About Us - ISA, Inc. distributes adhesives and equipment to Industrial and Aerospace manufacturers for product assembly

Company Overview

Industrial Sales Assoc. Inc. (ISA) distributes adhesives and equipment to Industrial and Aerospace manufacturers for product assembly. We represent 3M, Huntsman, Loctite, LORD Engineered Adhesives, Lord Electronics, Lord Microelectronics, Parson Adhesives, IPS Weld-on and MacTac.

Founded in 1979, Industrial Sales Assoc., Inc. was created to provide industry with various options to address adhesive applications. Unlike competitors who will take on any product line , we at ISA sought out the leaders in adhesive manufacturing, each with its own specific area of expertise, thereby preventing overlap and still maintaining the highest industry standards. So today, with access to over a combined 65 years of adhesive experience within ISA, customers now access a variety of different adhesive companies with one phone call.

We pride ourselves in our ability to accurately identify adhesive possibilities through substrate compatability. From helping you create optimal adhesive joint design through production line implementation, ISA is your source for any adhesive need.

Let Us Solve Your Toughest Adhesive Problems With Our Dedicated Technical Support Team!

For more information call 1-800-382-9770

Our Founder and our Philosophy

Prior to founding the company, John DeGregory started in the adhesives business by joining the company at which his wife was employed at the time. He was at a Christmas party of hers when the owner of the company recognized him as having a personality befitting a salesperson, and gave him the opportunity to come on board. Before sales, however, he had to go through the ranks, learning the business from the ground up, everything from mixing batches of glue to customer service before being admitted onto the sales team. When he did, however, he proved himself so well that it eventually led him to becoming sales manager.

Soon though, John realized that he no longer wanted to work for someone else. So, in 1979, he took the family car and turned it into a sales and delivery vehicle and started “ I Sell Adhesives” or ISA (officially known as Industrial Sales Associates., Inc.). His mission was to provide multiple, very different product lines to solve not just one given problem for a company, but engineer and supply multiple technologies/chemistries to manufacturers, allowing them to produce high quality goods, faster.

With his charm and personality, John’s customers would ultimately become some of his closest friends. The best example of this was when he met a purchasing agent and the purchasing agent told John, “Tape glue doesn’t work.” John quietly took the agent’s briefcase and taped it to the wall. Then John told him to remove the briefcase, which ultimately tore down the brand new wall. They became instant lifelong best friends and John of course made a sale.

John is a very unique individual. He, now 81 years old, has more energy and personality than many people ¼ his age. His motto is always to do it better than anyone else. To people that know him, the words ‘passion’ and ‘perserverance’ are quite befitting to him. He not only sold the adhesives, but he would pick them up at the adhesive manufacturing companies and many times deliver them to his customers so they never ran out of glue.

At one point, John’s whole family worked for him. Now, his youngest son has taken over the day to day stuff of visiting customers where many, as soon as they hear his last name ask if he is related to the “crazy salesman that makes us laugh.”

When John started ISA, his goal was to be able to solve every adhesive problem for his customers. Through his knowledge and experience he has been able to succeed where many of the major adhesive manufacturers fail. Knowing this, he makes sure all employees go through a training program that lasts a minimum of 2 years before being able to visit customers. This way, they are more knowledgeable than most other adhesive sales people when competition is in the door.

Although there are other distributors of adhesives, many of them also supply rubber, fasteners, hardware, and commodities. John felt it was important to stay true to what he knows: adhesives. And more importantly, when to use what type, how to apply them in critical areas or difficult substrates, or how to cure them faster than the data sheets specify, with curing equipment. He worked in the laboratory, dealing directly with the new chemistries of the adhesives he sold and ultimately made his employees learn in depth what these adhesives do and don’t do.

Although John has since retired, his values stand firm within our company, and our customers’ loyalty and satisfaction are surely a testament to this.