Tarmac Group business was acquired by Anglo American later that year. In 2010, the group was separated into Tarmac Limited and Tarmac Building Products. Anglo American merged Tarmac Limited with the United Kingdom assets of Lafarge in 2013 to form a 50:50 joint venture, Lafarge Tarmac (now Tarmac Holdings). Tarmac Building Products was subsequently sold to Lafarge Tarmac in 2014. The company was originally formed by Edgar Purnell Hooley as the Tar Macadam (Purnell Hooley's Patent) Syndicate Limited in 1903. The distinguishing feature of the new process was that it "tarred" cheap blast furnace slag, a steelworks by-product, rather than expensive roadstone
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.