What Carboline Company does

Carboline Company (legal entity Carboline Global Inc.) is a St. Louis-based manufacturer of high-performance protective coatings, linings, and fireproofing products, founded in 1947 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of RPM International Inc. (NYSE: RPM). The company sells over 35 product lines spanning epoxy, polyurethane, siloxane, intumescent, and cementitious chemistries through more than 20 global manufacturing facilities, with primary end markets in oil & gas (refineries, offshore platforms, pipelines), water and wastewater (municipal and industrial treatment infrastructure), and passive fire protection (commercial, industrial, and hydrocarbon fire scenarios). Notable proprietary technologies include Carbozinc 11 inorganic zinc primer (patented circa 1969, still performing on NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building 59 years post-application), Carbomastic 15 surface-tolerant epoxy mastic, and Optifire taggant traceability technology embedded in fire protection coatings.

The company operates a specification-driven, direct enterprise field sales model with regional offices and technical service engineers embedded in customer projects, supported by content marketing channels including the Solution Spot blog and The Red Bucket podcast. Customer concentrations span government and iconic commercial accounts (NASA, CN Tower, Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium renovation, SkyDome/Rogers Centre) alongside industrial buyers (Green America Biofuels/Pilot Travel Centers ethanol storage tanks). Carboline retains wholly-owned sub-brands Dudick (secondary containment linings, acquired 2021), Prime Resins, and SPC, and serves a diversified vertical mix including bridge/highway, commercial marine, food & beverage, and rail as secondary segments.

Revenue mechanics are tied to one-time sale of coating systems priced per specification, with no public pricing disclosure; the business model relies on specification embedding, multi-decade product lifecycles in long-cycle assets, and aftermarket maintenance demand rather than recurring or subscription revenue. Geographic reach covers North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa through localized websites and manufacturing proximity, though the company does not disclose standalone revenue as a non-reporting RPM subsidiary.

Name

Carboline Company

Legal name

Carboline Global Inc.

Website

https://carboline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Carboline Company is a St. Louis-based manufacturer of high-performance protective coatings, linings, and fireproofing products, serving oil & gas, water/wastewater, and infrastructure markets globally through 20+ manufacturing facilities and direct enterprise specification sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Protective Coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Adhesives & Sealants (2891)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fireproofing & Intumescent Coatings (IMAIAKAH), Industrial Protective Coatings (IMAEAHAB)

Keywords

• Industrial protective coatings
• Fireproofing systems
• Corrosion protection
• Intumescent coatings
• Cementitious fireproofing

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Protective Coatings and Linings: Sale of high-performance protective coatings, linings, and fireproofing products for industrial, commercial, and infrastructure applications. Products include primers, intermediate coats, finish coats, intumescent coatings, and cementitious fireproofing materials sold directly to contractors and facility owners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carboline Company manufactures and sells high-performance protective coatings, linings, and fireproofing products for industrial, commercial, and infrastructure applications. Its portfolio spans inorganic zinc primers, epoxy mastics, polyaspartic and siloxane coatings, intumescent fireproofing, and cementitious fire protection materials, sold primarily to contractors, engineering firms, and facility owners across more than 35 product lines produced in over 20 global manufacturing facilities.

Product overview

Carboline Company is a St. Louis-based coatings manufacturer and subsidiary of RPM International Inc., founded in 1947, offering over 35 product lines of high-performance industrial coatings, linings, and fireproofing products. The portfolio includes fire protection products such as Thermo-Sorb HB (elastomeric intumescent coating with Optifire traceability), Carbotherm 551 (water-based epoxy insulative coating), Pyrocrete 40 (cement-based mortar), and Nullifire SC902 (solvent-based intumescent paint); corrosion protection products including Carbozinc 11 (inorganic zinc primer), Carbomastic 15 (surface-tolerant mastic), and Carboquick 200 (fast-cure polyaspartic); water/wastewater solutions like Hydroplate 6500 (epoxy lining) and Carboxane 2100 BR (siloxane with biocide); and acquired brands Dudick, Prime Resins, and SPC. The company operates more than 20 manufacturing facilities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dudick: High-performance coatings and linings brand for secondary containment, acquired by RPM in 2021 and operated under Carboline
• Prime Resins
• SPC

