Tarmac Group Designer Outlet in Swindon completed in 1997, Tarmac Group Tarmac Group Limited was a multinational building materials company headquartered in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. It produced road surfacing and heavy building materials including aggregates, concrete, cement and lime, as well as operating as a road construction and maintenance subcontractor. The company was founded in 1903 by Edgar Purnell Hooley after he patented the road surfacing material tarmac in 1901. The company was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In July 1999, Tarmac demerged its construction and professional services businesses under
The Fine Art of Surfacing around America leading up to "The Fine Art of Surfacing", drumming up publicity for the band in the States. During this time the Rats learned much about both American life and breaking into the American music market. This is a recurring theme on the album, sometimes taking a serious approach in looking at American society, in songs like "I Don't Like Mondays" and "Diamond Smiles," while other times looking at it in a downright silly and mocking manner in songs like "Nothing Happened Today" and "Having My Picture Taken," the album takes aim at 1979 life in classic punk style.