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RPM Acquires Brazilian Building Materials Company Viapol

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

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RPM International Inc. (Medina, Ohio) acquired Viapol Ltda., a major Brazilian manufacturer and marketer of building materials and construction products. 

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Based in Cacapava, Brazil, near Sao Paulo, Viapol has annual sales of approximately $85 million and was started in 1990.

Frank C. Sullivan

RPM Chairman and CEO

Viapol will become part of The Euclid Chemical Group, a unit of RPM’s Building Solutions Group that serves construction and rehabilitation markets worldwide.

“The acquisition of Viapol establishes a substantial footprint for RPM and our many industrial and consumer businesses in the exciting Brazilian market, which is the largest economy in South America, and now the sixth largest economy in the world,” said Frank C. Sullivan, RPM chairman and CEO.

Viapol’s products are described as brand leaders in the Brazilian market and include rolled-asphalt roofing materials, waterproofing products, concrete admixtures, industrial epoxy flooring systems, structural recovery products, and retail paints, varnishes and stains, RPM said.

The company has more than 300 employees, nearly 125 independent sales representatives and two ISO 9000-certified manufacturing facilities in Brazil.

“As part of RPM, we expect that Viapol will build on many of our current technologies, enabling it to introduce new products, while leveraging its existing customer base for additional growth opportunities,” Sullivan said. “We look forward to having the Viapol management team, led by Ariovaldo Jose Torelli and Alexandre Racz, join RPM.”

The Viapol deal is latest in a series of acquisitions by RPM. Recent moves include the acquisition of HiChem Paint Technologies Pty. Ltd. (Hallam, Australia), Legend Brands (Burlington, Wash.), Grupo P&V (Barcelona, Spain), and FEMA Farben + Putze GmbH (Ettlington, Germany).

RPM International Inc. is a holding company that owns subsidiaries in the specialty coatings, sealants, building materials, and related markets. Brands include Stohnard, Tremco, Illbruck, Carboline, Flowcrete, Zinsser, Rust-Oleum, DAP, Varathane, and others.

The company will report fourth-quarter earnings and year-end results July 23.

More information: www.RPMinc.com.