Tor Coatings aims to be a DIY market leader

Nov 4 2009 by Chris Knox, The Journal

A PAINT manufacturer expects to add another £5m to its £25m turnover after investing in a new aerosol paint-making facility and becoming a market leader on the DIY market.

Tor Coatings, based in Birtley, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, has been enjoying an upward curve ever since it was bought by US industry giant RPM International Group in 2007, with its sales growing by £5m over the last year, an achievement it expects to repeat over the next 12 months.

The 23-year-old firm’s growth has been helped along by its decision to expand production space at Birtley and construct a 40,000sq ft aerosol plant to manufacture a range of RPM- owned Rust-Oleum branded paints for sale in the UK and Europe.

The increased production at the site has already added 10 jobs to Tor’s 150-strong workforce, and the company expects to add “significantly” more in the years to come as the new ranges grow in popularity.

The firm said that the aerosol paints, which are aimed at the interior furnishings market and are marketed under the brand of Zinsser, have become big sellers among stockists and that they are already selling more than the previous market leader throughout the Homebase chain of stores.

It is currently operating a single production line at the new facility, but said there were plans to introduce an extra two lines, which would create at least 30 jobs.

The developments follow Tor’s acquisition of the Bollom Fire Protection last year after its parent company Bollom Group, based in Kent, went into administration.

Tor bought the intellectual property, stock, plant and equipment from Bollom’s administrator Begbies Traynor, and has seen the decorative, fire-retardant coatings maintain their popularity among safety conscious firms throughout the UK.

It is now developing a range of eco-friendly emulsions to appeal to a new generation of environmentally friendly consumer.

Tor marketing manager Paul Waller said: “One of the big issues we discovered before we entered the aerosol market was that the majority of spray paint sold in the UK had to be imported from countries including the US and Germany – which meant stock-outs were a regular problem.

“With domestic manufacture this no longer needs to be an issue,” he added.

“Although we are not immune to the recession, which is having a negative impact on home improvement spend, we are confident that the backing of our new owners will allow us to maintain our growth over the coming years.”

Ohio-based RPM International Group, which employs over 9,000 staff worldwide and operates in 15 countries, is now looking to strengthen its brands in mainland Europe, with Tor identifying Germany as a potential growth market.

The American company already has a presence in Europe through it Rust-Oleum, Tremco and Dryvit products and gets £260m of its total £1.83bn sales in the region.

Mr Waller said: “In these difficult trading conditions it’s great to work for a British manufacturer that is investing for the future, actively developing new products and looking to expand into new territories.”

Tor Coatings was founded by Newcastle entrepreneur Guy Readman OBE who over 30 years sold it three times and bought it back twice.