Products and services

• Thermo-Sorb HB Two-component, high-build, elastomeric intumescent coating designed for fire protection of structural steel in shop and field applications, rated up to 3.5 hours fire resistance and incorporating Optifire taggant technology for real-time traceability from production through service life. Sold to contractors, steel fabricators, and fire protection specifiers in North America.
• Carbotherm 551 Water-based Epoxy Insulative Coating Water-based epoxy insulative coating for thermal insulation and personnel protection applications on industrial equipment and piping. Targeted at industrial facility operators and contractors requiring lower-VOC, water-based formulations.
• Carboquick 200 Fast-cure, high-build polyaspartic coating providing corrosion protection and weatherability in a single coat applied direct-to-metal at 6-10 mils DFT. Used by contractors and facility owners seeking to eliminate primers and intermediate coats and compress project schedules.
• Carbozinc 11 Patented inorganic zinc-rich primer providing galvanic corrosion protection for carbon steel. Recognized for long-term corrosion protection with documented field performance of 59+ years on NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building. Used on structural steel in refineries, offshore platforms, bridges, and iconic infrastructure.
• Carbomastic 15 Surface-tolerant epoxy mastic primer containing lamellar aluminum pigment with multi-layer barrier protection. Performs over marginally prepared surfaces including tightly adhered rust or existing coatings. Used in maintenance painting scenarios where surface preparation is limited.
• Carboguard 635 Versatile epoxy primer or intermediate coat suitable for atmospheric or immersion service. Chosen for surface wetting properties and fast cure speed to accelerate project schedules. Used in industrial and infrastructure coating systems.
• Rustbond Surface-tolerant epoxy with strong wetting properties specified over tightly bound rust or tightly adherent existing coatings. Provides an adhesion surface for intermediate or finish coats. Used in maintenance painting projects.
• Carboxane 2100 BR Ultra-durable, fast-curing siloxane finish coat with proprietary biocide that inhibits growth of fungi, particularly in ethanol facility environments. Meets ISO 12944-6 C3 High and C4 Medium corrosion protection criteria when applied direct-to-metal. Used on tank exteriors and industrial assets exposed to fungal and atmospheric attack.
• Carboxane 2000 Ultra-durable siloxane topcoat offering color and gloss retention, UV resistance, and weathering properties. Abrasion-resistant and withstands exposure to wind-driven rain, snow, ice, and animals. Used as the topcoat in high-performance exterior coating systems.
• Pyrocrete 40 Heavy-duty cement-based fireproofing mortar tested for both cellulosic and hydrocarbon fire scenarios, providing mechanical strength and impact resistance. Used for exterior exposure applications on industrial and commercial structures, including the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium renovation.
• Nullifire SC902 Fast-curing, solvent-based intumescent paint with high solids content providing flexibility and hardness suitable for transport. Applied to retractable trays for fire protection of structural steel. Used in off-site steel fabrication and stadium projects.
• Carbomastic 18 FC High-solid, fast-curing epoxy primer applied at 150 microns as part of complete coating systems for fire protection and weather resistance. Used as the primer layer under intumescent and cementitious fire protection systems.
• Hydroplate 6500 Premium-grade, ultra-durable epoxy lining designed for concrete and steel surfaces in aggressive, hydrogen sulfide rich municipal and industrial wastewater environments. Reinforced, high-build formulation with swift return-to-service times and single-leg application convenience. Used in wastewater treatment tanks and digestors.
• Armorlast I Two-coat inorganic coating system combining an inorganic zinc-rich primer with an inorganic finish coat. Provides color options beyond traditional zinc gray while maintaining galvanic corrosion protection. Test panels showed no degradation after multiple ISO 12944-9 cyclic aging tests simulating 25 years in harshest conditions.
• Semstone AFC Aggregate filled coating system used for process slabs, tank farm floors, chemical loading and unloading areas, and spill containment areas in the secondary containment market. Provides chemical resistance and durability for aggressive chemical environments.
• Protecto-Flex 800 Flexible epoxy lining system designed to bridge surface cracks and increase resistance to thermal shock in concrete substrates. Used in secondary containment and chemical exposure environments.
• Carbozinc 608 HB Zinc primer that can be applied at 5-10 mils DFT (more than twice the thickness of traditional zinc primers) without cracking or solvent entrapment. Uses phenalkamine epoxy resin binder with engineered pigment blend for enhanced galvanic corrosion protection and impact/abrasion resistance.
• Dudick Acquired brand providing high-performance coatings and linings, part of Carboline subsidiary serving the secondary containment linings market. Acquired by RPM International Inc. in June 2021 and operated under Carboline.
• Prime Resins Wholly-owned subsidiary brand within Carboline's product portfolio offering resin products for construction and infrastructure applications.
• SPC Wholly-owned subsidiary brand within Carboline's product portfolio offering coatings products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 59+ years of corrosion protection demonstrated - Carbozinc 11 on NASA Vehicle Assembly Building observed in excellent condition in February 2025, 59 years after 1966 application
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dudick Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2021Dudick Inc., a provider of high-performance coatings and linings, was acquired by RPM International Inc. in June 2021 and became part of Carboline subsidiary. The acquisition strengthened RPM's position in the secondary containment linings market and expanded global sales opportunities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Protective Coatings (AkzoNobel): Brand of AkzoNobel focused on industrial protective coatings for oil & gas, power, and infrastructure. Closest direct competitor on intumescent fire protection and high-performance corrosion systems, with overlapping product families and specification-driven sales model.
• Belzona Polymerics: Specialty manufacturer of industrial protective coatings and repair composites for oil & gas, power, and chemical processing. Comparable niche focus on high-performance repair and surface-tolerant systems similar to Carboline's Carbomastic and Rustbond lines.
• Tnemec Company: US-based manufacturer of high-performance protective coatings for water/wastewater, industrial, and architectural applications. Comparable mid-sized specialty competitor with similar vertical focus and specification-driven GTM in the same end markets as Carboline.
• Jotun: Norwegian global coatings manufacturer with deep exposure to marine, offshore, oil & gas, and protective coatings. Directly competes with Carboline in refinery, offshore platform, and hydrocarbon fire protection specifications, and operates a comparable direct enterprise sales model.
• Hempel: Danish protective and marine coatings company serving oil & gas, infrastructure, and industrial customers globally. Competes head-to-head with Carboline on offshore, tank, and structural steel specifications with comparable direct-sales and technical-service motion.

