Sandtex 3-in-1

General Chemical Corporation commenced business in December 1939, a few months after the outbreak of the Second World War. Its first core business was repacking caustic soda into small tins for retail sale to housewives wanting to make their own soap. Using soap as a starting point, the business expanded into many avenues such as tanning and finishing agents followed by bitumen, sealers and adhesives and finally moved onto paints and synthetic resins in 1965.

In 1982, Genkem took over the Sandtex business from Blue Circle. Sandtex “The Original Lighthouse Paint” was the first textured coating ever made in South Africa. Genkem then acquired a licence agreement with a number of European companies as agents for bitumen, sealers, resin, wood adhesives, silicones as well as the Bostik range of products. In 1988, Genkem bought Brooklyn Castrol, who was for many years the largest adhesive manufacturer in South Africa.