Dec 2, 2024 - 3-5 minutes
Understanding Our Latest Acquisition: Dow’s Laminating Adhesives and Coatings Business
Learn how Arkema’s latest acquisition of Dow’s laminating adhesives and coatings business enhances Bostik’s ability to support the flexible converting markets, offering a full range of flexible materials, adhesives, coatings, and sustainable solutions for flexible packaging, functional laminates, and more.
Effective December 2, 2024, Dow’s laminating adhesives and coatings business is part of Bostik, the adhesive solutions segment of Arkema. As Arkema’s latest acquisition, it allows Bostik to support evolving needs in the flexible material converting markets and become a full range, flexible materials supplier at a global and regional scale.
To understand what this acquisition means for converters, brand owners and others in the industry, we sat down with Tim Pione, Vice President of Advanced Packaging and Converting Global Business Unit, to discuss.
Q: To start, what product lines are part of this acquisition, and will the products change now that they will be part of Bostik?
A: As Arkema’s global industrial adhesive supplier, Bostik will now manufacture the product lines that previously were under Dow’s laminating adhesives and coatings business, such as:
- Solvent-based adhesives: ADCOTE™ and LAMAL™
- Solvent-free adhesives: MOR-FREE™ and PACACEL™
- Water-based adhesives and coatings: AQUA-LAM™ and AQUA-BOND™
- Heat seal and surface protection coatings: ADCOTE™ and OPULUX™
The product formulations will remain the same, and we do not plan to change them at this time; if any product brand name consolidation occurs, it will be after our new, expanded portfolio is further assessed with our existing offering. We understand these products are well established in the flexible materials market and are known for their high quality, reliable performance as well as their cost-in-use effectiveness. Additionally, we appreciate that they help enable safer and more sustainable end-use products to be manufactured across flexible material applications. These aspects all complement our existing priorities well, and we look forward to offering them with some key additional benefits as we prioritize a smooth transition.
Q: What are those benefits people can expect now that the product lines will come from Bostik?
A: As an Arkema company, we have global reach and capacity capabilities to help deliver products customers want when and where they need them. Additionally, Bostik operates an adhesives business model, which allows us to provide dedicated, agile, hands-on technical expertise to our customers at the local level, such as:
- In-house trials using our industrial laminators so that customers don’t need to interrupt their own production lines
- In-house analytical capabilities to help ensure the right product and material combination are chosen to meet end-use application needs
- On-site troubleshooting and process optimization to correct any issues and help prevent future ones from occurring
- Innovation collaboration to help customers expand their capabilities and meet their evolving goals
Overall, our business structure and capabilities help Bostik foster customers’ sustainability innovations as well as best serve and enhance their day-to-day operations."
Q: You mentioned that these are high-quality, reliable products, which help develop safer and more sustainable end-use products - and that these aspects complement Bostik’s existing priorities well. Can you elaborate on that?
A: Certainly. At Bostik, our top priorities include safety, sustainability and performance. For example, our technical expertise helps ensure products comply with food safety regulations to keep brand owners’ food safe from harm, such as chemical migration. We also develop products designed to help reduce environmental impact. This includes more sustainable formulations as well as considering how the adhesive can contribute to sustainability in-use and at the end of the overall product’s life. Further, we formulate adhesives so that they can improve end-use product performance; for example, they can maintain bonds to challenging substrates and withstand exposure to harsh environments. We appreciate that Dow has emphasized these aspects in their products, too, and will continue to focus on them.
Q: Going forward, what can the market expect from Bostik because of this acquisition?
A: Innovation and application technology centers are part of this acquisition in addition to product brands. These centers, combined with our existing labs, strengthen our capabilities and allow us to better support customers’ goals for improved performance, streamlined processing efficiencies and enhanced sustainability.
Additionally, this acquisition allows Bostik to become a full range, flexible materials supplier. This means the market will be able to access their adhesives and coatings for across application needs from one place, which streamlines logistics and reduces complexities for them.
Further, by combining our portfolios and technological expertise, our world-scale assets for both mid-general and high-performance applications will help enable Bostik to provide a competitive cost structure.
We are excited about the opportunity to strengthen our position in this dynamic, expanding market and work directly with customers to innovate and evolve flexible packaging and functional laminates together.