About

Rust-Oleum is the world's most trusted source of protective paints and coatings for both home and industry. Established in 1921, our products have a long and rich history of transforming homes, buildings and vehicles worldwide. Tried and tested by tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts alike for decades, Rust-Oleum products today are the culmination of more than ninety years research and development. That's why Rust-Oleum has become a name synonymous with quality, and why our products remain a favourite for home improvement projects in Australia.

From its inception to now, Rust-Oleum has grown from the development of the world's most trustworthy anti-rust solution to producing a broad range of revolutionary spray paints and coatings. Rust-Oleum manufactures and markets a comprehensive product portfolio that includes small project paints, undercoats, concrete coatings, cleaners, specialty coatings, wall-covering products, as well as products for auto and marine enthusiasts. Our brands - Universal©, Zinsser©, EPOXYSHIELD©, Countertop Transformations© and Stops Rus©, to name a few - have all earned indisputable reputations for quality and innovation amongst professional tradespeople and DIY devotees worldwide.

Rust-Oleum Corporation is a subsidiary of RPM International, Inc.

The History of Rust-Oleum

At the dawn of the twentieth century, Robert Fergusson was a child from Scotland working aboard one of the Queen's merchant vessels as a cabin boy. As Robert worked his way through the maritime ranks to Captain, one of his duties entailed keeping the ship's brightwork shiny. All metal onboard required Fergusson's constant hard work and supervision, lest the salty sea lay rust on Her Majesty's ship.

Fergusson discovered that fish oil was the answer to combating rust, and worked feverishly on a galley stove to harness an oil that was both fast-drying and odourless. He tested a variety of his rust-preventive formulas on a fleet of one hundred WWI ships and, by 1921, Fergusson had finally discovered the rust solution he had searched for since his days as a cabin boy.

In 1932, Fergusson took his business to Chicago. One day while patching his kitchen floor with linoleum and contemplating names for his fish oil product, Fergusson realised the Latin word for oil is "oleum". As his new product used oil to defend surfaces from rust, Fergusson decided to take this inspiration and Rust-Oleum's name was born.

Fergusson's best selling Stops RustÓ line established Rust-Oleum as the first American company to market spray paint. By 1957, Rust-Oleum was writing history from sea to outerspace - NASA commissioned Rust-Oleum to develop heat-resistant coatings for their missile programs. Today, Rust-Oleum sells 125 million cans of paint a year and protects homes, structures and vehicles around the world - including the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

More than ninety years later, Robert Fergusson's spirit of innovation and commitment to quality transcends every product bearing the Rust-Oleum name.