# Ronseal > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ronseal > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ronseal.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronseal > Source revision: 1343629765 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) British wood paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Ltd Type Subsidiary Products Wood stain, paint and preservative Owner Sherwin-Williams **Ronseal** is a British [wood stain](/source/Wood_stain), [paint](/source/Paint) and [preservative](/source/Wood_preservative) manufacturer, known for the phrase "[Does exactly what it says on the tin](/source/Does_exactly_what_it_says_on_the_tin)". The [advertising slogan](/source/Advertising_slogan), which was created by agency [HHCL](/source/HHCL), has since entered [popular culture](/source/Popular_culture).[1] The company is based in [Chapeltown](/source/Chapeltown%2C_South_Yorkshire), [Sheffield](/source/Sheffield), and has been owned by [Sherwin-Williams](/source/Sherwin-Williams) since 1997.[2] ## History Ronuk Limited was founded by Horace Fowler as a polish manufacturing company in [Portslade](/source/Portslade), [Brighton](/source/Brighton) in 1896. In 1956, the company launched into the DIY market with Ronseal – Floor and Wood Seal. In 1960, Ronuk was purchased by Izal, itself owned by the [Newton Chambers Group](/source/Newton%2C_Chambers_%26_Co.) in Sheffield.[3] In 1964, the company moved to Chapeltown, Sheffield, where it still resides today. Known as Roncraft, it became a separate sales division of Izal in 1970 and was bought three years later by [Sterling Drug](/source/Sterling_Drug).[4] In 1989, Sterling was bought by [Eastman Kodak](/source/Kodak) until the multinational photographic company sold all of its [do it yourself](/source/Do_it_yourself) business to the [New York](/source/New_York_City)‍–‍based [investment bank](/source/Investment_banking) [Forstmann Little & Co.](/source/Forstmann_Little_%26_Co.) in 1994. Forstmann Little & Co. included Ronseal within its Thompson Minwax Holding Corp. business, which it sold in 1997 to Sherwin-Williams.[5] Sherwin-Williams purchased the [Polish](/source/Poland) woodcare company Altax in February 2009, and integrated it into the Ronseal unit.[6] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Edwards, Peter (14 June 2011). ["Exclusive: Ronseal on the acquisition trail through central Europe"](http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/exclusive-ronseal-on-the-acquisition-trail-through-central-europe-1-3475976). *The Yorkshire Post*. Retrieved 20 April 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Kilgannon_2-0)** Kilgannon, Laurence (23 September 2014). ["Investments push Ronseal into the red"](https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/123887-). Insider Media. Retrieved 20 April 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Ronuk - Graces Guide"](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Ronuk). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["$32.7‐Million Deal Completed By British Unit of Sterling Drug"](https://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/08/archives/327million-deal-completed-by-british-unit-of-sterling-drug.html). *New York Times*. 8 November 1973. Retrieved 26 April 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Ronseal to be acquired by the Sherwin-Williams Company"](http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ronseal-to-be-acquired-by-the-sherwin-williams-company-156022145.html). *PRNewsire*. 9 December 1997. Retrieved 20 April 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Sherwin-Williams to Acquire Altax in Poland"](http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sherwin-williams-to-acquire-altax-in-poland-65700592.html). *PRNewswire*. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2016. ## External links - [Official website](http://www.ronseal.com) v t e Current and former companies connected with Sheffield Economy of Sheffield List of companies in Sheffield modern manufacturing and distribution companies Ancon Clark Arnold Laver Davey Markham Fletchers Bakery Henderson's Relish Henry Boot Kelham Island Brewery) Land Pyrometers M J Gleeson Northern Foods Outokumpu Ronseal Paints Sheffield Forgemasters SIG Tata Steel Europe Wilson Benesch modern retail and service industry Atkinsons Stores HSBC Irwin Mitchell PlusNet WANdisco traditional heavy industry (steel and engineering) BOCt/o British Steel Corporationp Brown Bayley Steels Cammellt/o Cravens English Steel Corporationn Firth Brown Steelsn Firth Vickers Laycockst/o NCK-Rapier Newton, Chambers & Company Sheffield Forgemasters Thos. W. Ward cutlers, silversmiths, surgical instruments Arthur Price Joseph Rodgers Mappin & Webbt/o Swann Morton Vinerst/o tool manufacturers Dormer (Tools)r Footprint Tools Spear & Jackson Stanley Toolsr miscellaneous formerly Sheffield based companies Batchelorst/o Richardson Sheffieldt/o SH Wards Breweryt/o Stones Breweryt/o Thorntons Chocolatesr Trebor Bassett Sweetst/o defunct English Steel Corporation Hadfields Limited Jessop Saville & Company Samuel Fox and Company Samuel Osborn & Company Sheffield Coal Company Simplex Cars Steel, Peech and Tozer United Steel Companies Vickers Yorkshire Engine Company key: a= active, d= defunct, e= e-commerce, f= financial services, h= high tech, n= nationalised, p= privatised, r= relocated, t/o= taken over --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ronseal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronseal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronseal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.