This book was printed in 1971 which was the 50th anniversary of the Rust-Oleum Corporation. Inside, along with a personal letter from Donald W. Fergunsson (the company President at the time) to the previous books owner (and former longtime employee), you'll find:
How fifty years ago, a retired ship's captain brewed small batches of his special fish oil preparation over a stove in the back room of his shop in New Orleans. He sold his own product, driving over the dirt roads of Louisiana in his Model T Ford, his samples in the trunk.
Today (as of 1971) the name of the product is a household word. The Rust-Oleum Corporation has sales in more than 80 countries and plants three nations. It's a world leader in rust preventative coatings.
How did a one man operation grow into a large international corporation in just half a century? Who are what contributed to the company's extraordinary progress? He has succeed when others failed?
Gift O'the sea is the story of a Scottish Sea Captain's dream and how it eventually became a reality. It is also a story about the people and how Rust-Oleum the product and the company became closely woven into their lives.
The book's 12 chapters and 40 photographs trace many of the milestones in the history of the Rust-Oleum Corporation: the slow steady progress of the early years; the frightening responsibility that was passed to the captain's son, Bob and Don, at the ages of 20 and 18; the ups and downs, the spurts and the setbacks, the joys and sorrows; and the emergence of Rust-Oleum as a strong international company.
Scattered throughout the pages are many antidotes that will help make the reader smile or perhaps weep a little. These personal touches bring the story to life and convey the war, humor, enthusiasm, and the determination of the people who have made Rust-Oleum what it is today (1971).
It's worth noting that Rust-Oleum is still in business today 103 years later. It remained family-owned company until 1994, when it was acquired by current owner RPM International Inc. The company headquarters moved from Evanston Illinois to Vernon Hills Illinois and manufactures product in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin; Hagerstown, Maryland; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Lesage, West Virginia; and multiple other locations in the United States and Europe.