Our History

During World War I, United Shoe Machinery (USM) provided shoe machines and operator instructions entirely new in shoemaking. In 1917, they turned over a shoe repair caravan that could go anywhere, including the front lines. This experience led USM to produce resistant waterproof boots for soldiers.

In 1922, Quellhyd introduced potato starch-based wallpaper paste onto the French market. The Doittau firm formulated their chemistry in Germany and drew inspiration from German to create the brand name (“Quellen”, to expand whilst cold and “Hyd”, using water). Wallpaper paste expanded with the addition of water to the powder, forming a thick texture. Quellhyd, renamed Quelyd in the 1960’s, has continued to be highly successful.

Bostik adhesive, sealing and glazing products were developed to be water and heat resistant, able to withstand temperatures ranging from -30 to 100° C. Some of these, were used in the construction of the Airspeed Ambassador in the early 50’s. During the same period, Bostik began producing innovative solutions for the automotive industry.

Boston Blacking Company formulated rubber-based contact adhesives in 1954 to stick floor and decorative coverings to various surfaces that provided excellent resistance to vibrations. Its initial viscous composition is today more liquid, for easier and faster application.

In the 1960’s, USM developed a novel application technique for hot melts used in the footwear industry. The polyamide-based (and, later on, polyester-based) hot melt adhesive is delivered in bobbins and melted down as a continuous bead, facilitating automation of the bonding process.

British consumers are all familiar with Bostik’s synthetic putty product Blu Tack®, launched in the early 1970’s. As a strong but removable and reusable adhesive putty, Blu Tack® can be used everywhere and for several uses. Today, Blu Tack® is a mainstay of Bostik’s stationery and craft ranges, which are used all over the world.

“In 1975 in Milwaukee, we had clients who were trying to stick a rubber band to a polyethylene (plastic) film. The customer was developing the first diaper that had an elastic leg feature. It took us 20 attempts to get it right and we successfully produced the first elastic attachment adhesive for diapers ever made!”

In 2001, Bostik was the first to launch SMP’s: silyl modified polymer-based elastic adhesives. They are highly elastic, waterproof and adhere to all types of surfaces, indoors and outdoors and in all types of weather. They stick to everything, everywhere, from coat hooks to railway windshields to rivets on airplane wings. Nails, screws and bolts are becoming a thing of the past!

Bostik was the first to patent extrudable reseal adhesives and we continue to transform food packaging materials with this smart technology. The reseal adhesives provide a less wasteful, more environmentally-friendly and easier to use alternative to conventional non-resealable containers.

In 2019, Bostik launches Fix & Flash, a professional technology that bonds on demand and on any material (even opaque) thanks to its drying UV system.