Darci Kunard - The Glue that Holds it all Together

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Darci Kunard of Franklin International. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast. 

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Roofing Road Trips with Heidi. Explore the roofing industry through the eyes of a long-term professional within the trade. Listen for insights, interviews, and exciting news in the roofing industry today.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Hello and welcome to another Roofing Road Trips from Roofer's Coffee Shop. This is Heidi Ellsworth and I am road tripping east to Columbus to meet up on the road with my dear friend Darci Kunard with Franklin, who, Franklin International, best known for Titebond. And Darci, welcome to the show as you are on the road traveling.

Darci Kunard:

Well, hi Heidi. How you doing today?

Heidi Ellsworth:

Doing great. I'm glad to be here today with you. We're going to talk about, I think a really fun topic, a little bit different that people may not be aware of, but something that we've all known since we were in preschool. And that's the importance of glue.

Darci Kunard:

Absolutely. Glue is what holds us all together, right?

Heidi Ellsworth:

Right. The glue that holds us all together. So we want to talk today about the Titebond glue exterior applications, which I know some people might be kind of like glue? We already know everything about glue. But Darci, I don't think they do.

Darci Kunard:

Yeah, I agree with you Heidi. A lot of people don't know much about glue other than what it's used for and that there's different types that are out there.

Heidi Ellsworth:

So before we get started on that, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Franklin International and Titebond.

Darci Kunard:

Sure. So I'm Darci Kunard with Franklin International. I'm the National accounts manager and I do a little bit of product management for some of the caulks and sealants, as you know. Been with Franklin International for almost five years now. And Franklin International started in 1935. It's still a family company. We're based out of Columbus, Ohio, which is where I am today, at our factory. We also have another factory in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, which is new for us, about a year now.

But what we're best known for and we started out doing was glues. And a lot of people don't know this about Franklin International, but we are at the heart of us a chemical company, and we make a lot of polymers and different chemicals that we sell for industrial uses. So when you think about types of furniture, we have polymers that are used in furniture manufacturing, and then self-adhesive stamps. That's our glue as well. So that's kind of in our DNA.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Wow, okay.

Darci Kunard:

Is all that glues and adhesives, which makes caulks and sealants work too.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Yeah. Well, you know what, share a little bit, I love what you were just saying about how old Franklin is. Share a little bit about the history of Franklin and the Titebond brand.

Darci Kunard:

Absolutely. So Franklin started out making high glue and that's exactly what you think it is. That was a big thing in the 30s, 40s, 50s. And we still manufacture that today. And then we came out with polyvinyl acetate glues, which are your PBAs or water based type blues in the 70s. We migrated that into wood flooring adhesives in the 80s, continued with our different types of glues throughout 90s. And even today we come out with different technologies, things that make it set up quicker, instant bond type glues. Anything that woodworkers really gravitate towards has been in our wheelhouse for a number of years.

And then of course the construction trades. They need those construction adhesives and they need different types, whether it's solvent based, a VOC compliant solvent, or even water based. So we make the gamut of products that you can find out there. And that's really where our base is, is that professional who seeks out our products.

Heidi Ellsworth:

And most people know the name Titebond. And when you Google Titebond, you just see it everywhere. So kind of the history of, and I did some Googling Darci, just to kind of see it and it comes up a lot of wood glue talking about Titebond and all that. So kind of walk us through a little bit of that history too, just that Titebond brand. And it's so well known.

Darci Kunard:

It is very well known. And it's just one of those old staples. It's been around since the 70s. We came out with that brand name in the 70s. And we started out with Titebond original, which is a yellow, water based glue. And then we graduated to Titebond 2, which is a little bit higher performance. And then we have Titebond 3, which is your ultimate performance. So it's water typed, it's just kind of an all encompassing glue that works in a wide variety of substrates and settings. Couldn't think of the word, sorry.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Yeah.

