Procter & Gamble, which brands include Crest toothpaste, has reached an agreement to purchase the Glide dental floss business from W.L. Gore and Associates for an undisclosed sum.
Michael Kehoe, president of global oral care at P&G, said the deal would give the company, "a complete oral care regimen: toothpaste, manual and electric toothbrushes, at-home whitening kits, rinses, and now floss."
Glide floss is the market leader in dental offices and accounts for annual sales of more than $45 million in a total U.S. floss market of more than $200 million.
Gore, based in Newark, Del., is a leading manufacturer of advanced technology products for the electronics, industrial, fabrics and medical markets, with annual sales in excess of $1 billion.
Although the companies declined to disclose the terms of the sale, P&G said it expects to increase sales of the Glide floss brand through cross-promotion with other Crest products, increased marketing support and potentially global expansion.
The vast majority of Glide floss sales are in the United States with limited distribution in Canada and Western Europe.
