Valentus Specialty Chemicals Acquires Wood Floor Finishes Business

Huron Capital Partners LLC has announced that its portfolio company, Valentus Specialty Chemicals, Inc., has acquired the wood floor finishes business of New Rochelle, NY-based Paint Over Rust Products, Inc.  The wood floor finishes business will continue to operate as Absolute Coatings, Inc. This transaction represents the third acquisition for Valentus, an ExecFactor initiative launched by Huron Capital and coatings industry veterans Ray Chlodney, John Ragazzini and Bob Taylor.

A family-owned business founded in 1923, Absolute manufactures high-performance, environmentally-friendly wood floor finishes primarily under the ABSCO, Last-n-Last, and TREK-Plus brands. A leading manufacturer of waterborne coatings, Absolute adds technological expertise to the Valentus platform along with expanded distribution in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

As part of the transaction, David Sherman, CEO and owner of POR Products, will join Valentus’ Board of Directors. David Sherman will retain a significant ownership stake in Valentus and will remain actively involved in leading Absolute; no other staff changes are expected.

“We believe the partnership with Absolute will significantly enhance our growth trajectory,” said Ray Chlodney, CEO of Valentus. “ABSCO, Last-n-Last, and TREK-Plus are premium brands with differentiated technologies and excellent growth opportunities, and they’re a great complement to our existing portfolio of brands at National Paint Industries (NPI). We are eager to work with David as we seek to build on the legacy that he and his family have established in the marketplace.”

“I believe Valentus is the ideal partner to guide Absolute through its next phase of growth,” said Sherman. “Valentus is committed to preserving Absolute’s family of brands, and they are investing in resources that will strengthen our distribution, product innovation and ability to serve our customers.” 

“We believe Absolute is a phenomenal addition to Valentus’ portfolio, and we are fortunate to add David to Valentus’ dynamic leadership team,” said Mark Miller, Vice President at Huron Capital. “With three acquisitions in eight months, the Valentus buy-and-build model is progressing in line with our expectations. We will continue to work with our leadership team to identify and pursue strategic acquisitions as we seek to grow the Valentus platform.”

Valentus also owns National Paint Industries and Precision Technologies. These three acquisitions, Chlodney said, are poised to position Valentus as a leading provider of coatings technologies on a larger, national scale.

“In addition to their complementary product expertise, Absolute and NPI have a strong presence in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and complementary distribution across the Southeast and Midwest. Together, we expect to have significant opportunities to grow in partnership with one another,” Chlodney said.