Emerging players

• Sika AG: Swiss specialty chemicals company with growing protective coatings and coatings-adjacent offerings through Sika Poxitar and Sika Unitherm intumescent lines. Adjacent competitor primarily in construction chemicals, with meaningful but partial overlap in fireproofing.

Broad incumbents

• PPG Industries: Multi-billion-dollar diversified global coatings major serving industrial, protective, marine, and architectural segments. Competes with Carboline in protective and marine coatings as part of a much broader portfolio with substantially larger R&D and sales resources.
• Sherwin-Williams: Largest US coatings company with significant protective and marine coatings exposure through its Performance Coatings Group. Competes with Carboline on infrastructure and industrial specifications while dominating architectural and refinish segments.
• AkzoNobel: Dutch global paints and coatings major with leading positions in marine, protective, and industrial coatings. Competes with Carboline across fire protection, O&G, and infrastructure, with overlapping intumescent product families and global distribution.

Others

• Nullifire (part of RPM/Tremco CPG): Intumescent fire-protection brand now part of RPM's Tremco CPG group. Sister-brand within the same parent company (RPM) as Carboline, with overlapping intumescent product lines (Nullifire SC902) sold under different commercial teams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CarbolineGlobal?sub_confirmation=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/Carboline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carboline-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/carboline
• Xx.com/carboline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carboline Company