The Heritage and Values of RPM

In 1971, Tom Sullivan took over Repub­lic Powdered Metals, an $11 million family business that manufactured and sold specialty coatings. By 2002, the business had grown to $2 billion in annual sales, and Tom Sullivan was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the best CEOs in America. During this rapid expansion, RPM established one of the best records of earnings and sales in corporate America. Frank Sullivan, son of Tom and grandson of the founder, along with his management team, led RPM to $5 billion in sales by fiscal 2016, after becoming CEO in 2002.

This amazing growth was accomplished by a combination of internal growth and acquisitions, which is where the true story of RPM lies. Tom Sullivan and his team of trusted executives didn’t buy brands so much as they bought talent. RPM, founded in 1947 by Tom’s father, Frank C. Sullivan, runs by relatively simple principles. Hire good people. Trust them. Work hard. Provide a good environment for your employees. Give them command over their destinies. Let them succeed.

As RPM grew, sometimes adding four or five coatings companies a year, these principles were baked into its culture, and its operating companies were allowed to flourish with little interference from their corporate parent. This atmosphere engendered a fierce loyalty in RPM employees and operating company presidents. Even in the face of a changing market and industry, RPM remained stable, steadily growing and solidly managed.

Today, RPM International Inc., led by a third generation of family management supported by a team of global leaders in the coatings industry that is steeped in RPM’s unique culture, is ready to build on the past seven decades of success. 

This enhanced eBook features audio quotes from executives, retirees, and key stakeholders who were interviewed during the research for this book.