CPS Color acquires dispensing equipment specialist Lenteq

CPS Color Group Oy, a provider of integrated paint tinting solutions, has acquired Lenteq Industries B.V., a specialist provider of dispensing and mixing equipment based in Lisserbroek, Netherlands. It has been acquired from Stibbe Management B.V., a privately held investment group, based in the Netherlands. Lenteq has an annual turnover of approximately €3 million.

Lenteq’s strengths in innovative piston pump technology are set to enhance and complete CPS Color’s product portfolio, the company said. CPS Color is the only supplier to offer end-to-end tinting solutions including colorants (liquid pigments), dispensing and mixing equipment, software and color marketing tools, as well as a global sales and support network. Through its network, CPS Color is set to expand the sales of the Lenteq technology further.

“After-sales service is a key decision parameter for a company choosing an equipment supplier,” said Henrik Lif, CEO of CPS Color. “On the basis of our sales and service network, we can support and further develop the sales of Lenteq’s products. Adding Lenteq’s high-quality piston pump dispensers to our portfolio will further allow our customers to choose from the most comprehensive line of tinting solutions in the industry.”

The paint tinting industry is currently experiencing substantial growth, and is expected to exceed gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates over the foreseeable future. While paint consumption in general is correlated to GDP, the increasing penetration of point-of sales tinting is expected to further fuel growth.

Another global market driver is the push towards more environmentally responsible products. Within the EU, legislation already bans the use of colorants containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for the decorative paints industry, and market pressure in other countries will ensure that such legislation spreads further in next few years. Such a technology change creates a need to upgrade and develop the tinting system in use.

To achieve the best possible performance, it is crucial to match the dispenser precisely to the customer’s need, in terms of required volumes, processing speeds and colorants used. Lif describes this process as “an art as much as a science” that necessitates testing. “While for some colorants, bellow pumps are the most efficient and cost-effective solution, for others, piston pumps may be more suitable,” he said.

Testing, research and analysis is an important part of CPS Color’s business. Only last year, the company doubled the laboratory space at its Sittard plant in the Netherlands, and opened up new facilities in India. For customers, it means that they can rely on being offered the most suitable solution for their requirements. “One of our major advantages, from our customers’ perspective, is that we are technology agnostic,” Lif said. “This means that, because we are not tied to one particular technology, we have the freedom to select the best possible solution for each customer from our wide range of products.”

While CPS Color already offers piston pump dispensers as part of its Corob equipment line, Lenteq’s additional products will further enhance CPS Color’s portfolio. Lenteq offers piston pump equipment covering a broad range, from 16-canister right up to 32-canister machines. While few paint producers operate tinting systems based on 32 colorants, a 32-canister machine enables two different tinting systems to be run on a single machine. Paint producers could, for example, combine a solvent (industrial) tinting system and a VOC-free system, using sets of 16 colorants each. This concept is often applied to sell a wider product range of paints in smaller and medium-sized outlets.