It was founded in 1921 by Robert Fergusson, a sea captain, after he noticed that fish oil spilled on rusty metal decks stopped corrosion from spreading.

[3] Key brands include Stops Rust, High Performance, NeverWet, Painter's Touch, Universal, Varathane, Zinsser, and Watco.

[7] On the basis of market share, Rust-Oleum holds the top position in the U.S. and Canada in the rust-preventative, decorative, specialty and professional segments of the small-project paint category.

[8] In 1979 the company's slogan, "Rust Never Sleeps", was adopted by Neil Young (upon a suggestion by Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo) as a name for an album.

Rust-Oleum manufactures product in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin; Hagerstown, Maryland; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Lesage, West Virginia; and multiple other locations in the United States and Europe.