Dayglo Color Corp Overview
DayGlo Color Corp. describes itself as the world's largest manufacturer of daylight fluorescent pigments, and it is the company whose name became the common noun for fluorescent color. Founded by the Switzer brothers, who pioneered black-light and daylight fluorescent paints in the 1930s and 1940s, DayGlo today makes specialty colorants rather than finished consumer goods: fluorescent and phosphorescent pigments, toners, dispersions, ink bases and specialty security pigments. These go to formulators in plastics, inks and graphic arts, paints and coatings, textiles, packaging, safety products and cosmetics. Its Belgian sister operation, Radiant Color N.V., gives the group a European manufacturing and R&D base and acts as an RPM resin center of excellence. Inside RPM, DayGlo is a small, high-heritage niche business. Recent impairments show it has been pressured by weak OEM demand. Management's growth strategy rests on formaldehyde-free and plant-based "clean" colorant platforms (Ezentus, Elara, Elara Luxe) and on higher-value specialty applications.
What the company does. DayGlo makes colorants that absorb ultraviolet and short-wavelength visible light and re-emit it as visible color. This makes the colors look brighter than conventional reflective colors, and they appear to "glow" even in daylight. The American Chemical Society's 2012 National Historic Chemical Landmark citation describes DayGlo pigments as a class of pigments based on fluorescent dyes held in polymeric materials, developed between the 1930s and 1950s at Switzer Brothers, Inc. (ACS, 2012). The product range now covers classic daylight fluorescent pigments, glow-in-the-dark (phosphorescent) pigments, invisible UV-reactive security pigments, optical brighteners, water-based and solvent-based dispersions, toners and ink bases, and a small line of finished fluorescent paints.
Company's own description. RPM's brand page states that DayGlo is the world's largest manufacturer of daylight fluorescent pigments. It describes the range as enhancing any color, from subtle specialty effects and glow-in-the-dark pigments to the classic fluorescents, and lists plastics, graphic arts, paints and coatings, and dyes and textiles as end markets (RPM brand page, accessed 2026). DayGlo's LinkedIn self-description adds packaging and consumer goods, personal care and cosmetics ingredients, and security pigments (LinkedIn, 2026). RPM does not publish a standalone annual-report narrative for DayGlo. Its FY2026 disclosures refer to DayGlo only through the "Color Group" reporting unit.
Business model and revenue model.
Independent characterization. Analytically, DayGlo is a niche, brand-led specialty colorant franchise. It has a strong trademark position (Saturn Yellow, Blaze Orange and similar shade names are registered marks) and a technical moat in polymer-encapsulated fluorescent dye chemistry. Its scale is small: probably well under USD 100M of revenue on the evidence of conflicting third-party estimates, with about 100 U.S. employees. Its demand is cyclical and tied to OEM manufacturing, packaging and safety-apparel volumes, and to fashion cycles. The company's R&D head has said that fluorescent color popularity rises and falls with trends (Cleveland Magazine, 2024). RPM's FY2025 goodwill impairment and FY2026 asset impairment both name "weaker demand in OEM markets" and "underperformance in growth initiatives" at the Color Group (RPM FY2026 Q4 release). This indicates that, in the current cycle, the franchise is defending its position more than compounding it.
Strategy
Stated DayGlo strategic themes (company communications).
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Customer-centric transformation. McKinley framed the 2019–2022 program as starting from customers, their markets and how DayGlo can support them, with the aim of being easy to work with (PR Newswire, 2022).
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Sustainable, safer chemistry. Removing chemicals of concern (Ezentus formaldehyde-free) and moving toward plant-based, biodegradable colorants (Elara Luxe, over 97% plant-based) (PR Newswire, 2022; Business Wire, 2023).
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Premium niche growth in cosmetics and personal care. Management called Elara Luxe "a key element of DayGlo's growth strategy" (Business Wire, 2023).
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Application broadening in plastics. Pigments suited to polyolefins for injection, blow and rotational molding, and to engineering resins, plastisols and vinyl (PR Newswire, 2022).
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Security and functional pigments. Phantom DINV for anti-counterfeiting and brand protection (dayglo.com).
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Brand heritage and community. Annual DayGlo art exhibitions in Cleveland (with Waterloo Arts and Doubting Thomas Gallery), and supplying pigments for scientific conservation research (Cleveland Scene; ACS, Aug 2026).
