Dayton Superior
Corporate brand
UnclaimedDayton Superior is a U.S.-based supplier and manufacturer of engineered products for concrete construction, including accessories, chemicals, forming systems, and paving products.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Dayton Superior is an American building-materials and manufacturing company focused on the North American concrete construction industry. Its products are designed for contractors, distributors, concrete producers, engineers, and other participants in commercial, infrastructure, industrial, and general building projects. The business combines manufacturing with distribution of value-added and engineered products used in concrete forming, reinforcement, placement, repair, finishing, and paving. The company traces its origins to Dayton Sure-Grip & Shore, founded in 1924 in Dayton, Ohio, by Art and Carl Kinnenger with support from Charles Danis and Fred Kramer. Carl Kinnenger held a patent for a snap-tie design used to keep concrete formwork together, and the original business was licensed to sell the product in the United States from a downtown Dayton location. This early focus on concrete-forming hardware established the technical and construction-industry orientation that continued through later corporate names and ownership changes. A significant transition occurred in 1953, when Danis Hunt Construction acquired Dayton Sure-Grip. The business began producing bar supports in 1959 and established Sure-Grip, Inc. in 1960, subsequently relocating to Miamisburg, Ohio. In 1975, the company acquired C&M Chemical Co. of Sycamore, Illinois, adding construction chemicals to its product scope. The acquisition of Superior Concrete Accessories in 1982 led to the adoption of the Dayton Superior Corporation name. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Dayton Superior expanded through acquisitions across several concrete-construction categories. These transactions added masonry products, paving products, forming systems, concrete accessories, and chemical lines. The 1997 acquisition of Symons Corporation was particularly important because Symons brought formwork systems, shoring, formliners, and related chemical products, substantially broadening the company's offering. Other acquired businesses included Dur-O-Wal, Steel Structures, Richmond Screw Anchor, Cempro, Conspec, Aztec, Safway, Unitex, Universal Building Products, and Block Heavy & Highway. The company also expanded beyond the United States through acquisitions involving Superior Concrete Accessories of Toronto and Cogan Wire Company of Montreal. Dayton Superior had multiple periods as a public and private company. It completed an initial public offering in the 1990s according to the company's historical timeline and later became publicly traded on Nasdaq in 2006 under the symbol DSUP. In 2009, Oaktree Capital Management led a transaction that returned the company to private ownership. The business later sold its Dur-O-Wal masonry operation in 2010 while also acquiring several businesses in chemicals, accessories, and paving. In 2014, it opened an Innovation Center at its Miamisburg corporate site. The company's principal product structure is organized around four broad lines: Concrete Accessories, Chemicals, Forming, and Paving. Its catalog has included products protected by a substantial patent portfolio, with the referenced company history identifying 117 patents. Dayton Superior has maintained a network of offices and warehouses across the United States and in Canada, Colombia, and Panama, supporting distribution to construction markets throughout North America and selected Latin American markets. In 2024, Dayton Superior acquired HK Composites and was itself acquired by White Cap. White Cap is a construction-supply company formed from the former Construction and Industrial division of HD Supply. Under White Cap ownership, Dayton Superior remains associated with engineered concrete-construction products and serves as a specialized brand within a broader professional construction-supply platform.
History
Dayton Superior began in 1924 as Dayton Sure-Grip & Shore, a Dayton, Ohio business established by Art and Carl Kinnenger with assistance from Charles Danis and Fred Kramer. Its early commercial focus was the snap tie, a patented device used to hold concrete formwork together. The company was licensed to sell the product in the United States and operated from downtown Dayton. Danis Hunt Construction acquired Dayton Sure-Grip in 1953. The company entered bar-support production in 1959 and formed Sure-Grip, Inc. in 1960. It later moved to Miamisburg, Ohio. In 1975, the acquisition of C&M Chemical Co. added construction chemicals to the business. Dayton Sure-Grip acquired Superior Concrete Accessories in 1982 and adopted the Dayton Superior Corporation name. The following decades were characterized by product diversification and acquisition-led growth. The company acquired businesses involved in masonry, paving, concrete accessories, forming, and construction chemicals. Important transactions included Dur-O-Wal in 1995, Steel Structures in 1996, Symons Corporation and Richmond Screw Anchor in 1997, Cempro and Conspec in 1999 and 2000, Aztec in 2001, Safway in 2003, and Unitex, Universal Building Products, and Block Heavy & Highway in 2010. The acquisition of Symons was especially significant because it expanded Dayton Superior into form systems, shoring, formliners, and associated chemical products. Dayton Superior also expanded its geographic presence. Acquisitions involving Superior Concrete Accessories of Toronto and Cogan Wire Company of Montreal supported Canadian operations, while the company's office and warehouse network later extended across the United States, Canada, Colombia, and Panama. Its business became organized around four major product lines: Concrete Accessories, Chemicals, Forming, and Paving. The company underwent changes in ownership and public-market status. Its historical timeline records a 1990s initial public offering and a later Nasdaq listing in 2006 under the symbol DSUP. In 2009, Oaktree Capital Management led a transaction that returned Dayton Superior to private ownership. In 2010, the company sold Dur-O-Wal while acquiring additional businesses in chemicals, accessories, and paving. Dayton Superior opened an Innovation Center at its Miamisburg corporate site in 2014. In 2024, Dayton Superior acquired HK Composites. In June of the same year, White Cap acquired Dayton Superior. White Cap had recently become an independent company following the separation of the former Construction and Industrial division of HD Supply. Dayton Superior therefore became part of a larger construction-distribution group while retaining its identity as a supplier of engineered concrete-construction products.
