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The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

TREMCO, INC. - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

TREMCO, INC., a manufacturer of sealants, protective coatings, and weatherproofing compounds, was established in 1928 by WM. C. TREUHAFT† with capital of $100,000. In 1942 the company moved from its first location at 393 E. 131st St. to 8701 Kinsman Rd. and by 1958 the firm had doubled its number of products to 250. That year, Tremco was reported to be the nation's largest maker of maintenance materials for industrial, institutional, and commercial buildings. By June 1959 Tremco had moved into a new $1.5 million administration and technical center at 10701 Shaker Blvd.

With record sales of $8.8 million in 1961, Treuhaft sought to expand the company's annual sales to $20 million and make it a publicly owned corporation. Through growth and acquisitions, Tremco's annual sales reached more than $23 million in 1965, with a net profit of nearly $2 million. In 1972 the company had 2 factories in Cleveland, 1 in Canada, and another in England, employing 1,029 people; net sales were $36.7 million and net income $2.2 million. By 1974 Tremco had added a plant in Barberville, KY, and transferred 150 of its 250 Cleveland workers there, prompting the company's first strike by the remaining workers, who feared for their jobs. The firm changed its name to Tremco, Inc., 17 May 1974. By 1979 the company had grown to 1,200 employees worldwide, but faced with the possible takeover by the Chemed Corp., who owned 5.2% of its stock, Tremco became a subsidiary of B.F. Goodrich Co. for $106 million in Jan. 1980. In 1995 Tremco continued to function as a part of B.F. Goodrich, employing some 320 people in the Cleveland area. In 1996 RPM, a Medina-based maker of sealants, coatings, and specialty chemicals marketed under a variety of brands including Rust-Oleum and Carboline, purchased Tremco. At the time of the sale, Tremco had annual revenues of $350 million. The following year, RPM sold off Tremco's window markets division to a group of former company managers for $107 million. The new company began operating as TruSeal. In 2005, Tremco was a division of RPM and was headquartered at 3735 Green Road in BEACHWOOD.

Last Modified: 04 Apr 2005 11:45:22 AM

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