Parent-level programs that drive DayGlo.
Medium-term guidance. There is no DayGlo-specific guidance.
Products & Services
Pricing is not publicly disclosed for any industrial line. Distributor listings exist for art and sign-grade pigments (for example, McLogan Supply), but no list prices were verified. Launch years are given only where documented.
Classic daylight fluorescent shades (registered trademarks)
| Shade name | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Corona Magenta | Registered TM of Day-Glo Color Corp. | ACS (2012) |
| Aurora Pink | Registered TM; still sold (for example, "11 Aurora Pink" sign pigment) | ACS; McLogan Supply (Sep 2026 listing) |
| Rocket Red | Registered TM | ACS |
| Fire Orange | Registered TM | ACS |
| Blaze Orange | Registered TM; widely used in safety and hunting apparel | ACS |
| Arc Yellow | Registered TM | ACS |
| Saturn Yellow | Registered TM | ACS |
| Signal Green | Registered TM | ACS |
Pigment and colorant product lines (dayglo.com product catalog, accessed 2026)
| Product line | Description / capabilities | Target customer / application | Launch year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z Pigments | Daylight fluorescent pigments, general purpose | Coatings, inks, plastics | — |
| ZQ Pigments | Daylight fluorescent pigment series | Plastics, inks, coatings | — |
| T / GT Thermoset Pigments | Thermoset-resin-based fluorescent pigments with solvent and heat resistance | Plastics processing, solvent inks | — |
| ICE Fluorescent Pigment | Fluorescent pigment range | Plastics and coatings | — |
| ICE Fluorescent Illuminator | Fluorescent brightening and illumination additive | Plastics, clarity and brightening | — |
| HM / HMS Toners | Fluorescent toners | Printing ink and graphic arts formulators | — |
| Hi-Tint Solvent Based | Solvent-based fluorescent tint concentrates | Solvent inks and coatings | — |
| SPL Splash Water Dispersions | Water-based fluorescent dispersions | Water-borne coatings and inks | — |
| WT Water-Based Fluorescent Dispersions | Water-based dispersions | Coatings, textiles, paper | — |
| WAX Water-Based Fluorescent Dispersions | Wax-containing water dispersions | Coatings and specialty applications | — |
| MP Microsphere | Microsphere-format fluorescent pigment | Coatings | — |
| NightGlo NGX300 | Phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) pigment | Coatings, safety, novelty | — |
| Phantom DINV | Organic pigments invisible under normal light that show color under UV; work in water and solvent systems | Anti-counterfeiting, brand protection, tracers in inks, coatings, varnishes | Not disclosed (TDS version 1.0) |
| Optical brighteners | Highly fluorescent brighteners | Plastics, adhesives, UV leak detection | — |
| Ezentus | Formaldehyde-free, high-performance fluorescent pigments that remove chemicals of concern; usable in inks, coatings, flexible PVC and EVA foam where traditional fluorescents cannot be used | Inks, coatings, PVC, EVA foam (footwear, toys) | Announced by 2022 |
| Elara | Third-generation FDA-compliant fluorescent colorants for cosmetics, based on a thermoset polymer resistant to nail-enamel and hairspray solvents | Cosmetics, nail enamel, hair products | Announced by 2022 |
| Elara Luxe | Seven plant-based fluorescent pigments made from rice protein; over 97% plant-based; biodegradable, non-GMO, vegan, kosher and halal certified; free of microplastics | Clean-beauty makeup, lip products, lotions, soaps, face paint, temporary hair color, nail lacquer | March 2023 |
| Dispersions / ink bases (general) | Fluorescent ink bases and pigment dispersions | Graphic arts | — |
Sources: dayglo.com product and market pages; PR Newswire (21 Apr 2022); Business Wire (15 Mar 2023); GCI Magazine (2023).
