DuBois Chemicals history

In 1934, Blanc's son, Milton, asked for help unclogging a sewer system blocked with potato peelings.

Roto-Rooter reached a critical juncture in 1955, when the patent on the original device expired and the company was reorganized around the Roto-Rooter trademark.

In 1964 Grace acquired DuBois and incorporated the company into its Specialty Products Group, renaming the firm the DuBois Chemicals Division.

Roto-Rooter's corporate lethargy ended in 1970, when another of S.O. Blanc's sons-in-law, Henry Peterson, advanced from secretary to president.

In 1971 Grace management transformed its specialty chemicals group, which included the DuBois Chemicals Division, into the Chemed Corporation, which had been incorporated as a Grace subsidiary the previous year.

VITAS had been founded in 1978 as the single-site Hospice of Miami and had subsequently expanded beyond Florida as Hospice Care, Inc.

In 1981 Chemed established Omnicare, Inc., a company designed to supply pharmacy management services and distribute dental and medical supplies.

It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1982.

In October 1983 Chemed acquired National Sanitary Supply Company.

Chemed made a private placement of 15 percent of Roto-Rooter's stock in 1984 and raised $12.5 million in an initial public offering of another 23 percent stake the following year.

1991: As part of shift to focus on marketing and service-oriented businesses, DuBois Chemicals is sold to Molson Companies, Ltd. for $243 million.

By 1994, meantime, Roto-Rooter had purchased 80 of its largest franchisees.

The Veratex Group itself, renamed the Omnia Group, was then sold to Banta Corporation in September 1997 for $50 million in cash and $2.3 million in deferred payments.

In October 2002 Chemed sold Patient Care to an investor group for about $70 million.