Columbus, Ohio
Originally owned by Century International Adhesives, the plant was sold to Ashland in 1998. Arkema/Bostik acquired the plant in March 2022. More than fifteen million dollars in significant capital improvements for plant safety, process automation, material handling, and environmental controls has been invested since 1998.
The plant contributes more than $5 million annually to the local economy.
About our People
Thirty-four associates make up the Columbus plant team. Committees consisting of both staff and hourly employees meet regularly to improve the work environment in the plant.Employees live in Columbus and surrounding communities like Upper Arlington, Hilliard, Grove City, Reynoldsburg, Pataskala, Dublin, Worthington, and Mount Sterling.
The dedication and teamwork of our Columbus plant employees, combined with our business philosophy of continuous improvement, enabled the Columbus plant to earn ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 registration. ISO recognition is an international standard of quality performance in industry.
Products and markets
We manufacture a variety of adhesives which are used to laminate flexible films for food packaging. These adhesives help provide strong, light coat weight products that are efficient for high-speed laminators and meet the durability demands of today's modern packing demands.
We also manufacture a variety of wood bonding adhesives used in the production of engineered wood products: I-beams, laminated veneer lumber, hard-wood flooring, window, and doors.
The adhesives we produce at the Columbus plant are sold to customers under the trade names of ISOSETTM, ISOGRIPTM, PLIOBONDTM , PURELAMTM, PURETHANETM, PUREKOTETM and PURESEALTM.
How we make our Adhesives
The chemical raw material building blocks used to manufacture our adhesives are derived from basic chemicals and include polyols and isocyanates.These raw materials are processed together in various combinations inside our reactors. By changing the amounts and combinations of the raw materials, diverse types of adhesives can be made that produce different properties in finished laminates.
The Columbus plant has five reactors and eleven blend tanks with a total manufacturing capacity of 100-million pounds per year.
Computer controls feed predetermined amounts of raw materials into the reactors. A state-of-the-art computer system then monitors and controls the heat cycle of the batch as it cooks. Typically, a batch may remain in the reactor for processing from 8 to 16 hours. Samples of each batch are retained and sent to our in-plant Quality Control laboratory to be checked against our manufacturing specifications.
The finished adhesive is sold in bulk, IBCs and 55-gallon drums and shipped to customers.
Our concern for the community and the environment
We go the extra mile in our efforts to operate safely and protect the environment.We take these precautions because we care about the health and safety of our employees and our neighbors throughout the community.
Our employees are highly trained, and new training as well as refresher training is ongoing. We have a comprehensive process for maintaining the reliability of our equipment and for implementing any changes to our systems.
The plant's reactors and storage tanks are housed within containment dikes to limit the opportunity for any spilled material to escape and impact the community.
Storage and processing tanks are also equipped with systems to reduce vapor emissions, and wastewater is neutralized on-site and shipped as non-hazardous liquid.
The plant even acts as a miniature recycling operation. Containers for raw material shipments into the plant are selected to reduce waste from raw material sources. Excess material from plant samples is recycled back into the process; IBCs, metal & plastic drums, aluminum beverage cans, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and printing paper are recycled.
We are dedicated to Responsible Care*
Bostik’s Columbus facility is deeply committed to the Responsible Care initiative of the American Chemical Council (ACC). As an ACC member, our Responsible Care pledge is to make continuous improvement to our operations in the areas of health, safety, and the environment. In addition to our own efforts at the Columbus plant, we also work together with local fire, safety, and emergency forces to help protect the safety of our employees, our community, and our environment.
Each one of us at Bostik’s Columbus plant is dedicated to fulfilling our Responsible Care obligations.
Community Involvement
Our commitment to the Responsible Care initiative includes being an active and responsible member of our local community and seeking dialogue with our facility's neighbors.We take pride in our involvement with the local community. Among the many activities in which we participate are a partnership with the Franklinton Board of Trade, Litehouse Christian Health Center, Gladden Community House, and Franklinton Prep Academy. We have sponsored a teacher to attend the Teacher Industry and Environment Conference for 18 years. Our operations manager and environmental specialist serve on the Local Emergency Planning Commission’s Hazard Analysis Committee. Our employees are regular contributors to the annual United Way campaign, and they frequently conduct Earth Day awareness activities and other events.
Bostik, Inc.
The Columbus plant is part of Bostik’s Advanced Packaging and Durable Goods businesses. Bostik’s headquarters are in Wauwatosa, WI. Bostik is a leading, worldwide supplier of specialty chemicals serving industries including adhesives, automotive, composites, paint, paper, and plastics.