About - Franklin International

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Our Company

Franklin International is among the largest privately-held manufacturers of polymers, adhesives, and sealants in the United States. Family-owned and operated since 1935, we remain committed to fostering and enhancing the industry.

Our History

Our Values

We do more than sell adhesives. We solve technical problems, improve quality, enhance safety, accelerate manufacturing cycles, cut delivery times, and pioneer new product categories.

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Franklin at a Glance

Trusted Since 1935

Our History

Privately-owned and operated

Our Values

500+ employees

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ISO 9001:2015 certification

Learn about our R&D

Distribution in 60+ Countries

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A History of Excellence

Since the Franklin Glue Company opened its doors in 1935 with the first ready-to-use liquid hide glue, our organization has remained at the forefront of bringing innovative, yet practical, solutions to the adhesives market.

Pause Timeline

1935

We opened our doors as The Franklin Glue Company, launching the first ready-to-use liquid hide glue used primarily for furniture manufacturing. This unique formula required no heating or mixing, and could be applied at room temperature, unlike traditional adhesives. It streamlined the gluing process and revolutionized the capabilities of wood to wood bonding.

1951

The Franklin Glue Company developed the first water-based, aliphatic resin glue, another proprietary formula that would change the woodworking landscape forever. From this development, the Titebond® brand was born and quickly became the preferred choice of wood furniture manufacturers and woodworking professionals alike.

1953

On Chestnut Street in the heart of downtown Columbus, Ohio, Franklin’s first polymer was developed by our industry renowned and beloved chemist, P.T. Brown. It was in this location that our Polymers Production Facility, specifically our Duracet® product line, began manufacturing innovative base polymers. This core competency is an important part of our vertical integration and remains a competitive advantage today.

1954

To accommodate our significant sales growth of these innovative products, The Franklin Glue Company relocated just south of the city to 2020 Bruck Street. It is at this location where we would continue to expand our product development, production and packaging capabilities, and where our corporate headquarters still reside today.

1960s

During this time, we developed proprietary, pressure-sensitive adhesive technology specifically for tapes, labels and various types of graphic applications. In an effort to support new business opportunities, we once again expanded our facilities with the construction of a new production plant, with a focus on manufacturing wood glues, adhesives and sealants.

1970s

We entered the wood flooring market with revolutionary, solvent-based wood flooring adhesives, with a focus on Franklin 711. This formula provided superior adhesion and easy installation, allowing it to quickly become the industry standard in glue down wood flooring. Additionally, this formula was the preferred choice of several wood flooring manufacturers as their own private label wood flooring adhesive.

1971

Franklin International developed the first construction adhesive to pass the APA’s AFG-01 (ASTM D 3498) performance standard for subfloor installations. AFG-01 requires that adhesives applied at the jobsite be strong, durable, resistant to extreme weather, and able to permanently fill material gaps. Franklin continues to be very heavily involved with APA in furthering the testing, quality and performance of construction adhesives.

1991

Franklin developed and was first-to-market with a one-part wood glue that passed the ANSI/HPVA Type II specification for water-resistance. This launched our Titebond® II Premium Wood Glue to the retail market and inspired the Multibond® 2000 series of Industrial wood glues. We also launched a series of two-part Advantage® glues, providing additional performance for specific wood manufacturing applications.

1992

A Franklin-developed pressure-sensitive adhesive underpinned the national rollout of self-adhesive postage stamps, which eliminated the need for being moistened before applying. Additional pressure-sensitive formulas were also developed for microwave popcorn bags and glass bottle labels, both of which are challenging applications due to heat and moisture requirements.

1998

Franklin became the dominant manufacturer of FRP (Fiberglass-Reinforced Plastic) panel adhesives, and was the #1 recommended choice of adhesive by the largest FRP manufacturers in the industry. Our formula offered superior bond strength, was easy to use and provided a safer alternative to traditional adhesives. It continues to be one of our highest selling, and most important products in our Titebond line.

2004

Franklin developed the first one-part wood glue to pass the more stringent ANSI/HPVA Type I specification for water resistance. Titebond® III Ultimate Wood Glue was born, and this waterproof formula created a new category of exterior woodworking. Not only is this formula rated #1 by professional woodworkers, it is also Franklin’s #1 selling wood glue.

2007

Franklin launched the first, water-based construction adhesive program designed for virtually any construction, remodeling, and repair project. Utilizing internal polymer development and proprietary manufacturing processes, we were able to produce high-performance, yet safer alternatives to the traditional solvent-based programs.

2011

Franklin marketed the first sealant specifically designed to provide superior adhesion, maximum flexibility and long-term durability for metal roofs and materials. This innovative sealant was launched in support of expanding market needs and industry requirements, and today is one of our top-selling sealant formulas.

2021

A new manufacturing facility in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, expanded Franklin’s caulk and sealant capabilities to support the increased demand of water based formulations. Our team members offer years of high-level expertise and the plant provides flexibility and streamlined operations, all of which has been a significant asset to Franklin.

Our Values

Every aspect of our business is conducted in accordance with our company values.

Customer First

Integrity and Dependability

Respect for Individuals

Effort and Accountability

Teamwork

Knowledge and Learning

Quality and Craftsmanship

Safety, Health, and Environment

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Quality Assurance

Becoming the most trusted adhesion company in the world is more than just a goal, it's our guiding principle. We demonstrate this commitment by consistently exceeding expectations, pioneering innovative products, and relentlessly optimizing our processes.

Quality assurance is a key function within the various research laboratories, where we implement stringent quality control tests, raw material analysis, product performance analysis, competitive testing, and more. Our internal analytical capabilities keep Franklin at the forefront of the industries we serve.

Our commitment to quality expands well beyond our research and development laboratories. Our manufacturing facility at our headquarters in Columbus, Ohio operates under the compliance and certification of ISO standard 9001:2015.

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Corporate Responsibility

We believe it is our duty to protect the well-being of our employees, neighbors, customers and the environment. Through our innovative ideas and commitment to high performance products, we meet the needs of our customers without compromising our larger responsibility to society.

We strive to minimize any potential health and safety impact to our users and the environment. Easy access to information related to the handling, storage and disposal of all of our products is provided through our Safety Data Sheets portal.

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Work for Us

At Franklin, you can find an exciting and rewarding career with a values-driven company.

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