What Rawlins Paints does

Rawlins Paints is a UK specialist distributor of industrial paints and coatings, operated by E.J. Rawlins & Company Limited (registered in England, company number 197035) under the trading name Rawlins Paints. Founded in 1873 and headquartered at Northspeed House, Leeds, the company distributes products from over 80 brands including Rust-Oleum, Jotun, Watco, Zeroflame, PPG, Sherwin-Williams, Thermoguard, and Sika, alongside its own Rawlins Paints Professional Coatings label, spanning 12+ categories such as exterior, interior, fire retardant, floor, heat resistant, metal, roof, and specialist coatings, with thousands of SKUs and 4,400+ colour options. Its technology stack centers on an e-commerce storefront (rawlinspaints.com) with integrated online ordering, inventory management, and customer account systems, supported by a technical advisory service offering same-day quotes and a colour-matching capability.

Revenue is generated exclusively through direct product sales on a one-time purchase basis, with prices ranging from under £5 for small accessories to over £500 for industrial-grade kits, and an optional trade account program providing preferential pricing to professional buyers. The go-to-market is a hybrid sales-led model: e-commerce serves both Consumer/DIY customers (home renovation, exterior painting, interior decorating) and Trade/Professional customers (decorators, contractors, commercial buyers), complemented by phone and email sales channels. Distribution is UK-only, with next-day nationwide delivery on stock items, and marketing is conducted through SEO, blog how-to guides, email, and five social platforms. The company holds a 5-star TrustPilot rating and is affiliated with the PaintSafe initiative (British Coatings Federation) and the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP).

Name

Rawlins Paints

Legal name

E.J. Rawlins & Company Limited

Website

https://rawlinspaints.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1873

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rawlins Paints is a UK specialist distributor, founded 1873, selling 80+ brands of industrial and specialist paints and coatings through its e-commerce platform to Consumer/DIY and Trade/Professional customers with next-day nationwide delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Industrial Coatings Distribution

NAICS

Paint, Varnish, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (424950), Paint and Wallpaper Retailers (444120)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Industrial paint supplies
• Specialist coatings distribution
• Fire retardant paints
• Floor paint products
• Trade paint retailer

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Rawlins Paints generates revenue through direct product sales of industrial paints, specialist coatings, and related supplies. Products are sold as one-time purchases with prices varying by brand, size, and specification. The company offers both consumer-ready sizes and trade quantities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rawlins Paints is a UK-based e-commerce distributor of industrial and specialist paints and coatings, supplying more than 80 leading brands including Rust-Oleum, Jotun, Watco, Sherwin-Williams, PPG, Sika, Thermoguard and Zinsser, alongside its own Rawlins Paints Professional Coatings range. The company distributes thousands of products across exterior paint, interior paint, fire retardant and intumescent paints, floor paints, heat resistant paints, metal and roof coatings, woodcare and finishes, resin bound surfacing systems, and painting supplies, supported by colour matching, technical advice and trade account services with next-day nationwide UK delivery.

