COVER STORY | ADVERTORIAL
Kurt demonstrating MMA Application at our corporate complex.
Kurt Gruenberg, Donna Gruenberg, and Samantha Morek— three generations of RAE leadership
A Decade of Expansion
The last ten years have brought transformative growth to RAE. The company acquired 1-800-STENCIL one of the largest stencil suppliers in the United States, adding a powerful new division to an already broad product portfolio. RAE has simultaneously doubled its production facility capacity and is now preparing for its most ambitious move yet: the relocation of its entire operation to a new space three times the size of the current production facility, situated within the same manufacturing complex adjacent to RAE’ s corporate headquarters. The expansion is not just physical— it is a statement of intent.“ Every time we grow, we grow with purpose,” says Samantha Morek, RAE’ s executive vice president.“ We are not just adding square footage— we are investing in our ability to serve customers better, faster, and with a broader range of products than ever before.” RAE remains a dominant force in supplying a broad range of traffic and zone marking paints, and the 1-800-STEN- CIL acquisition has firmly established the company among the nation’ s elite stencil providers. Beyond paint and stencils,
RAE has grown into a major supplier of thermoplastic pavement marking materials and has become an industry leader in MMA( Methyl Methacrylate) paints— offering both product supply and hands-on training. The company is also the exclusive dealer for the CEMAR Road Dryer, a specialized piece of equipment that reflects RAE’ s commitment to providing contractors with complete solutions rather than just materials.
“ We remain the‘ PDQ’ people. That will never change.”— Donna Rae Gruenberg, President and Founder, RAE Products & Chemicals Corp.
Fifty Years, Three Generations
What may be most remarkable about RAE’ s story is not the revenue growth or the facility expansions— it is the family. RAE now employs approximately 40 people, and nearly half of them share a last name or a bloodline with the founder. Three generations of the Gruenberg family are actively shaping the business every single day. Donna’ s son Kurt Gruenberg, who first joined RAE as a teenager in 1984, now
serves as vice president and plays an essential role in new product development. Kurt and his team keep RAE at the cutting edge of product innovation, testing longer-lasting paints, and next-generation MMA systems. Kurt’ s stepsons contribute as well, creating content for RAE’ s own websites and maintaining the company’ s strong presence on Grainger— a platform where RAE has twice been honored with a“ Best Small Business” award. Donna’ s granddaughter Samantha Morek, has stepped into a pivotal leadership role, overseeing all financial operations under Donna’ s direction. Her husband, Keil Morek, runs incoming orders and logistics— a critical function given RAE’ s scale and reach— with help from several of Samantha’ s brothers, who work in stencil production and warehousing. The integration of the 1-800-STENCIL operation into the RAE family is, in many ways, a mirror of the company itself: built on trust, driven by family, and focused on getting the job done right. Samantha’ s contributions extend far beyond the balance sheet. In recent years, she spearheaded the migration of RAE’ s financial systems from Sage 50
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