What Testors does

Testors is a U.S.-based manufacturer of specialty coatings, adhesives, and airbrush equipment serving the hobby, craft, and scale-modeling markets. Founded in 1929 by Swedish immigrant Nils F. Testor in Rockford, Illinois, the company originally produced an adhesive (later branded Crystal Clear Household Cement) before expanding into model paints and finishing products. Its portfolio is organized across sub-brands including Testors (core enamels and acrylics), Testors Craft (DIY/craft applications), Model Master (precision scale-model paints with exact-match color systems), Aztek (airbrush systems), CreateFX (finishing effects), Pactra (racing/automotive), and AirBrainz. Technical differentiators include the Model Master exact-match color system tied to specific real-world vehicles and aircraft, the Aztek Ready-To-Spray airbrush platform, and the Spray Chalk washable outdoor line.

Since approximately 2013, Testors has operated as a brand within the Rust-Oleum Group, itself a subsidiary of NYSE-listed RPM International Inc. The company sells through a hybrid go-to-market: a product-led DTC e-commerce channel at testors.com, a content-marketing engine (project inspiration galleries, how-to videos, Creator's Studio), and broad worldwide retail distribution inherited from Rust-Oleum. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales across crafters, scale modelers, families, and group/DIY-together use cases, with no subscription or enterprise contract layer. Products are manufactured in the U.S. and distributed across North America, South America, Oceania, and Europe, though the Testors brand does not publicly report standalone revenue or headcount distinct from its parent.

Name

Testors

Legal name

RPM International Inc.

Website

https://testors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Testors is a 1929-founded U.S. manufacturer of hobby paints, adhesives, airbrushes, and craft products, operating as a brand under Rust-Oleum/RPM International and serving scale modelers, crafters, and DIY consumers worldwide through DTC e-commerce and retail distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vernon Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Paint and Coating Products: One-time product sales of paints (enamel, acrylic, lacquer), primers, top coats, and thinners for crafts, hobbies, and modeling applications.
2. Adhesives and Cements: Sales of household cement, super glues, and specialty adhesives for various applications.
3. Airbrush Equipment and Accessories: Sales of airbrush systems, accessories, and ready-to-spray paint products.
4. Spray Chalk Products: Sales of temporary spray chalk for outdoor creative projects and celebrations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Testors manufactures and sells paints, adhesives, airbrushes, and accessories for hobby, craft, and scale modeling applications. The portfolio spans enamel and acrylic paints, primers, top coats, thinners, cements, super glues, airbrush systems, and spray chalk products across multiple sub-brands (Testors, Testors Craft, Model Master, Aztek, CreateFX, Pactra, AirBrainz). Products are sold direct-to-consumer via testors.com and through craft, hobby, and mass-market retail channels worldwide.

Product overview

Testors is a manufacturer of hobby and craft products including paints, adhesives, airbrushes, and accessories. The product portfolio includes Testors brand (main enamel and acrylic paints, markers, brushes), Testors Craft (craft-focused acrylics and adhesives), Model Master (precision model paints), Aztek (airbrush systems), CreateFX (finishing effects products), and Spray Chalk (temporary outdoor chalk). The company operates as part of Rust-Oleum Corporation and has been manufacturing since 1929, with products still proudly made in the USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Testors: Main brand offering paints, glues, airbrushes and accessories for hobbyists and crafters
• Testors Craft
• Model Master
• Aztek
• CreateFX
• Pactra
• AirBrainz

Products and services

• Testors Brand (Main)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Plaid Enterprises: US manufacturer of consumer craft paints (FolkArt, Apple Barrel, Mod Podge) directly competing with Testors Craft in the crafter and DIY segment through similar retail channels and price points.
• Vallejo: Spanish manufacturer of acrylic hobby paints (Model Color, Game Color, Mecha Color) directly competing with Testors' Model Master and craft acrylic lines in the scale modeling and miniature painting communities.
• Tamiya: Japanese manufacturer of scale model kits and a comprehensive range of hobby paints, thinners, and weathering products that competes directly with Testors across both modeling and craft paint categories.
• AK Interactive: Spanish specialty manufacturer of scale modeling paints, weathering products, and modeling accessories that competes head-to-head with Testors' Model Master line among serious military and historical scale modelers.
• Humbrol: UK-based heritage brand of enamel model paints with a comparable 90+ year history and core modeling customer base, directly competing with Testors in the scale modeler segment.
• Games Workshop (Citadel): UK-based miniature wargaming company whose Citadel Colour paints are the dominant specialist brand in the miniature painting segment, directly competing with Testors for hobbyist paint wallet share.

Others

• Golden Artist Colors: US manufacturer of professional artist acrylics and mediums that addresses an adjacent but distinct fine-art customer segment, providing competitive context for Testors' positioning across craft versus professional paint tiers.

Broad incumbents

• Krylon: Sister brand within RPM International offering a broad portfolio of spray paints and coatings that overlaps with Testors' craft and DIY use cases, but at a much larger scale and broader market positioning.
• Liquitex: Heritage acrylic paint brand serving fine artists, students, and crafters with a broader portfolio of professional-grade acrylics, overlapping with Testors Craft and Model Master in acrylic paint formulations.

Emerging players

• Montana Colors (MTN): Spanish spray paint specialist known in street art and creative applications, with growing crossover into hobbyist and craft segments where it competes with Testors' spray chalk and spray enamel products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/testorscorp
• Pinterestpinterest.com/testorcorp
• Xx.com/TestorsTweets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-testor-corporation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Testors