Gorilla Glue

Gorilla Glue is an American adhesive brand based in Sharonville, Ohio, best known for its original polyurethane glue and a broader range of consumer and professional bonding products. The brand traces its origin to 1994, when Mark Singer encountered Danish-made polyurethane adhesive being used in teak-furniture production during a trip to Indonesia. After returning to the United States, Singer established the business, adopted the Gorilla Glue name, and obtained North American rights to the product from its Danish manufacturer. The adhesive was initially positioned for woodworkers and other demanding users, but was subsequently marketed to the general public as a versatile, heavy-duty household glue. The original product became distinctive for its ability to bond materials including wood, stone, foam, metal, ceramic, and glass. It is a moisture-activated polyurethane adhesive that expands modestly as it cures, a characteristic that can help fill gaps but can also produce visible foaming and squeeze-out if over-applied. The brand later broadened its adhesive portfolio with faster-setting formulas, no-drip gel products, construction adhesives, tapes, sealants, and related repair products. Gorilla Tape became one of the brand's prominent adjacent offerings, extending the company from liquid adhesives into heavy-duty pressure-sensitive tape. The business was later purchased by Lutz Tool Company, which subsequently changed its name to The Gorilla Glue Company. The company remains privately owned by the Ragland family. In late 2016, it moved from its former Cincinnati location on Red Bank Road to a facility in Sharonville, a Cincinnati suburb. As of 2025, brothers Pete Ragland and Nick Ragland serve as co-presidents. Gorilla Glue's growth has also involved expansion beyond adhesives. In 2018, The Gorilla Glue Company acquired O'Keeffe's Skincare, the maker of O'Keeffe's Working Hands cream, adding a hand-care brand with a work-oriented positioning to its portfolio. The transaction illustrates the company's broader interest in products associated with repair, maintenance, and demanding manual work rather than a sole focus on glue. The brand's marketing emphasizes strength, durability, versatility, and practical performance. Its products are sold to household users, hobbyists, woodworkers, contractors, and other professional or semi-professional customers. The company has faced regulatory and trademark-related scrutiny. In 2015, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission reviewed claims that some Gorilla Glue products were made in the United States, concluding that certain labels and marketing materials may have overstated domestic production because some raw materials originated overseas. After the company indicated that it would correct the issue, the FTC took no further action. In a separate trademark dispute, The Gorilla Glue Company sued cannabis developer GG Strains LLC over the use of the Gorilla Glue name and related imagery; the parties settled in 2017, and the cannabis products were subsequently renamed GG or GG4. Gorilla Glue remains an active privately held brand with a product portfolio spanning adhesives, tapes, sealants, and selected complementary consumer-care products.

Gorilla Glue originated from a polyurethane adhesive encountered by Mark Singer in Indonesia in 1994. The product was being used in teak-furniture manufacturing and attracted Singer's interest as a strong, versatile bonding material. He returned to the United States, founded the business, created the Gorilla Glue brand, and acquired North American rights from the Danish manufacturer. The adhesive was first directed toward woodworkers and demanding workshop applications before being introduced more broadly to consumers. The original Gorilla Glue became associated with polyurethane chemistry and with a curing process that causes the adhesive to expand slightly. This feature enables the product to work across a broad range of materials, including wood, stone, foam, metal, ceramic, and glass, while also requiring careful application to manage foaming and excess adhesive. The company expanded the range with faster-drying Super products, a no-drip Gel Super formula, construction adhesive, tapes, and sealants. At a later stage, Lutz Tool Company acquired the business and subsequently adopted the name The Gorilla Glue Company. The enterprise remains privately owned by the Ragland family. In late 2016, it moved from its former Cincinnati location on Red Bank Road to Sharonville, Ohio. Brothers Pete Ragland and Nick Ragland were serving as co-presidents as of 2025. The company has developed beyond its original glue line. In 2018, it acquired O'Keeffe's Skincare, whose best-known product is Working Hands cream. This added a work-oriented personal-care business to a portfolio otherwise centered on repair, maintenance, and bonding. The brand has also encountered legal and regulatory issues. In 2015, the Federal Trade Commission reviewed domestic-origin claims associated with Gorilla Glue products and raised concerns that certain marketing might overstate the extent of U.S. manufacture when some raw materials were sourced internationally. The company expressed an intention to correct the issue, and the FTC did not pursue further action. In 2017, the company settled a trademark lawsuit against GG Strains LLC involving the Gorilla Glue name and related visual branding. The disputed cannabis products were later renamed GG or GG4. Gorilla Glue continues to operate as a privately held American brand serving household, hobbyist, woodworking, construction, and professional users.