Finished paints
| Product | Description | Target | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SRX Fluorescent Low-Odor Latex Paint | Water-based fluorescent wall and art paint | Art, display, sign, event users | dayglo.com |
| 215 Alkyd Enamel Fluorescent Paint | Solvent alkyd fluorescent enamel | Sign and industrial marking | dayglo.com |
| Sign-grade dry pigments | Fluorescent dry pigments sold through sign-supply distributors | Sign painters, artists | McLogan Supply |
Radiant Color N.V. (European affiliate) portfolio
| Product line | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Radglo fluorescent pigments | Fluorescent pigments for plastics, coatings, inks and textiles | Radiant Color LinkedIn; Bounce Watch |
| Radglo dispersions and ink bases | Water- and solvent-borne dispersions | Radiant Color LinkedIn |
| DermaGlo | Fluorescent pigments for cosmetics | Radiant Color LinkedIn |
| Celtic Colorants | Organic and inorganic pigment dispersions (heritage of Dane Color UK, merged 2018) | Radiant Color LinkedIn; Radiant history |
| High-performance and special-effect pigments; resin technology | For industrial, cosmetic and food-contact applications | RPM Radiant Color brand page |
Markets served by product (company market pages)
| Market | Representative DayGlo offerings |
|---|---|
| Coatings | MP Microsphere, WAX, WT, SPL dispersions; NightGlo NGX300; SRX and 215 paints |
| Plastics | ZQ, T/GT thermoset pigments, ICE pigments and illuminators, optical brighteners, Ezentus (PVC/EVA) |
| Graphic arts | HM/HMS toners, Hi-Tint, ink bases, Phantom DINV security pigments |
| Cosmetics | Elara, Elara Luxe; phosphorescent pigments for gels and nail polish |
| Textiles | Water-based dispersions |
| Security | Phantom DINV invisible UV pigments |
Financial Narrative
DayGlo-level financials: not publicly disclosed. RPM does not report DayGlo or Color Group revenue, profit, assets or cash flow. These differ by about 2x and should not be relied on. The analysis below covers the parent, RPM International, which carries DayGlo's results and capital structure.
Income statement — RPM International
FY2025–FY2026 come from the RPM FY2026 Q4 release (22 Jul 2026).
Revenue CAGR FY2022–FY2026 (parent): about 4.1% a year. FY2026 effective tax rate about 23.9%, against about 12.9% in FY2025, when there were one-off tax benefits (an adjustment of USD 0.74 per share).
Commentary. RPM's top line grew in step with inflation through FY2023, then plateaued between FY2023 and FY2025 as volumes fell in DIY and OEM markets. FY2026 growth of 6.7% came largely from acquisitions and from engineered building and infrastructure solutions. GAAP net income fell 4.0% in FY2026 only because FY2025 had unusual tax benefits. Adjusted EPS rose 4.3% to a record USD 5.53. The Margin Achievement Plan (MAP 2025) and the 2026 SG&A optimization actions held the gross margin flat at 41.4% despite inflation. For DayGlo, the point is that the Color Group was not one of the drivers of the parent's records: RPM specifically named it as a profit drag in Q2 FY2026 and impaired its assets in both FY2025 and FY2026.
Dividends per share — RPM (USD; quarterly declared rate)
Sources: Oct 2023 increase to USD 0.46 (dividendhistory.org); Oct 2024 increase of 11% to USD 0.51 (RPM release, Jan 2025); Oct 2025 increase of 6% to USD 0.54, the 52nd consecutive annual increase (RPM release, 1 Jul 2026). Cash dividends paid: USD 255.6M in FY2025 and USD 271.7M in FY2026.
Balance sheet — RPM
The fall in working capital in FY2026 reflects about USD 400M of debt moving into current maturities, not an operating deterioration.
Ratios — RPM (derived from the figures above)
Their components are: receivables USD 1,661.5M, inventory USD 1,058.9M and payables USD 853.5M at FY2026.
Commentary. Parent leverage improved in FY2026: net debt/EBITDA fell from 2.2x to 1.9x as USD 675M of free cash flow paid down debt. Operating cash flow of USD 898.7M was the second highest in RPM's history (RPM FY2026 Q4 release). For DayGlo, the parent's balance sheet is far larger than any reasonable capital need of the subsidiary, so DayGlo is not capital-constrained. The constraint is internal capital allocation. Repeated impairments mean the Color Group is probably competing for capital from a position of weakness inside the RPM portfolio.
