GCP Applied Technologies to Rebrand VERSASHIELD® as KOVARA™ and Sell Non-core Halex Product Lines

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 26, 2017 -- GCP Applied Technologies Inc. (NYSE:GCP) announced that it is rebranding its proprietary VERSASHIELD rolled flooring moisture barrier as KOVARA. The relaunch of this product supports GCP’s growth strategy for KOVARA, which includes introducing the product into geographies outside of North America.

The Company also announced the sale of non-core carpet tack strip and plywood underlayment product lines that were acquired with Halex Corporation (“Halex”) in 2016 to Q.E.P. Co., Inc. (OTCPK:QEPC). The sale is not expected to have a material effect on the financial statements of GCP. The integration of Halex into GCP’s Specialty Building Materials segment is proceeding as planned.  

“KOVARA is an example of the high-quality, specialized products and materials GCP is focused on providing to global construction markets,” said Zain Mahmood, President of GCP’s Specialty Building Materials business. “We are divesting these ancillary product lines as part of our plan to concentrate our resources on differentiated specialty construction products like KOVARA.”

About GCP Applied Technologies
GCP Applied Technologies is a leading global provider of products and technology solutions for customers in the specialty construction chemicals, specialty building materials, and packaging sealants and coatings industries. Our products help improve the performance of our customers’ products, increase productivity in their application or manufacturing processes, and meet the increasing regulatory requirements impacting their industry. GCP has approximately 3,000 employees on six continents, and serves customers in more than 110 countries. More information is available at www.gcpat.com.

This announcement contains “forward-looking statements,” that is, information related to future, not past, events. Such statements generally include the words “believes,” “plans,” “intends,” “targets,” “will,” “expects,” “suggests,” “anticipates,” “outlook,” “continues,” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about the anticipated benefits from the transaction; expected financial positions; results of operations; cash flows; financing plans; business strategy; operating plans; capital and other expenditures; competitive positions; growth opportunities for existing products; benefits from new technology and cost reduction initiatives, plans and objectives; and markets for securities. Like other businesses, GCP is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from its projections or that could cause other forward-looking statements to prove incorrect. Factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, or that could cause other forward-looking statements to prove incorrect, include, without limitation, the possibility that the expected strategic benefits or opportunities from the transaction may not be realized, or may take longer to realize than expected; risks related to: the cyclical and seasonal nature of the industries that GCP serves; foreign operations, especially in emerging regions; changes in currency exchange rates; the cost and availability of raw materials and energy; the effectiveness of GCP’s research and development, new product introductions and growth investments; acquisitions and divestitures of assets and gains and losses from dispositions; developments affecting GCP’s outstanding liquidity and indebtedness, including debt covenants and interest rate exposure; developments affecting GCP’s funded and unfunded pension obligations; warranty and product liability claims; legal proceedings; uncertainties related to GCP’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the spin-off /separation from W.R. Grace and the value of GCP’s common stock following the spin-off; the inability to establish or maintain certain business relationships and relationships with customers and suppliers or the inability to retain key personnel following the spin-off; and hazardous materials and the costs of compliance with environmental regulation. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in GCP's Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and is available online at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on GCP’s projections and forward-looking statements, which speak only as the date thereof. GCP undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revision to the projections and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this announcement.

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