Based on its recent analysis of the in-can preservation market, Frost & Sullivan recognized Lonza with the 2016 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Leadership. In a market characterized by mostly incremental product development, Lonza’s latest release, the Proxel LS Preservative, is revolutionizing both chemical architecture and product performance. Lonza’s innovative Proxel® product portfolio meets the functional needs of customers, and simultaneously keeps pace with the developments in various end-user industries such as paints and coatings, adhesives, and construction chemicals.

The Proxel LS’ market performance validates Lonza’s deep understanding of customer needs. For instance, when the EU mandated a significant lowering of methylisothiazolinone (MIT) levels in formulations, Lonza launched a product that used two complementary active ingredients—benzisothiazolinone (BIT) and pyrithione. This move helped future-proof the product because these ingredients not only enhanced antimicrobial efficacy, but also eliminated issues of toxicity from the formulation. In short, this breakthrough product offers unmatched broad-spectrum performance at dosages that will not impact the EU H208 allergen phrase.

“Proxel LS Preservative is easy to formulate and provides increased durability, higher water solubility, and most importantly, cost-efficiency,” said Frost & Sullivan Industry manager Deepak Karthikeyan. “Furthermore, it is free of formaldehyde, stable across a wide range of temperatures and pH conditions, and biodegradable in effluent systems.”

While the Proxel LS Preservative has proven ideal for the paints and coatings industry, it is also finding wide application in an array of allied areas such as inks, emulsions, and binders, as well as adhesives, non-food contact paper, cellulosic materials, and construction chemicals. It is available in different forms in a range of strengths. The company is moving a step ahead in the value chain by expanding its formulation capabilities, which will help it develop next-generation, customizable solutions.

Lonza has also fostered strong customer relations with its global customer base of major coatings and adhesives manufacturers. In addition to exceptional performance, Lonza delivers extensive service support during product development, troubleshooting, and after sales. In the case of Proxel LS Preservative, it engaged with customers during various stages of product development and ran prototypes that ultimately helped shorten the time to market. In addition to developing biocidal products, the company addresses larger aspects of microbial control through its plant hygiene equipment solutions and analytical systems for test procedures.

With the Proxel® LS Preservative, Lonza continues to enhance performance levels and prepare itself and its customers for the future. It has already received an overwhelmingly positive response for its latest foray into the European market while gaining traction Asia, especially China, and more recently in the United States.

“Lonza’s proactive approach to addressing customer’s future needs through collaborative product development makes it one of the most preferred companies in the market,” noted Karthikeyan. “From ensuring regulation compliance to delivering unmatched performance for its diverse customer base, the Proxel® LS Preservative solution has successfully elevated Lonza’s brand globally.”

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a comprehensive product line that caters to the breadth of the market it serves. The award recognises the extent to which the product line meets customer base demands, the overall impact it has in terms of customer value as well as increased market share.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.