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View Subscription PlansFinancial Detail
Group Structure
| Level | Unit | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Parent | RPM International Inc. | NYSE: RPM; FY2026 net sales USD 7.86B | RPM FY2026 Q4 release |
Reportable segment | Consumer Group | Since 1 June 2025; previously DayGlo sat in the Specialty Products Group (SPG) | PCI Magazine (2026); RPM FY2026 Q4 release |
Reporting unit | Color Group | Subject of the FY2025 goodwill/intangible impairment and the FY2026 PP&E impairment | RPM FY2026 Q4 release |
Operating company | DayGlo Color Corp. (Cleveland, OH) | U.S. operations: HQ plus plants in Twinsburg, OH and Cudahy, CA | RPM DayGlo brand page |
Operating company | Radiant Color N.V. (Houthalen, Belgium) | European fluorescent pigments, dispersions, Celtic Colorants; RPM European Resin Center of Excellence | RPM Radiant page; Limburg Bouwt |
Results by Segment and Segment Margins & Growth (%)
| Metric | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
Consumer segment net sales (USD Mn) | 2,502.4 | 2,661.7 |
Consumer segment EBIT (USD Mn) | 334.2 | 362.8 |
Consumer segment adjusted EBIT (USD Mn) | 383.5 | 391.7 |
Consumer adjusted EBIT margin (%) | 15.3 | 14.7 |
Consumer % of IDR Mn sales | 33.9 | 33.8 |
Construction Products net sales (USD Mn) | 2,874.5 | 3,069.8 |
Construction Products adjusted EBIT (USD Mn) | 438.4 | 473.1 |
Performance Coatings net sales (USD Mn) | 1,995.8 | 2,131.9 |
Performance Coatings adjusted EBIT (USD Mn) | 293.8 | 321.5 |
Corporate/Other adjusted EBIT (USD Mn) | -139.7 | -166.9 |
Revenue by Segment and Segment Assets & Liabilities
| Item | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
Goodwill impairment, Color Group (USD Mn) | 11.4 | 0 |
Intangible asset impairment, Color Group (USD Mn) | 1.7 | 0 |
PP&E impairment, Color Group (USD Mn) | 0 | 9.7 |
Income Statement and Per-Share Data
| Metric | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Net sales (USD Mn) | 6,707.7 | 7,256.4 | 7,335.3 | 7,372.6 | 7,863.4 |
Net income attributable to IDR Mn (USD Mn) | 491.5 | 478.7 | 588.4 | 688.7 | 661.4 |
Diluted EPS (USD) | 3.78 | 3.72 | 4.56 | 5.35 | 5.17 |
Income Statement and Per-Share Data (FY2025–FY2026)
| Metric | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
Gross profit (USD Mn) | 3,050.5 | 3,258.2 |
SG&A (USD Mn) | 2,150.5 | 2,292.1 |
Restructuring expense (USD Mn) | 25.0 | 42.6 |
EBIT (USD Mn) | 865.2 | 935.0 |
Adjusted EBIT (USD Mn) | 976.0 | 1,019.4 |
Depreciation and amortization (USD Mn) | 193.8 | 213.5 |
EBITDA, EBIT plus D&A (USD Mn) | 1,059.0 | 1,148.5 |
Pre-tax income (USD Mn) | 792.8 | 870.3 |
Income tax (USD Mn) | 102.4 | 207.9 |
Basic EPS (USD) | 5.38 | 5.19 |
Diluted EPS (USD) | 5.35 | 5.17 |
Adjusted diluted EPS (USD) | 5.30 | 5.53 |
Gross margin (%) | 41.4 | 41.4 |
EBIT margin (%) | 11.7 | 11.9 |
EBITDA margin (%) | 14.4 | 14.6 |
Net margin (%) | 9.3 | 8.4 |
Dividends & Capital Returns (USD)
| Metric | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterly dividend rate after October increase (USD) | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.46 | 0.51 | 0.54 |
Balance Sheet
| Metric | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
Total assets (USD Mn) | 7,775.9 | 8,344.6 |
Cash and equivalents (USD Mn) | 302.1 | 315.2 |
Short-term debt / current portion (USD Mn) | 7.7 | 407.8 |
Long-term debt (USD Mn) | 2,638.9 | 2,125.7 |
Total debt (USD Mn) | 2,646.6 | 2,533.5 |
Net debt (USD Mn) | 2,344.5 | 2,218.3 |
Total equity (USD Mn) | 2,886.8 | 3,313.1 |
Goodwill (USD Mn) | 1,617.6 | 1,688.2 |
Other intangibles (USD Mn) | 780.8 | 824.6 |
Inventories (USD Mn) | 1,036.5 | 1,058.9 |
