Glue Dots International

What Glue Dots International does

Glue Dots International, LLC is a Germantown, Wisconsin-based manufacturer of pressure-sensitive adhesive products founded in 1997. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ellsworth Corporation, a diversified industrial adhesives conglomerate. The company's core technology is a double-sided, pressure-sensitive adhesive dot that bonds instantly to virtually any surface — including paper, foam, plastic, metal, glass, and wood — without requiring heat, solvent, or water activation. Its product portfolio spans core roll-format adhesives (Craft Dots, All Purpose Dots, Micro Dots, Mini Dots, Ultra-Thin Dots, Glue Lines), the Dot N' Go® handheld dispenser system in both permanent and removable variants, specialty formulations (Balloon Dots®, Candle Dots®, Flower Dots™), the Everyday line positioned as a household alternative to tape, and themed value packs (Hearts, Stars, classroom-ready sheets). Products conform to ASTM D-4236 non-toxic standards.

The company sells directly to consumers through a Shopify-powered e-commerce site (gluedots.com) and through seven major US retail and marketplace channels: Michaels, Walmart, Amazon, Hobby Lobby, Office Depot, Oriental Trading, and Dick Blick. Pricing is low-ticket unit-based, with standard rolls priced at $4.99-$6.99, Dot N' Go dispensers at $5.99, and value/multi-packs at $11.99-$13.99; free shipping applies on domestic orders over $29.99 within the contiguous United States. The company does not ship internationally.

Customer segments include crafters and hobbyists (primary), schools and education, home users, event planners and party suppliers, and candle makers. Marketing is anchored by a content-driven Inspiration blog and active social media presence across Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter. Revenue, headcount detail, and financials are not publicly disclosed; the company has no funding rounds, no acquisitions, and no recorded leadership changes in the available data.

Name

Glue Dots International

Legal name

Glue Dots International, LLC

Website

https://gluedots.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Glue Dots International is a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of pressure-sensitive adhesive dots serving crafters, schools, home users, and industrial buyers across the US via direct e-commerce and major retail partners. It is a subsidiary of Ellsworth Corporation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adhesive Products

NAICS

Adhesive Manufacturing (32552), Adhesive Manufacturing (325520)

SIC

Adhesives & Sealants (2891)

akta.pro primary industry

Tapes, Labels & Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives (IMAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Pressure sensitive adhesives
• Craft adhesive dots
• Consumer adhesives
• Industrial adhesive products
• Specialty adhesive solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Germantown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (E-commerce): One-time purchase model through the company's e-commerce website gluedots.com. Products are sold as individual rolls, dispensers, and value packs with pricing ranging from $4.99 to $13.99 per unit.
2. Retail/Distribution Sales: Products sold through major retail channel partners including Office Depot, Michaels, Walmart, Amazon, Hobby Lobby, and Oriental Trading. These partnerships provide distribution into physical and digital retail locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Glue Dots International manufactures and sells pressure-sensitive adhesive products, primarily double-sided adhesive dots that bond instantly to surfaces without heat, solvent, or water activation. The portfolio spans roll-format dots, Dot N' Go handheld dispensers, specialty formulations for balloons, candles, and flowers, plus household and decorative adhesive shapes, distributed through direct e-commerce and major craft and mass-market retailers.

Product overview

Glue Dots International offers a comprehensive portfolio of pressure-sensitive adhesive products organized into distinct product lines. The core Classic Dots line includes roll-format adhesive dots in various sizes (Micro, Mini, Craft, All Purpose, Ultra-Thin), all featuring instant bond technology. The Dot N' Go® dispenser system provides handheld applicators for both dots and squares formats with permanent and removable adhesive options. Specialty Dots address niche applications including Balloon Dots (originally invented for balloon art), Candle Dots (for wick tab adhesion in jar candles), and Flower Dots (for floral arrangements). The Everyday line serves household adhesive needs as an alternative to tape. Value packs and multi-packs offer bulk quantities for classroom and frequent-use scenarios. Adhesive shapes (Hearts and Stars) expand into themed decorative applications. The company also offers Glue Lines® as a linear adhesive alternative to dots.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GDI Adhesives: Trademark brand for adhesives. Referenced in Terms of Service as 'GDI Adhesives® and most other brand names in this Website are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Glue Dots International, LLC or our parent company Ellsworth Corporation.'

