DAP Global Inc. Builds on a Legacy of Innovation & Leadership

By Wanda Lenoir

DAP’s story began in 1865, when Robert H. Dicks and Elmer Wiggin started producing and packaging sealing wax for food canning in a Dayton, Ohio garage. At a time when preserving food safely was a household necessity, their product solved an everyday challenge and quickly became essential across America. In the decades that followed, the company grew through strategic alliances, including a partnership with George Pontius in 1906 and a merger with the Chicago-based Armstrong Company in 1957, forming DICKS-ARMSTRONG-PONTIUS, Inc. From the initials of its founding partners, the name DAP was born – cementing a brand identity that is now synonymous with innovation and reliability.

What is the driving force behind DAP’s 160 years of success as a company?

The driving force behind DAP’s success is its legacy of innovation, quality, and trust – and the people who deliver it every day. Since 1865, our teams have built and refined category leaders like Dynaflex®, Alex®, Kwik Seal®, RapidFuse®, Weldwood® and Plastic Wood® to meet changing user needs. DAP’s success is also rooted in customer trust and market leadership: today, DAP Global Inc. holds the #1 brand recognition and market share position in the U.S. and Canada for the caulk and sealant residential market, and in the U.S. for wall and wood repair solutions.

Our experts listen to jobsite feedback, test relentlessly and support users long after purchase, helping them get it right the first time and reduce callbacks. Over the decades, DAP has balanced the dependability of heritage brands with the excitement of breakthrough innovation – introducing solutions such as RapidFuse® Flex Gel, Spray Texture, and Wall & Cavity Spray Foam – and now adding Weldwood® 2in1 Wood Glue & Filler, a first-of-its-kind formula that delivers an ultra-strong bond and doubles as a wood filler, eliminating extra products and time-consuming workarounds. The company has also earned industry recognition for advancements in construction adhesives, wood-rot repair, and foam innovations.

By honoring trusted brands, investing in talented people, and expanding into new categories, DAP stays essential to professionals, DIYers and retailers alike – and remains at the forefront of the building materials industry.

The company was founded by two visionary leaders, Robert Dicks and Elmer Wiggin. How does their legacy impact how the company operates today?

The throughline from those early days to today is clear: DAP’s founders built a company around solving real problems with practical solutions – delivered by great people – and that philosophy still defines the brand. Just as sealing wax met a basic household need more than 150 years ago, our chemists, engineers and field teams continue to create and refine trusted staples like Alex® caulk, RapidFuse® adhesives and Weldwood® wood glues. And we keep evolving, extending that legacy into new categories such as spray texture and spray foam insulation – guided by jobsite feedback and real user needs. Whether in a kitchen in 1865 or on a jobsite in 2025, DAP’s mission is the same: dependable, easy-to-use products that help deliver great results the first time.

What technological or scientific innovations are driving change in the U.S. Caulk Category?

The U.S. caulk and sealant market is being reshaped by demand for flexibility, weatherability and paintability. DAP’s innovations in the Dynaflex, Alex and Kwik Seal lines deliver longer-lasting seals and easier finishing, helping pros and DIYers achieve better results. A recent breakthrough is the AMP advanced modified polymer line, which combines extreme durability with excellent weather resistance and paintability, setting a new benchmark for performance in the category.

Beyond caulk, scientific advancements in spray foam insulation and hybrid adhesives are transforming adjacent categories. For example, DAP’s Wall & Cavity Spray Foam Canisters are designed for energy efficiency and ease of application, while RapidFuse brings advanced chemistry to deliver both fast bonding and long-lasting flexibility.

How does the company come up with ideas for new products?

Our customers provide the best ideas. New ideas come directly from end-user feedback, professional insights, and R&D investment. Pros and retailers consistently ask for products that are easier, faster, and more versatile – and DAP responds. The launch of RapidFuse Flex Gel addressed the need for a flexible, impact-resistant adhesive for high-use items like shoes or straps. The new 2-in-1 Spray Texture line came from contractors seeking faster, cleaner drywall finishing options. Even longstanding brands like Dynaflex and Kwik Seal are routinely updated for better paintability and durability. In short, DAP innovates by listening, testing, and solving the real problems contractors face.

Keeping pace with rapidly changing technology is a challenge for small businesses. How can retailers use AI and other technologies to better manage their resources?

