Rust-Oleum Corp., headquartered in Vernon Hills, IL, produces rust-fighting coatings. On the cutting edge of innovation, the company’s extensive breadth of products includes industrial coatings, decorative fashion paints, epoxy garage-floor coatings, primers and wood finishes.

A business client of the Commerce  Department’s U.S. Commercial Service, Rust-Oleum has benefited from export counseling, trade shows, market research and business matchmaking to greatly expand its export sales. While Europe represents a significant portion of the company's foreign market sales, the company does business in several other regions of the world as well. Rust-Oleum Corp. demonstrated a substantial increase in the volume of exports over a four-year period, a major criteria for the award.

U.S.companies are nominated for the “E” Awards through the U.S. Commercial Service office network in 108 U.S. cities and more than 75 countries that helps U.S. companies export. The primary criterion for the “E” Award is four years of successive export growth or of supporting the export growth of others. “E” Awards are awarded to applicants that can demonstrate a significant contribution to U.S. export expansion that is measurable, innovative, sustainable and has broad impact.

A total of 41 U.S. companies and organizations were presented with the “E” Award at the May 17, 2012, World Trade Week ceremonies in Washington DC.