Sun Chemical expands pigments footprint into Latin America

The expanded presence will perform additional support on a regional level to meet demand for its pigment chemicals in the cosmetics and personal care field, as well as coating, inks, plastics and other specialties markets.

The company says the move will help to increase its dedicated local services people to support customers with technical issues, quality control and commercial development for a wide range of pigments in its portfolio.

Eco-friendly and heavy-metal free pigments​

Specifically that means eco-friendly pigments, which is increasingly a big trend in the industry, together with the next generation of heavy-metal free, low odor, and volatile organic compounds-free compliant coating.

“Sun Chemical Performance Pigments is very excited to have an expanded presence here in Brazil and in Latin America as a whole,”​ said Myron Petruch, president, Sun Chemical Performance Pigments.

“We are committed to the region and plan to provide our customers here with the kind of service that we are known for at Sun Chemical—that is with quality, service and innovation. Our dedicated team to the region will ensure that each technical need of our customers is met with solutions tailor-made for their specific challenge.”​

Tapping into big growth in the LatAm market​

International cosmetics manufacturers are increasingly targeting the developing markets as a means of ensuring continued growth, particularly as the more developed markets, and in particular Western Europe, continue to struggle in the face of economic hardships.

Both Asia Pacific and Latin America have been the main focus of this drive, while in Latin America it has been significant economic growth in Brazil that has helped fuel growth in the cosmetics and personal care category at well into double digits for the past few years.

In 2012 per capita spend on cosmetics products in Brazil was estimated to be even with that of the US market, at around $200 per person, while a significant portion of this spend is estimated to be in the color cosmetics category, underlined by the fact that female spending power has risen rapidly.