Products and services

• Craft Dots Roll Versatile 200-count roll of 1/2" permanent adhesive dots for craft, school, hobby, and art projects; bonds to paper, foam, plastic, metal, glass; acid free, photo safe, non-toxic, kid friendly.
• All Purpose Dots Roll Premium strength 300-count roll of 1/2" permanent adhesive dots for heavy and odd-shaped items including metal, plastic, glass, foam, and cardstock.
• Micro Dots Roll Tiny 1/8" diameter adhesive dots suited for small rhinestones, beads, jewels and embellishments; compatible with Diamond Painting pens.
• Mini Dots Roll Small strong-hold adhesive dots for buttons, wiggle eyes, beads, and other small embellishments used in crafts and school projects.
• Removable Dots Roll 200-count roll of 1/2" removable adhesive dots for lightweight items; detaches without residue; ideal for securing gift cards in greeting cards.
• Ultra-Thin Dots Roll Thin adhesive dots for paper layering and bonding photos to cards or scrapbook pages; strong bond on paper, foam, plastic, metal, wood, and glass.
• Glue Lines Roll 1" long linear adhesive format for safe and easy application on craft, school, hobby, and art projects.
• Poster Dots Dot N' Go Removable adhesive dots in handheld dispenser format designed for hanging posters without damaging walls or posters.
• Craft Dots Dot N' Go 200-count 3/8" diameter permanent adhesive dots with handheld dispenser for crafts, paper crafts, scrapbooks, cards, and school projects.
• Permanent Dots Dot N' Go 200-count 3/8" permanent adhesive dots in handheld dispenser with blue tint for visibility; adheres to paper, foam, plastic, metal, and glass.
• Removable Dots Dot N' Go 200-count 3/8" removable adhesive dots in handheld dispenser; detaches without residue; for gift cards, name tags, wedding favors, and photos.
• Permanent Glue Squares Dot N' Go 450-count 3/16" square adhesive format in handheld dispenser; provides immediate bond for vases, stained glass, and mixed media crafts.
• Removable Glue Squares Dot N' Go 450-count 3/16" removable square adhesive in handheld dispenser; repositionable without residue; ideal for photo boards at graduations, birthdays, and memorials.
• Everyday Roll Clear double-sided adhesive dots for desk, kitchen, or household use as an alternative to tape and glue sticks; movable for repositioning; works on wood, glass, plastic, metal.
• Everyday Dispenser Handheld dispenser version of everyday adhesive dots for easy application around the house.
• Balloon Dots Specialty 300-count formulation engineered for balloon art to hold balloons together; the original use case for Glue Dots adhesive technology.
• Candle Dots Super-strong adhesive for instantly sticking wick tabs to the inside of jar candles; no solvent or heat required; non-toxic, acid, fume, and lignin free.
• Flower Dots Specialty adhesive designed for delicate flower arranging with both natural dried flowers and faux flowers.
• Adhesive Hearts Red adhesive heart shapes in 10-pack with 360 hearts total; for attaching embellishments, Valentines, Mother's Day cards, frames, and scrapbook pages; removable, non-toxic, mess-free.
• Adhesive Stars Silver glitter adhesive stars in 10-pack with 360 stars total; for chore charts, gift boxes, and scrapbook pages; removable.
• Craft Dots Value Pack 600-count value pack of versatile Craft Dots on perforated sheets for easy distribution in classroom settings.
• Mini Dots Value Pack 600-count value pack of small 3/16" Mini Dots on 50 perforated sheets of 12 dots each; non-toxic, acid-free, lignin free.
• Craft Dots 3-Pack Bundle of three 200-count rolls of 1/2" Craft Dots totaling 600 dots; non-toxic, kid friendly.
• All Purpose Dots 3-Pack Bundle of three 300-count rolls of 1/2" All Purpose Dots totaling 900 dots; premium strength formula for exceptional holding power.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider that hosts and powers the gluedots.com website, enabling online sales, payment processing, and customer data management. Shopify collects and processes personal information about website visitors and customers.
• MichaelsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor craft retail chain selling Glue Dots products in physical retail stores across the United States.
• WalmartmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMass-market retailer distributing Glue Dots products in stores and potentially online through Walmart.com.
• AmazonmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketplace platform selling Glue Dots products to customers globally through Amazon's e-commerce infrastructure.
• Hobby LobbymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCraft and hobby retail chain partner selling Glue Dots in their stores.
• Office DepotmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOffice supply retailer selling Glue Dots products for both commercial and consumer use.
• Oriental TradingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParty supplies and value retailer partner offering Glue Dots products.
• Dick BlickminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArt supply retailer partner selling Glue Dots through their retail and online channels.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bostik: Global industrial and consumer adhesives manufacturer (part of Arkema) serving packaging, construction, and DIY markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in pressure-sensitive and specialty adhesives, though primarily B2B-focused rather than consumer craft channels.
• 3M: Global diversified manufacturer with major consumer adhesives brands (Scotch, Post-it, Command) sold in the same retail channels as Glue Dots. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplying pressure-sensitive adhesive products, though it operates across thousands of categories rather than specializing in adhesive dots.
• Henkel: Global adhesives giant owning Loctite, Pritt, and Pattex brands across consumer and industrial segments. Comparable as broad incumbent supplying consumer craft adhesives (Pritt sticks, Loctite super glue) through the same mass-market retailers as Glue Dots.
• Avery Dennison: Major pressure-sensitive materials and label manufacturer with consumer products (Avery labels, etc.) in the same retail channels. Comparable as a broad incumbent in pressure-sensitive adhesive technology, though primarily serving labeling and packaging rather than craft dots.