Darci Kunard:

And then we have some different ones. We have a quick and thick, which is a really great, like it says, it sets up quickly. We have a speed set, which is great for woodworking applications, cabinet shops, those types of users really like the ability that it has a short working time and that it sticks really quickly and that it doesn't have that shine to it.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Well, and when you think about the roof and there's always something that's going to need that, it's going to need some sealants, some caulking, or some glue up on the roof because as you're going along, you're going to be making repairs, you're going to be fixing things, you're going to have to, yeah, there's just so many applications. And so contractors have had that and their tool belt for decades.

Darci Kunard:

Right. Well, what's great about our Titebond wood glues, they can be used on other substances, but like you said, people have glue for a reason because glue works. It sticks stuff together. But same kind of properties with caulks and sealants. You can use a caulk and a sealant as a glue, it just probably won't stick as well over time. But if you need something in a pinch, our stuff does have great adhesive qualities to it.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Yeah. Yeah. So why is the Titebond brand, especially around glues, but I'm just going to say Titebond across the board, why is it so trusted in the construction industry? It is just one of those things everybody talks about. And so maybe some examples or just, I don't know, what do you hear Darci, across country?

Darci Kunard:

So when we go to these woodworking shows, when we're out with professionals, even at the roofing shows, we have people come up to us and tell us all kinds of great stories about how a Titebond branded product came through and helped them out of a jam or it outperforms something they tried to use previously. But more likely than not, they recognize the brand because it has been out there for so long, almost over 50 years.

So it's just something that they know, "Oh, if it has Titebond on it, it has to work." And I think it's because we manufacture in the United States. We are a family owned company, so we're very dedicated to that quality. And that is pervasive throughout our operation. So something that we really stand behind is making sure that people are aware that we use top quality ingredients, we don't cut corners, our products aren't full of fillers. So it's just that trust in us that we have something that's going to perform at all times.

Heidi Ellsworth:

And it's proven generation over generation being passed down. I talk to people all the time who are coming into the roofing exterior business, and they're like, "Well, we want to get in front of contractors." And I'm like, "You got to earn your space." Because there's a lot of cynicism about products out there. But the Titebond is something that has totally earned its space so much over time. And like I said, generationally, being passed down as this is a product that works.

Darci Kunard:

Absolutely. And I think it's that. Our Titebond original, it has that red look to it on the label. And I remember as a kid, I didn't know what it was. My dad had some in the shop. My sister and I kind of broke the piano bench and I read it and I said, "Oh, it's wood glue. Perfect." So I actually used it to reattach the leg to the bench. To this day, my parents don't know.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Until now. Now they know. We're not going to let them listen to this podcast. Okay, the piano bench. Sorry mom and dad. I love that.

Darci Kunard:

My sister and I still laugh about it.

Heidi Ellsworth:

And you're using Titebond glue even then. Really, that's awesome. Love it.

Darci Kunard:

You got to fix this when you get home.

Heidi Ellsworth:

You got to fix it. It's got to be right. So, okay, as contractors are kind of looking out there, we have a lot of contractors who are doing full exteriors. So they're not just doing roofing, they're doing siding, they're doing rebuilds, some outdoor living is a lot of that, windows, you name it. So how is glue, really knowing the right glues for whether it's wood or the different applications, all these things you talked about, how can contractors really almost start putting that into how they talk to their customers? And you and I have talked about this before, sometimes contractors need to use the smallest of things to show the highest of quality, right?

Darci Kunard:

Absolutely. Well, and I think when contractors speak about if they're going to use an adhesive on the project, maybe not necessarily a glue on the roof, but if they're going to say, "Okay, well, we have to attach a dormer here, and how are we going to attach that?" You need some fasteners, of course, but you've got to hold it in place. So they've got to most likely utilize an adhesive to be able to do that.