- 2024
HK Composites is acquired
[1]Dayton Superior acquires HK Composites.
- 2024
White Cap acquires Dayton Superior
[1]White Cap acquires Dayton Superior and adds it to its construction-supply business.
- 2014
Innovation Center opens
[1]The company opens an Innovation Center at its corporate site in Miamisburg.
- 2010
Portfolio reshaping and headquarters relocation
[1]Dayton Superior sells Dur-O-Wal, acquires Unitex, Universal Building Products, and Block Heavy & Highway, and relocates to its current Miamisburg headquarters.
- 2009
The company is taken private
[1]Oaktree Capital Management leads a transaction returning Dayton Superior to private ownership.
- 2006
Dayton Superior lists on Nasdaq
[1]The company becomes publicly traded on Nasdaq under the symbol DSUP.
- 2003
Safway is acquired
[1]The acquisition strengthens the company's forming-related business.
- 2001
Aztec is acquired
[1]The transaction adds further concrete-accessory capabilities.
- 2000
Conspec is acquired
[1]The acquisition further develops the company's chemical-product business.
- 1999
Cempro is acquired
[1]Dayton Superior expands its construction-chemical portfolio through the acquisition of Cempro.
Products and positioning
An engineered, technically oriented supplier for concrete construction, serving professional contractors and distributors with integrated accessories, chemicals, forming, and paving products.
Concrete construction accessories · 1924
Concrete Accessories
This line covers hardware and engineered components used in concrete construction, reinforcement, and formwork. Historical offerings include snap ties, bar supports, anchors, and other accessories used to position reinforcing steel, connect or stabilize formwork, and support concrete placement. The category reflects Dayton Superior's original technical focus and remains one of its four principal product groups.
Concrete chemicals · 1975
Construction Chemicals
Dayton Superior's chemicals business developed after the 1975 acquisition of C&M Chemical Co. and was later expanded through acquisitions including Cempro, Conspec, and Unitex. The line serves concrete construction applications and complements the company's hardware, forming, and paving products. The referenced company history identifies chemicals as one of Dayton Superior's four main product lines.
Concrete forming and shoring · 1997
Forming Systems
The forming portfolio includes systems and components used to shape, support, and finish cast concrete. The acquisition of Symons Corporation added form systems, shoring, formliners, and related products, materially broadening Dayton Superior's capabilities. Forming products are intended for professional concrete contractors and construction projects requiring repeatable formwork and structural support.
Paving and heavy-highway construction · 1996
Paving Products
The paving line serves road, infrastructure, and heavy-highway construction. It was expanded through the acquisition of Steel Structures in 1996 and Block Heavy & Highway in 2010. Products in this area complement Dayton Superior's broader concrete-construction offering and are intended for paving contractors, infrastructure work, and related civil projects.
Brand decisions
2024
Acquisition by White CapM&ABackground
Dayton Superior was operating as a specialized supplier of engineered concrete-construction products.
Action taken
White Cap acquired Dayton Superior in June 2024.
Aftermath
Dayton Superior became part of White Cap's broader professional construction-supply platform.
2010
Portfolio reshaping and expansionStrategyBackground
The privately held company adjusted its portfolio while seeking growth in chemicals, accessories, and paving.
Action taken
Dayton Superior sold Dur-O-Wal and acquired Unitex, Universal Building Products, and Block Heavy & Highway.
Aftermath
The transactions narrowed its masonry exposure while adding capabilities in other core product categories.
2009
Return to private ownershipM&ABackground
After its public-market period, Dayton Superior underwent a change in ownership.
Action taken
Oaktree Capital Management led a transaction taking the company private.
Aftermath
Dayton Superior continued operating as a privately held company and pursued further portfolio changes.
1997
Acquisition of Symons CorporationM&ABackground
Dayton Superior sought to expand its concrete-forming and shoring capabilities.
Action taken
It acquired Symons Corporation, along with Richmond Screw Anchor.
Aftermath
The transaction substantially increased the company's product range through form systems, shoring, formliners, and related chemical products.
1982
Adoption of the Dayton Superior Corporation nameStrategyBackground
The company acquired Superior Concrete Accessories as it expanded beyond its original forming-related business.
Action taken
It changed its corporate name to Dayton Superior Corporation.
Aftermath
The new name became the basis for the company's subsequent multi-category concrete-construction brand.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/dayton-superior · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled