Our History

Founded in Brussels, Belgium in 1932 by Messrs. Francis Blake and Agnan de Goussencourt as Imperbel, the small company specialized in pitch-based waterproofing sealants and mastics. The company survived World War II, melting down pavement from war-torn streets to derive the asphalt and aggregate. The Imperbel founders were tough, resilient, adaptive and industrious. For the next 25 years, Imperbel’s principle business evolved into the manufacture and application of liquid mastic, cold applied felt and gravel built-up roofing systems.

In the early 1970’s, Imperbel imported APP-modified asphalt membrane technology from Italy, and the Derbigum product was born! The first plant outside of Italy was constructed in Perwez, Belgium in 1978. The product was quickly adopted by the American commercial market, and the American manufacturing operation was constructed in Kansas City in 1980, and has been in operation ever since: producing the highest quality, most durable roofing membranes available in today’s low-slope commercial roofing market. Not unlike the company’s founders, DERBIGUM  APP Modified Bitumen Roofing Membrane is tough, resilient, adaptive and industrious.

In 2018, DERBIGUM Americas (now named Performance Roof Systems) was acquired by The SOPREMA Group, and is now a proud member of the SOPREMA International worldwide group of companies.