So they talk about that from a quality perspective, it's like, "Okay, well, we didn't just use some cheap painters caulk to kind of hold it up there and then fasten it on and then hope to heck that it stayed." They can speak to the fact that we use something that is approved for this use. It has great adhesive strength behind it. And the reason we use these high quality products is because we want to stand behind our work. We're not a fly by night, blow through your neighborhood, patch stuff up and hope that it stays for the next four or five months while we're still in the neighborhood and then you'll never see us again and it'll fall off.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Yeah. Yeah, and that's the thing, really showing those quality products, because just think about it. I love this and I know probably a lot of sales people out there who are doing no sells or siding sales, they don't want to spend a whole lot of time talking about glue. But a lot of times you need to find that relationship with a homeowner who maybe fix a piano bench with Titebond and just letting them know that they care about the brands and the quality, I think can build that relationship with the owners.

Darci Kunard:

Yeah, absolutely. And you want to be able to point and say, "This is the product that we know works in this situation" and have a company that has almost a hundred years worth of data behind their products as well.

Heidi Ellsworth:

And what I do love is when you really think about it, like you just said a few minutes ago, it's using the right product in the right place, but also being able to say, "Hey, we use Titebond across the board. We use it with our sealants, with our caulkings, with glues. It's consistent, it works together, we know it'll perform." Those are the kind of things that I think are really important and in today's world, a differentiator that can make a difference.

Darci Kunard:

Absolutely. And we have a service called Tech Service and it operates Monday through Friday. People can call in, contractors, homeowners and say, "This is my problem, what do you guys have?" And this is a live person. You can also send an email if you don't like using the phone. And we know people don't and that's okay. But you get a person that will tell you exactly what to use. They might ask you a few more qualifying questions. But basically their whole goal is to help people be able to be successful.

Heidi Ellsworth:

I love that. I love that. So if contractors want to get some samples, any samples out there of the glues or just go to their distributor, how do they get their hands on this?

Darci Kunard:

So samples in today's unprecedented environment with the supply chain issues and, as you know, how crazy it can be, we're not really doing a ton of samples, but they are welcome to go out and we try to have all of our products at distribution. So whether it's one step, two step distributors, we do have some of our glues at the big box stores. That's our wood glues, not a lot of our construction adhesives. So I think those would more likely be at your one and two step distributors.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Yeah, I tell you what, just Google it. I found so much great fun information about glues and where you can get it in all the different places that Titebond is at. So yeah. Very, very cool. So Darci, what are some of the things just coming, I always have to ask you this at the end of every podcast, but what are some of the new things that you're working on, some of the new stuff you see coming up into the new year?

Darci Kunard:

Well, obviously sealants continue to be a big focus for us in terms of getting more sealants out there in the marketplace. Filling needs that people have come to us and said we need something that does X, Y, Z. We have a whole core lab team who works on different technologies. So that's something that we're seeing as well, especially in adhesives, is being able to use some of our in-house polymers and put those into adhesives and make them a lot more user friendly as well as low [inaudible 00:14:38]. So I think you're going to, in all weather applications, which is big, especially for roofers. You need to be able to fix something when it's cold or rainy or snowy. Roofers never stop. So we're working to make sure our products are the same.

Heidi Ellsworth:

I love it. I love it. So cool. I always love hearing about all this stuff. It's fun. Who would think about talking about glue, but I think it's pretty cool. So thank you so much for sharing all that information with us and I know we'll be seeing you coming up at the shows and things are coming up into the new year because this, I can't believe it, we're in August right now we're talking about this, but we're already talking about 2023. So here we come. Watch out.

Darci Kunard:

I know, it's crazy, isn't it? Goes by so fast.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Well, thank you so much for joining us today and thank you for sharing everything about glue. For all of your contractors out there, honestly Google it, go to your distributor, go to your big box. Look for the Titebond brand. It is great. And use it within your, not only within your production and your operations, but share it with your sales people and inside make it a part of that bigger overall brand for your company performance products. Darci, one more time, thank you so much for being here today.

Darci Kunard:

Thanks for having me, Heidi. I love it.

Heidi Ellsworth:

Thank you. And thank you all for listening. Be sure not to miss a single podcast. Go to Roofer's Coffee Shop and check out all the podcasts under the RLW section under Roofing Road Trips or on your favorite podcast channel. Be sure to subscribe and set those notifications so you don't miss a single road trip. And we will see you next time. Have a great day.

Speaker 1:

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