Direct peers

• Elmer's Products: Iconic consumer craft and school adhesives brand (white glue, glue sticks, glitter glue) competing for the same shelf space at Walmart, Michaels, and Office Depot. Directly comparable target market (DIY crafters, schools, hobbyists) with overlapping product functionality in adhesive bonding.
• Gorilla Glue Company: Consumer adhesives brand known for super glue, wood glue, and heavy-duty tapes sold at Walmart, Home Depot, and Amazon. Comparable in consumer adhesive category positioning though focused on heavy-duty bonding rather than craft-friendly mess-free formats.
• Beacon Adhesives: Specialty adhesives manufacturer focused on crafts, jewelry, and DIY applications including Gem-Tac and Fabri-Tac brands. Directly comparable as a niche craft-adhesive specialist serving the same crafting community, though concentrated more on liquid adhesives.
• Scotch (3M brand): 3M's consumer tape and adhesives brand competing in the same retail aisles with double-sided tapes and mounting squares (a functional substitute for Glue Dots). Directly comparable as a competitor for mess-free adhesive bonding tasks in crafting, home, and office use cases.
• Tombow: Japanese stationery and adhesives manufacturer (Mono correction tape, adhesive runners, glue pens) competing for the same crafting and stationery consumer. Directly comparable in adhesive runner/dispenser mechanics versus Glue Dots' Dot N' Go dispensers, targeting similar craft and office consumers.

Regional players

• ArtMinds (Michaels in-house brand): Michaels' in-house craft adhesives brand sold exclusively through the Michaels retail chain. Comparable as a private-label competitor offering lower-priced adhesive alternatives on the same shelves where Glue Dots products are stocked, putting direct price pressure on Glue Dots' retail SKUs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/gluedots
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/GlueDotsAdhesives
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlueDotsFans
• Instagraminstagram.com/gluedots
• Pinterestpinterest.com/gluedots
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glue-dots-international

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Glue Dots International