Total current assets (USD Mn) | 3,170.3 | 3,458.8 |
Total current liabilities (USD Mn) | 1,467.4 | 2,061.1 |
Working capital (USD Mn) | 1,702.9 | 1,397.8 |
Cash Flow
| Metric | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
Operating cash flow (USD Mn) | 768.2 | 898.7 |
Capital expenditures (USD Mn) | 229.9 | 223.5 |
Free cash flow (USD Mn) | 538.3 | 675.2 |
Acquisitions, net of cash (USD Mn) | 595.8 | 202.4 |
Dividends paid (USD Mn) | 255.6 | 271.7 |
Share repurchases (USD Mn) | 70.0 | 77.5 |
Net debt issued or repaid (USD Mn) | 469.1 | -124.9 |
Returns & Leverage Ratios (%) and Financial Ratios (x)
| Metric | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
ROE, on average equity (%) | not computed | 21.3 |
ROA, on average assets (%) | not computed | 8.2 |
Current ratio (x) | 2.16 | 1.68 |
Debt / equity (x) | 0.92 | 0.76 |
Net debt / EBITDA (x) | 2.21 | 1.93 |
Interest coverage, EBIT / interest expense (x) | 8.96 | 8.38 |
Asset turnover, sales / average assets (x) | not computed | 0.98 |
Geography Overview
| Geography | DayGlo / Color Group presence | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
North America | Primary market. HQ in Cleveland; manufacturing in Twinsburg, OH and Cudahy, CA. | RPM DayGlo brand page |
Europe | Served mainly through Radiant Color N.V. (Houthalen, Belgium), which calls itself the European market leader in fluorescent color. Includes UK heritage (Dane Color UK, merged 2018). | Radiant Color LinkedIn; Radiant history |
Asia | LeadIQ reports employees on two continents including Asia; the scale and nature (sales office or agents) are not disclosed. | LeadIQ (Feb 2026) |
Latin America / other | Radiant exports pigment powders to buyers in Vietnam and Mexico, according to trade-data aggregator Tendata (May 2025). | Tendata |
Valuation Snapshot
| Metric | Value | Basis / source |
|---|---|---|
Share price | About USD 99.19 (2 Oct 2026) | Dividend.com |
Market capitalization | About USD 12.66B (127.6M shares × USD 99.19). Third-party estimates: USD 12.69B (dividendhistory.org, Sep 2026); USD 14.19B (Investing.com, 1 Jul 2026, at a higher price) | Derived; third parties |
Enterprise value | About USD 14.88B (market cap + debt of USD 2.53B − cash of USD 0.32B) | Derived from FY2026 balance sheet |
P/E (GAAP, FY2026) | About 19.2x (USD 99.19 / USD 5.17) | Derived |
P/E (adjusted, FY2026) | About 17.9x (USD 99.19 / USD 5.53) | Derived |
EV / EBITDA (FY2026, EBIT + D&A) | About 13.0x | Derived |
EV / Sales (FY2026) | About 1.89x | Derived |
P / B (FY2026) | About 3.8x | Derived |
Dividend (forward) | USD 2.16 per year (USD 0.54 quarterly); yield about 2.2% | Dividend.com |
Dividend record | 52 consecutive years of increases (through Oct 2025) | RPM release (1 Jul 2026) |
Buyback authorization | USD 700M increase (Jul 2026) on top of USD 114.8M remaining; no expiry | RPM FY2026 Q4 release |
FY2026 shareholder returns | USD 349.2M (dividends plus buybacks), up 7.3% | RPM FY2026 Q4 release |
Debt maturities | USD 407.8M current portion due within 12 months of 31 May 2026; USD 2,125.7M long-term | RPM FY2026 balance sheet |
Liquidity | USD 1.09B (cash plus committed revolver) | RPM FY2026 Q4 release |
Share price performance (1/3/5-year) | One aggregator shows the share price about 6.4% below its 52-week high and about 29.4% above its 52-week low (Sep 2026) | dividendhistory.org |
Per-Share Data
| Metric | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterly dividend per share (USD) | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.46 | 0.51 | 0.54 |
Analyst Conclusions
Management guidance (parent; RPM FY2026 Q4 release, 22 Jul 2026).
There is no DayGlo or Color Group guidance.
Bull case.
