In the Engineering Tomorrow series, Artemis highlights many of our portfolio company products by outlining key aspects of the technologies, industries, and end markets within which the business operates. In the most recent installment, we explained the fundamentals of thin-film Optics & Photonics technologies, talked to the mission-critical nature of their end-markets and applications, and discussed a specific Omega Optical product that is enabling the Optics & Photonics technological frontier. This week we are looking to highlight Artemis’ most recent acquisition, RM Lucas, and their industry leading specialty chemical offerings.

One of Artemis’ main differentiators within the M&A ecosystem is our team’s obsession with and expertise around the technology of our Industrial Tech portfolio companies. From high precision lab automation and advanced materials to mission-critical Optics & Photonics and RF/Microwave devices, the Artemis team, from the Associates to the Operating Partners, is able to have entrepreneur-to-entrepreneur conversations on an engineer-to-engineer level because of our deep product, application, and market fluencies.

Across Artemis’ portfolio of Industrial Tech manufacturers, one of the firm’s newest and most exciting platform theses has surrounded RM Lucas and their formulated roof coatings technologies. For those who may not be familiar with the industry, it relates specifically to those engineered specialty chemical formulations, from high-solid and solvent-based to water-based and even aluminum-based, that are applied to specific substrates with the intent to optimize the overall reflectivity, durability, and energy efficiency. This roof coating contractor provides a great introduction to the considerations of RM Lucas customers as they look to build, maintain, and upgrade their infrastructure - Roof Coatings: The Complete Guide.

Driven by consumer demand for increasingly environmentally friendly reflective coatings, government regulations relating to emissions and energy conservation, and increasing energy utility costs, the roof coating industry is poised for substantial growth across the world, with North America and Europe expected to lead the industry past the $15 trillion mark by 2030 Roof Coating Market Size and Industry Share Report.

Consider, for example, the commercial customer who looks for environmental toughness, longevity, and energy efficiency. This customer would be well served by a water-based elastomeric coating designed for their particular cost and performance specification. This coating, however, may not be useful to the industrial customer who must include the presence of high temperatures, chemicals, fumes, among other factors in their consideration of the desired solution The Similarities And Differences Between Commercial, Industrial And Residential Roofs (Stahl Roof Systems). 

From roof coatings and cements, to caulks, sealants, and water repellants, RM Lucas’ diverse product offering solves for virtually all potential customer challenges. One of the company’s most advanced products is their #1000TC Elastomeric Roof Coating. This 100% acrylic elastomeric roof coating is intended for application to metal, modified bitumen, asphalt, BUR, TPO, PVC, EPDM, Hypalon, and concrete roofs as a top coating, working in conjunction with other Lucas products. This Coating utilizes its high degree of rubber-like elasticity to enable roofs to accommodate wide swings in temperature or building movement; a solution of particular interest to RM Lucas’ commercial customers, who often look to offer their end-users one of the company’s three tiers of cost and performance weighted options.

We hope you enjoyed this discussion of one of RM Lucas’ technologies. Next week we will be discussing Tekscan’s industry-leading imbedded sensing solutions enabling a broad spectrum of mission-critical industries and applications. Next month, we will be going deep to address a critical economic reality for the manufacturing industry: Labor & Human Capital. As always be sure to follow the Artemis LinkedIn and check back for more content surrounding Industrial Tech Innovations, Portfolio Company News, The Future of Private Equity, and Macroeconomic Trends. Comment to let us know what you think and suggest any topics you'd like to hear Artemis discuss.