DAP’s Category Management Team helps retailers of every size turn data into results. Using AI-enabled analytics, we optimize assortments and planograms by market, season, and store footprint, so the right SKUs are in the right bays at the right time. For independent retailers, this means practical tools to forecast demand, fine-tune inventory, and personalize promotions. Our team complements the technology with data-driven insights, field merchandising support, and turnkey POP, ensuring lines like RapidFuse®, Weldwood®, and DAP® Foam are not only on the shelf, but shoppable and well-positioned. The combination of smart software and hands-on experts gives small businesses a measurable edge in competitive markets.

How does DAP create a culture that celebrates and values employees’ contributions?

DAP’s 850+ associates are central to its success. The company emphasizes recognition, professional growth, and community service. Programs like DAP Gives Back support employee volunteerism, while local partnerships with organizations such as Living Classrooms and Habitat for Humanity extend that impact into the community. Our partnerships support the communities where we work and in our area of expertise, like housing. Internally, innovation and collaboration are celebrated at every level – whether refining trusted products or launching category-expanding solutions. As DAP marks 160 years, it continues to celebrate the people behind the brand, ensuring employees feel connected to both its proud history and its future of innovation.

What is DAP’s philosophy on environmental stewardship and social responsibility?

“Build a Better World” isn’t a slogan at DAP – it’s how our teams work. More than 90% of the products we sell in the U.S. are made here, supporting local jobs and cutting transport emissions. We design solutions that last – spray foam that improves home efficiency; RapidFuse and Weldwood adhesives that reduce rework and waste. And through DAP Gives Back, we invest our time and resources in the communities we call home – especially Baltimore. DAP takes a comprehensive approach to stewardship:

• Manufacturing: Over 90% of DAP products sold in the U.S. are manufactured in the US with US and globally sourced materials, supporting local jobs and reducing transport-related emissions.
• Products: Solutions like spray foam insulation improve home energy efficiency, while RapidFuse and Weldwood adhesives are formulated for long-lasting durability, reducing waste.
• Community: Celebrating 160 years also means looking outward. DAP is leveraging its anniversary through it’s “DAP Gives Back” program in a variety of community and volunteer initiatives, especially in Baltimore, where the company is deeply connected. This focus on community reinforces DAP’s brand values and builds meaningful engagement beyond the shelf. Through philanthropic initiatives, volunteer programs and local partnerships, DAP continually gives back to the communities it serves. In every respect, sustainability and responsibility are not trends – they’re guiding principles.

Can DAP assist retailers with visual merchandising ideas and POP materials to help promote and sell specific products?

DAP provides visual merchandising, POP displays, and color-matching programs that help retailers highlight specific product benefits. For example, the Dynaflex 920 line includes custom color options with matching displays for siding and window installations. Foam products and Spray Texture are supported with clear packaging and educational POP to boost confidence and sales. And adhesives like RapidFuse and Weldwood are marketed with side-by-side comparison displays to help shoppers make quick, informed choices.

DAP not only provides proven POP tools and merchandising solutions, it also leverages its #1 brand recognition in categories like ALEX PLUS® latex caulk, SMARTBOND® construction adhesives, DryDex spackling and Plastic Wood® filler. Retailers benefit from promoting brands consumers already know and trust. With distribution supported by five manufacturing and distribution facilities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, DAP ensures reliable supply across its global retailer and distributor network. This combination of strong brands and dependable logistics gives retailers confidence they can stock and sell the products their customers demand.

What is the most important thing DAP would like our readers to know about the company?

DAP is both 160 years old and still brand new. Its heritage products – Alex, Dynaflex, Kwik Seal, Weldwood and Plastic Wood – remain trusted staples, while newer launches – RapidFuse Flex Gel, AMP, Spray Texture and Wall & Cavity Spray Foam – show how DAP continues to transform categories. Used by professional contractors and DIYers for construction, home repair and remodeling, the portfolio spans caulks and sealants, construction adhesives, insulating foams, spackling, glazing and patch-and-repair solutions, and now adds Weldwood® 2in1 Wood Glue & Filler – a first-of-its-kind formula that delivers an ultra-strong bond and doubles as a wood filler, eliminating extra products and time-consuming workarounds. The launch follows DAP’s celebration of 100 years of Weldwood, a brand trusted by pros and DIYers for strength, durability, and innovation.

Behind every innovation are the people who make it real – chemists and engineers in the lab, operators in our plants and field teams who translate jobsite feedback into better products. From a Dayton garage in 1865 to the formation of Dicks-Armstrong-Pontius, Inc. in 1957, DAP’s history reflects practical solutions built by hands-on experts. Today, from headquarters in Baltimore and five manufacturing and distribution facilities across North America, our teams support a global network of retailers and distributors. That continuity – historic roots, modern reach, and the people who connect the two – is what defines DAP.