Product overview

Rawlins Paints is an industrial paint and specialist coating distributor established in 1873, operating as a multi-brand e-commerce platform for paints, coatings, and building supplies across the UK. The company offers products across 12 main categories including Exterior Paint, Interior Paint, Fire Retardant Paint, Floor Paint, Heat Resistant Paint, Metal Paint, Roof Paint, Specialist Paint, Woodcare & Finishes, Paint Finishes, Paint Base Types, and Painting Supplies. Rawlins distributes 80+ paint brands including Rust-Oleum, Jotun, Watco, Zeroflame, PPG, Sherwin-Williams, Thermoguard, Sika, Zinsser, Bollom, International Paints, Juno, Kolorbond, Mapei, Osmo, Teamac, and Wethertex, alongside their own Rawlins Paints Professional Coatings brand. The portfolio includes specific products such as Vuba DIY and Trade Resin Bound Kits for driveways and patios, Ronacrete RonaDeck resin systems for SuDS-compliant surfacing, SmartSeal patio sealers and cleaners, Bradite Floor-It water-based floor paint, Smartkote Safekote and Protectakote UVR polyurethane anti-slip coatings, Xylene Quick Drying Thinner for paint preparation, and various specialist coatings. Services include colour matching, technical advice, and trade account facilities. The company stocks thousands of products with next-day delivery available and positions itself as a 5-star TrustPilot rated supplier to the trade.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vuba DIY Resin Bound Kits DIY resin bound surfacing system in 6 decorative colours for driveways, paths, patios and residential/light commercial areas. Each kit contains materials for 1m² coverage including aggregate and 2-part resin binder.
• Vuba Trade Pedestrian Grade Resin Bound Kits Durable resin-bound surfacing in 140+ colours for pedestrian-grade paths, patios, driveways, forecourts and commercial premises. Includes materials for 4m² coverage with slip-resistant, UV-stable finish.
• Vuba Trade Vehicle Grade Resin Bound Kits Durable resin-bound surfacing system in 140+ blends for driveways, paths, patios, car parks and commercial areas. Includes materials for 3.5m² coverage. Permeable, SuDS compliant system.
• Ronacrete RonaDeck Resin Bound Surface Kit Two-component polyurethane resin that binds decorative kiln-dried aggregates, providing a SuDS compliant porous surface for foot and light vehicle traffic.
• Ronacrete RonaDeck Eco Tree Pit Two-component resin bound porous tree pit system for planted trees in public and private areas, allowing tree growth while preventing litter accumulation.
• Vuba Vubamac Urethane Binder Course Kit Permeable, flood-resistant base for resin bound surfacing systems. Suitable for patios, paths, driveways and commercial external surfaces. SuDS compliant using 100% repurposed aggregate. 25-year warranty with Bfl-s1 fire rating.
• Tikkurila Patio Paving Stain Water-borne paving stain for industrially dyed and uncoloured paving stones and concrete garden slabs. Aligns and deepens colour of paving stones in 1-2 coats.
• SmartSeal Block Magic Block paving sealer in 5 colours for exterior block paving and concrete. Colour seals surfaces, blocks contaminants and provides abrasion resistance.
• SmartSeal Black Limestone Sealer Solvent-based sealer and re-colourant for black limestone that restores faded colouration. For exterior limestone, patios, paths, driveways and coping stones, with UV protection against colour loss.
• SmartSeal Patio ColourSeal Patio colour seal in 4 colours for concrete paving slabs. Ready to apply, improves appearance and protects surface lifespan.
• SmartSeal Patio Sealer Clear, UV-stable sealing solution for external patios. Protects pointed joints, reduces efflorescence and enhances paving colour. Abrasion resistant, BS5750/ISO9000 quality approved.
• SmartSeal Xtreme Patio Cleaner Fast acting high performance patio cleaner with four active ingredients for black paving, concrete or natural stone. Removes black spots and prevents future contamination. Not for tarmac.
• Bradite Floor-It Single-pack, high-performance, water-based acrylic floor paint available in 2,500+ colours. For interior/exterior concrete, wood, steel and tarmac with high chemical and water resistance.
• Coo-Var Anti-Slip Acrylic Floor Paint Hard-wearing anti-slip floor paint available in 8 colours for concrete, wood, tarmac, stone, brickwork and prepared metal. Low VOC content.
• Flag Heavy Duty Elastomeric Floor Coating (Anti-Slip) High flexibility, durable floor coating with Dolomite stone for anti-slip properties. For interior and exterior use on concrete, stone, tarmac, asphalt, ferrous metals and wood. Ideal for high traffic areas like car parks.
• Smartkote Safekote Ready-to-use polyurethane coating providing attractive, abrasion resistant anti-slip surface. For interior and exterior use on fibreglass, wood and most surfaces without primer. Fine texture not painful to bare feet.
• Smartkote Protectakote UVR Tough anti-slip aliphatic polyurethane coating, colour-fast and abrasion/weather resistant. Single component, ready to use. High adhesion to metal, concrete, wood, fibreglass, PVC, rubber and glazed tiles.
• Smartkote Protectakote Clear Primer Treatment Single component primer for inorganic surfaces ensuring adhesion of Smartkote polyurethane coatings. Does not acid etch or change surface appearance. For marble, glazed tiles, glass, aluminium, steel and plastics.
• Smartkote Protectakote UVR Accelerator Liquid second component added to Protectakote UVR to accelerate cure rate at low temperatures or humidity. Pre-weighed 20ml or 80ml doses. Lead and heavy metal free.
• Xylene Quick Drying Thinner Specially formulated blend of solvents for mixing with compatible paints/coatings to create optimal application consistency. Also used for surface and tool cleaning. Available in 1L and 5L sizes.
• Colour Match Service Custom colour matching service for trade and consumer customers enabling them to obtain specific colours matched to project requirements.
• Technical Advice Service In-house technical advisory service providing expert, unbiased advice on product selection and project requirements, available via phone and email. Includes fire certificate application assistance for compliance-driven projects.
• Trade Account Service Trade account application and management service offering preferential pricing, dedicated support and access to trade-specific supply terms for professional decorators, contractors and commercial buyers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• British Coatings Federation (BCF)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 November 2017Rawlins Paints participates in the PaintSafe initiative, launched by BCF in association with the Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) and the Scottish Decorator's Federation (SDF) in November 2017. PaintSafe promotes the safe use of paint and related products and provides best practice guidelines for decorators and applicators during preparation, application and drying.
• Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerASFP logo displayed on website indicating membership or affiliation with the Association for Specialist Fire Protection, supporting the company's positioning as a specialist in fire retardant coatings and intumescent paints.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Sherwin-Williams: Global coatings major whose industrial and architectural brands are distributed by Rawlins. Competes broadly in the same end markets and has the scale to push direct-to-customer channels that could bypass independent distributors.
• PPG Industries: Global coatings manufacturer whose Johnstone's Decorating Centre brand competes with Rawlins directly. Sells through Rawlins as a supplier brand but also operates its own UK trade distribution - representing both partnership and competitive threat.
• AkzoNobel: Global paints and coatings manufacturer (Dulux, Sikkens) and parent of Dulux Decorator Centres. Provides brands distributed by Rawlins while also competing through its UK decorator centre retail network.

