Ronseal

British wood paint manufacturer

Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Ltd

Company type| Subsidiary
Founded| 1956
Headquarters| Chapeltown, Sheffield, England
Products| Wood stain, paint and preservative
Owner| Sherwin-Williams
Website| www.ronseal.com

Ronseal is a British wood stain, paint and preservative manufacturer, known for the phrase "Does exactly what it says on the tin". The advertising slogan, which was created by agency HHCL, has since entered popular culture.[1]

The company is based in Chapeltown, Sheffield, and has been owned by Sherwin-Williams since 1997.[2]

## History

[edit]

Ronuk Limited was founded by Horace Fowler as a polish manufacturing company in Portslade, Brighton in 1896. In 1956, the company launched into the DIY market with Ronseal – Floor and Wood Seal. In 1960, Ronuk was purchased by Izal, itself owned by the Newton Chambers Group in Sheffield.[3]

In 1964, the company moved to Chapeltown, Sheffield, where it still resides today. Known as Roncraft, it became a separate sales division of Izal in 1970 and was bought three years later by Sterling Drug.[4]

In 1989, Sterling was bought by Eastman Kodak until the multinational photographic company sold all of its do it yourself business to the New York‍–‍based investment bank Forstmann Little & Co. in 1994. Forstmann Little & Co. included Ronseal within its Thompson Minwax Holding Corp. business, which it sold in 1997 to Sherwin-Williams.[5]

Sherwin-Williams purchased the Polish woodcare company Altax in February 2009, and integrated it into the Ronseal unit.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Edwards, Peter (14 June 2011). "Exclusive: Ronseal on the acquisition trail through central Europe". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
2. ^ Kilgannon, Laurence (23 September 2014). "Investments push Ronseal into the red". Insider Media. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
3. ^ "Ronuk - Graces Guide".
4. ^ "$32.7‐Million Deal Completed By British Unit of Sterling Drug". New York Times. 8 November 1973. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
5. ^ "Ronseal to be acquired by the Sherwin-Williams Company". PRNewsire. 9 December 1997. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
6. ^ "Sherwin-Williams to Acquire Altax in Poland". PRNewswire. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
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Current and former companies connected with Sheffield

* Economy of Sheffield
* List of companies in Sheffield

modern
manufacturing
and distribution
companies|

* Ancon Clark
* Arnold Laver
* Davey Markham
* Fletchers Bakery
* Henderson's Relish
* Henry Boot
* Kelham Island Brewery)
* Land Pyrometers
* M J Gleeson
* Northern Foods
* Outokumpu
* Ronseal Paints
* Sheffield Forgemasters
* SIG
* Tata Steel Europe
* Wilson Benesch

modern retail
and service industry|

* Atkinsons Stores
* HSBC
* Irwin Mitchell
* PlusNet
* Sheffield Hallam University
* University of Sheffield
* WANdisco

traditional heavy
industry (steel
and engineering)|

* BOCt/o
* British Steel Corporationp
* Brown Bayley Steels
* Cammellt/o
* Cravens
* English Steel Corporationn
* Firth Brown Steelsn
* Firth Vickers
* Laycockst/o
* NCK-Rapier
* Newton, Chambers & Company
* Sheffield Forgemasters

cutlers,
silversmiths,
surgical instruments|

* Arthur Price
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* Swann Morton
* Vinerst/o

tool
manufacturers|

* Dormer (Tools)r
* Footprint Tools
* Neepsend
* Spear & Jackson
* Stanley Toolsr

miscellaneous formerly
Sheffield based companies|

* Batchelorst/o
* Richardson Sheffieldt/o
* SH Wards Breweryt/o
* Stones Breweryt/o
* Thorntons Chocolatesr
* Trebor Bassett Sweetst/o

defunct|

* English Steel Corporation
* Hadfields Limited
* Jessop Saville & Company
* Samuel Fox and Company
* Samuel Osborn & Company
* Sheffield Coal Company
* Simplex Cars
* Steel, Peech and Tozer
* United Steel Companies
* Vickers
* Yorkshire Engine Company

key: a= active, d= defunct, e= e-commerce, f= financial services, h= high tech, n= nationalised, p= privatised, r= relocated, t/o= taken over
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