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Regulation turns into revenue. Ezentus and Elara Luxe put DayGlo ahead of formaldehyde and microplastic restrictions, in categories (PVC/EVA foam, cosmetics) where traditional fluorescents are blocked.
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Cyclical recovery on a reset cost base. After about USD 22.8M of combined impairments in FY2025–FY2026 and RPM's MAP and SG&A actions, any recovery in OEM volumes would raise margins sharply on a smaller asset base, helped by Consumer "stabilization".
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Brand and scale leadership in a growing niche. The world-largest position, combined with a market forecast to reach about USD 621M by 2032, supports pricing power in premium and specialty grades.
Bear case.
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Structural, not cyclical. Two years of impairments and RPM's own reference to growth initiatives underperforming suggest the new-product push has not yet offset OEM erosion.
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Commoditization. Asian producers compete on price in standard fluorescents, while DayGlo's scale (about 95 employees) limits cost leverage.
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Low priority in the portfolio. A small B2B pigment unit inside a retail-oriented Consumer segment may get little capital and could become a candidate for divestiture or consolidation under the next operational improvement plan.
Catalysts and monitorables (next 12 months).
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6 Oct 2026: RPM Q1 FY2027 results. Watch for any Color Group commentary.
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October 2026: RPM annual meeting and possible 53rd consecutive dividend increase.
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9 Nov 2026: RPM Investor Day. Watch for the next improvement plan and any portfolio actions affecting the Color Group.
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Any facility consolidation linked to the two impaired asset groups (Twinsburg, Cudahy or Houthalen).
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Further goodwill or asset impairments in FY2027 quarterly filings.
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Commercial traction of Elara Luxe and Ezentus: customer announcements, regulatory approvals.
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Raw-material costs (resins, propylene-oxide derivatives) and tariff developments.
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Leadership continuity at DayGlo and the 2026 proxy's related-person disclosures.
Analyst verdict.
DayGlo Color Corp. is a rare industrial brand that has become a word, and a franchise with real technical depth. Its pigments earned an ACS National Historic Chemical Landmark designation, its shade names are registered trademarks, and it remains, on its own and its parent's account, the world's largest maker of daylight fluorescent pigments. It is not, however, an investable public company. It is a small, wholly owned RPM subsidiary with about 100 U.S. staff and no disclosed financials, and its performance can only be read through RPM's Color Group reporting unit.
That reading has been unfavourable. In FY2025 RPM wrote down USD 13.1M of Color Group goodwill and intangibles, citing weak OEM demand and underperforming growth initiatives. In Q2 FY2026 it named lower Color Group demand as a profit drag. In Q4 FY2026 it impaired another USD 9.7M of plant and equipment in two asset groups. The rest of RPM, meanwhile, posted record sales of USD 7.86B and record adjusted EPS of USD 5.53. The unit is clearly lagging its parent.
The strategic answer DayGlo has chosen is sensible: move up the value chain into regulation-driven, clean-chemistry niches (formaldehyde-free Ezentus, plant-based Elara Luxe) and security pigments, where heritage, technical service and compliance count for more than cost. The evidence that this pivot is already offsetting industrial weakness is missing. RPM itself says growth initiatives underperformed.
Our assessment is "stable franchise, under review." The parent's balance sheet (net debt/EBITDA about 1.9x, operating cash flow about USD 899M) means DayGlo faces no financial distress. Its strategic future inside RPM is less certain. The 9 November 2026 Investor Day is the key event: watch for capacity consolidation, a reinvestment commitment, or signs of a portfolio exit. Anyone dealing with DayGlo as a counterparty should view supply security as high, because RPM backs it, and commercial direction as in flux.
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View Subscription PlansExecutive Leadership
Executive Leadership Team
| Name | Title | Tenure / background | Compensation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Frank C. Sullivan III | President, DayGlo Color Corp. | With RPM subsidiaries since 2015. Previously President, Specialty Coatings Group (division of SPG); earlier at Performance Coatings Group. Son of RPM Chairman and CEO Frank C. Sullivan. | USD 300,000 salary plus annual bonus (FY2025), disclosed as a related-person transaction | RPM DEF 14A 2025 |
Cathie McKinley | Former President (appointed 2019) | Led the 2019–2022 transformation and rebrand. Current status not disclosed; Indeed still lists her as CEO, which is likely stale. | — | PR Newswire (2022); Indeed |
Steve Jackson | Former President (in office at 2012 ACS designation) | Historical | — | ACS (2012) |
Tom DiPietro | Vice President, Research & Development | With DayGlo since 1987 (as of 2024) | — | Cleveland Magazine (2024) |
Will Wooten | Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing | Spokesperson for the Elara Luxe launch (2023) | — | Business Wire (2023) |
Olivier Frederix | General Manager, Radiant Color N.V. | Leads the Belgian operation | — | Radiant Color LinkedIn; Limburg Bouwt |
Unnamed | Chief Operating Officer | Initials only in a third-party database | — | LeadIQ |
“—” = not publicly disclosed.