Direct peers

• Promain: UK specialist distributor of industrial and commercial paints and coatings. Closest niche competitor to Rawlins' industrial/specialist coatings positioning, with overlapping supplier brands (Rust-Oleum, Jotun) and trade customer focus.
• Brewers Decorator Centres: UK's largest independent decorator merchant with 150+ branches focused on decorative paints, wallcoverings and supplies for trade and consumer. Comparable independent multi-branch trade paint distributor model.
• Dulux Decorator Centre: UK's largest decorator merchant network (230+ stores), owned by AkzoNobel, selling decorative paints and supplies to trade and consumer customers. Direct competitor to Rawlins for trade paint customers, though with a decorative rather than industrial specialist tilt.
• Johnstone's Decorating Centre: UK trade-focused decorator centre network operated by PPG Industries. Sells decorative and trade paints through company-owned branches; directly comparable channel model to Rawlins' trade account distribution.
• Leyland SDM: UK paint, decorating and DIY retailer with both trade and consumer segments. Comparable mixed-channel paint merchant operating in the same UK geographic market as Rawlins.
• Crown Decorating Centres: UK decorator centre network owned by Hempel, distributing Crown Paints and related brands to trade and DIY customers. Competes head-to-head with Rawlins in paint retail/wholesale, particularly in trade accounts and same-region coverage.

Emerging players

• Painting Direct: UK online-focused paint retailer selling trade and consumer paints via e-commerce. Closest e-commerce-only peer to Rawlins' online-led model, though with a less specialist industrial focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rawlinspaints
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/rawlinspaints
• Facebookfacebook.com/RawlinsPaints
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rawlins-paints
• Instagraminstagram.com/rawlinspaints

Compliance5 records

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 Rawlins Paints