Bostik, a leading global adhesive specialist for industrial manufacturing, construction and consumer markets, announced plans to mark its 125-year anniversary. The firm was founded in 1889 in Massachusetts, U.S. as the Boston Blacking Company, and numerous local events and promotional activities are planned to celebrate the role that innovation has played in the company’s development.

Bostik chairman and CEO, Bernard Pinatel, says, “I am proud to pay tribute to our company’s rich history and to recognize the role that innovation has played in enabling Bostik to become a leader in the adhesives industry. We continue to pursue innovation just as vigorously as our predecessors and we look forward with confidence to the next 125 years.”

Bostik’s activities today are remarkably different from those of the Boston Blacking Company’s leather treatment business for the shoemaking industry. What has remained throughout the years is the pursuit of innovation and applying the latest advances in technology to develop smart adhesive solutions for its customers and end users. Bostik’s archives contain many examples of how its adhesive technologies have changed their respective markets, including the introduction of potato starch-based wallpaper adhesive in 1922, new packaging and application techniques for hot melt adhesives in 1960, the first elastic attachment adhesive for disposable diapers in 1975 and the first silyl modified polymer-based grab adhesives in 2001.

This commitment to delivering novel and original adhesive solutions continues, as demonstrated by Bostik’s most recent product launches. For the disposable hygiene market, Bostik recently introduced ZeroCreep Avancé, an elastic attachment adhesive that combines strong elastic strand hold and elongation performance with significant cost-in-use advantages.

To commemorate this important milestone, unique Bostik 125 Years of Innovation branding has been developed and will be featured in advertising, company materials and point-of-sale displays over the next year. Commemorative items, including a 125-year anniversary book, will be distributed to staff and customers in the coming months.