Executive Leadership Team — Frank C. Sullivan
| Name | Title | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Frank C. Sullivan | Chairman and CEO, RPM | Primary voice on Color Group performance in results releases | RPM FY2026 Q4 release |
Don Harmeyer | President, Consumer Group | Oversees the segment that holds the Color Group since FY2026 | RPM FY2026 ARS |
David C. Dennsteadt | Executive Vice President (elected 2 Oct 2025) | Former PCG group president; now oversees corporate finance, legal, risk, HR, manufacturing and operations | RPM 8-K / release (2 Oct 2025); PCI Magazine |
Gregory Michael | Group President, Performance Coatings Group | Succeeded Dennsteadt | PCI Magazine (2026) |
Russell L. Gordon | Vice President and CFO | Presented FY2027 outlook | RPM Q4 FY2026 call transcript; RPM officers list |
Matt Schlarb | VP, Investor Relations & Sustainability | IR contact | RPM releases |
Thomas C. Sullivan, Jr. | VP, Corporate Development | Brother of the CEO; USD 615,000 salary and bonus (FY2025) | RPM DEF 14A 2025 |
Governance Overview
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
Board size | 12 members after the January 2025 appointments | RPM 8-K (13 Jan 2025) |
New directors (2025) | Craig S. Morford (former Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General; Governance & Nominating Committee); Christopher L. Mapes (former Chairman, President and CEO, Lincoln Electric; Compensation Committee); Julie A. Beck (former SVP and CFO, Terex; Audit Committee, from 7 Apr 2025) | RPM 8-K (13 Jan 2025) |
Retirements (Oct 2026) | William B. Summers, Jr. and Bruce A. Carbonari, each with over 20 years' service | RPM FY2026 ARS |
Chair/CEO structure | Combined (Frank C. Sullivan is Chairman and CEO) | RPM releases |
Competitive Landscape
Key Competitors
| # | Competitor | HQ | Overlap with DayGlo | Revenue (fluorescent-relevant) | Relative positioning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinloihi Co., Ltd. (DIC Group) | Japan | Daylight fluorescent pigments for inks, plastics, coatings | — | Major Asian fluorescent specialist, backed by a large colorant group |
| 2 | Swada | UK / Asia | Fluorescent pigments and dispersions | — | Long-established fluorescent competitor |
| 3 | UKSEUNG Chemical | South Korea | Fluorescent pigments for plastics and inks | — | Competes on Asian plastics demand |
| 4 | Aron Universal Ltd. | India | Fluorescent pigments | — | Low-cost exporter |
| 5 | Vicome Corp. | China | Fluorescent pigments | — | Price-competitive Chinese supplier |
| 6 | Other Chinese fluorescent pigment producers (various) | China | Commodity daylight fluorescents | — | Pressure on price in standard grades |
| 7 | Sun Chemical (DIC Group; includes former BASF pigments) | USA / Japan | Broad pigments, inks and effect pigments | — | Scale competitor in graphic arts |
| 8 | Heubach / Sudarshan Chemical | Germany / India | Organic pigments | — | Adjacent; competes for coatings and plastics colorant budgets |
| 9 | Nemoto & Co. (LumiNova) | Japan | Phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) pigments | — | Competes with NightGlo |
| 10 | Clariant (colorants and masterbatches) | Switzerland | Colorants for plastics | — | Adjacent channel competitor |
| 11 | Cosmetic colorant suppliers (various specialists) | Global | Cosmetic colorants | — | Compete with Elara and Elara Luxe |
Recent Developments
DayGlo issues little news of its own. The register therefore includes parent-level events that directly affect DayGlo's reporting, capital and leadership context.
