US-based RPM International has kicked off 2017 with a buying spree. The Medina, Ohio-headquartered firm has acquired three businesses in the early days of January, the first of which was Clayton Corporation’s foam division.

This business, which has annual net sales of around $60 million, comprises two low-pressure, spray polyurethane foam brands – Touch ‘N Foam for the consumer do-it-yourself market and Touch ‘N Seal for the professional industrial market – primarily supplying the North American market. The brands will be marketed as part of RPM’s DAP product portfolio, which includes caulks and sealants, construction and general purpose adhesives, and other patch and repair products. RPM said the transaction is expected to be accretive to earnings within one year.

"The addition of Touch 'N Foam polyurethane expands DAP's product coverage, while providing a cost-effective US manufacturing and technology platform," stated Frank Sullivan, RPM’s chairman and CEO.

Announced a day later, the second and third acquisitions were Prochem and Arnette Polymers, manufacturers of professional cleaning chemicals and equipment and specialty chemical raw materials, respectively.

RPM’s Legend Brands business has bought Prochem from Kärcher North America. Based in Chandler, Arizona, Prochem manufactures professional-grade cleaning chemicals, including detergents, shampoos, spot and stain removers and deodorizers, as well as cleaning equipment. Its products are sold by distributors to professional contractors, mostly in North America, and annual net sales stand at around $22 million.

Sullivan said the addition of Prochem is expected to propel RPM into the professional cleaning market’s leading position. “There are a number of efficiencies to be gained by the combined businesses that we can leverage to the bottom line. Plus, we will be able to better serve customers as we now have cleaning chemical blending facilities on both the east and west coasts of the US,” he noted.

RPM’s purchase of an 80% stake in Richmond, Missouri-based Arnette Polymers adds resins, hardeners, curing agents and other intermediates used in epoxy and polyurethane materials to its portfolio. Arnette Polymer already supplies several of RPM’s subsidiaries, and excluding those sales, its annual net sales amount to nearly $20 million. It will operate as part of the RPM Performance Coatings group. Sullivan said RPM intends to leverage the acquisition to further expand advantages in cost, supply and product development within its supply chain.

Financial terms of the three transactions were not disclosed.