Key performance attributes in polymer flooring systems that distinguish competitors for these applications include static control, chemical resistance, contamination control, durability and aesthetics. We market our flooring systems under the Stonhard, Flowcrete, Expanko, Fritztile, Hummervoll and API brand names.

FRP Grating and Structural Composites. Fiberglass reinforced plastic grating, or FRP, is used primarily in industrial and, to a lesser extent, commercial applications. FRP grating exhibits many specialized features, which make it a beneficial alternative to traditional steel or aluminum grating. These include a high strength-to-weight ratio, high corrosion resistance, electrical and thermal non-conductivity, and molded-in color, which eliminates the need for repainting. FRP grating is used for platforms, walkways, stairs and structures for a variety of applications, including those in the food and beverage, chemical processing, water-wastewater, pulp and paper, and offshore oil and gas industries. Other structural composites include trench drains, channel drains, curbing and structural members. Key attributes that differentiate competitors in these markets include product quality, depth of product line, and design-and-fabrication services. Our products for these applications are sold under our Fibergrate, Chemgrate, Corgrate, Safe-T-Span, EnviroKerb, EnviroChannel, EnviroDeck and EnviroGrate brand names.