• 2018

  Acquisition of O'Keeffe's Skincare

  [1]Gorilla Glueen.wikipedia.org

  The Gorilla Glue Company acquired O'Keeffe's Skincare, maker of Working Hands cream.

• 2017

  Trademark dispute settlement with GG Strains

  [1]Gorilla Glueen.wikipedia.org

  The company and GG Strains settled litigation concerning the Gorilla Glue name, gorilla imagery, and related trademarks.

• 2016

  Headquarters moved to Sharonville

  [1]Gorilla Glueen.wikipedia.org

  The company relocated from Cincinnati's Red Bank Road site to Sharonville, Ohio.

• 2015

  FTC reviewed domestic-origin marketing

  [1]Gorilla Glueen.wikipedia.org

  The FTC reviewed claims that certain Gorilla Glue products were made in the United States and raised concerns about the presentation of overseas-sourced raw materials.

• 1994

  Gorilla Glue brand founded

  [1]Gorilla Glueen.wikipedia.org

  Mark Singer encountered Danish polyurethane glue in Indonesia, founded the U.S. business, created the Gorilla Glue name, and acquired North American rights to the adhesive.

Heavy-duty, durable, versatile, and practical bonding and repair solutions for household, workshop, construction, and professional use.

• Polyurethane adhesive · 1994

  Gorilla Glue Original

  The original polyurethane adhesive and the product most closely associated with the brand. It is designed for demanding household and workshop jobs and can bond wood, stone, foam, metal, ceramic, glass, and other materials. The formula expands slightly as it cures, which can help with imperfect surfaces but may create foamy squeeze-out when too much is applied.

• Cyanoacrylate adhesive

  Gorilla Super Glue

  A faster-drying adhesive line intended for small repairs and applications where rapid bonding is more important than the expanding cure associated with the original polyurethane product.

• Gel adhesive

  Gorilla Super Glue Gel

  A thicker, no-drip variant of the Super Glue range. Its gel consistency is intended to improve control on vertical or irregular surfaces and reduce unwanted running during small repair tasks.

• Construction adhesive

  Gorilla Construction Adhesive

  An adhesive product for construction and installation work, extending the brand's positioning from household repairs into heavier building and remodeling applications.

• Heavy-duty tape

  Gorilla Tape

  A heavy-duty tape line that broadens Gorilla's offering beyond liquid and gel adhesives. It is positioned as a durable repair and maintenance product for household, workshop, outdoor, and practical jobsite uses.

• Hand-care product

  O'Keeffe's Working Hands

  A hand-care product associated with O'Keeffe's Skincare, which was acquired by The Gorilla Glue Company in 2018. The product complements the company's work-oriented portfolio but is marketed under the O'Keeffe's brand rather than Gorilla Glue.

• 2018

  Acquired O'Keeffe's SkincareM&A

  Background

  The company pursued expansion into products related to work, maintenance, and personal care.

  Action taken

  The Gorilla Glue Company purchased O'Keeffe's Skincare, maker of Working Hands cream.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition added a complementary hand-care brand to the company's adhesive-centered portfolio.

  Source

• 2017

  Settled trademark lawsuit against GG StrainsOther

  Background

  The Gorilla Glue Company challenged GG Strains' use of the Gorilla Glue name, gorilla imagery, and similarities to its trademarks in connection with cannabis products.

  Action taken

  The parties reached a settlement requiring GG Strains and its licensees to stop using the disputed name and imagery by September 19, 2018.

  Aftermath

  The affected products were renamed GG or GG4.

  Source

1. 1Gorilla Glueen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Gorilla Glue official websitegorillatough.com