Joe Herres, President of Chroma Color Corporation, offered insights into the company's innovative offerings and future direction.

As a leader in specialty color and additive concentrates, Chroma Color is set to showcase its latest advancements at the upcoming Compounding World Expo. Joe discusses the company's commitment to sustainability, their response to industry trends, and exciting collaborations that highlight their dedication to quality and customer satisfaction.

Can you provide a brief overview of your company and the products/ services you'll be showcasing at the event?

Chroma Color Corporation is a leading provider of specialty color and additive concentrates, catering to a wide range of markets, including wire and cable, packaging, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. Following our acquisition of Epolin, we have strengthened our position as a leader in the near-infrared (NIR) absorptive dye industry, offering proprietary blends that meet the stringent requirements for eye protection and light management.

Our growth strategy is driven by a balanced focus on both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, ensuring we continue to meet and exceed our customers' evolving needs.

At the Compounding World event, we will showcase our innovative G-Series, eco-friendly solutions, and specialized compounds for the medical, wire, and cable sectors, as well as Epolin’s advanced near-infrared absorbing dyes, inks, and thermoplastic compounds.

What recent trends or developments in the industry are you most excited about, and how do your products/ services align with them?

We are excited by the ongoing advancements in material options for packaging, medical, and electronics markets, which are designed to enhance durability, product design, and long-term performance.

Chroma Color is particularly excited about the growing emphasis on building a better infrastructure for plastic recycling, as it aligns with our commitment to sustainability. We are eager to see increased efforts to make materials easier to recycle and reuse, which will help reduce costs and expand the availability of recycled content in various products.

Additionally, the integration of AI in manufacturing operations, supply chain management, quality control, and pricing are areas we are closely monitoring.

At Chroma Color, our leadership team is focused on leveraging these trends to deliver color concentrates that consistently meet our customers' high standards for supply, quality, delivery, and cost, ensuring we remain a reliable partner in their success.

Could you share a success story or case study demonstrating how your products/ services have benefited a customer?

Our team is committed to helping customers seamlessly transition to our patented G-Series color concentrates, which provide both cost savings and improved quality. Recently, we worked with a customer who had been using liquid color and sought to lower costs while enhancing the color consistency of their bottle caps. Through test runs with our G3 colors, they successfully met their objectives, achieving significant cost reductions while maintaining consistent color results. By switching from liquid color, the customer also eliminated the need for specialized pumps, overcame pigment and additive challenges, and minimized production interruptions caused by container changeovers and screw slippage at high usage rates, along with other operational improvements.

In another instance, our technical team collaborated with a customer seeking a partner to develop a color masterbatch using a PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) biobased polyester that meets ASTM D-6400 and DIN EN13432 Bio-Composting standards. Chroma Color's Technology team developed three new colors using a specially designed carrier resin, enabling the customer to meet their stringent sustainability and performance requirements.

Will you be conducting any demonstrations or interactive activities at the event? If so, what can attendees expect?

At Compounding World, we will have several technical papers available for attendees to explore and gain deeper insights into our products and innovations. One of the key papers, presented by Eric D. Laird, Ph.D., our R&D Manager, at last year's IWCS, is titled "Tailored Color Packages for Optimizing the Processing and Performance of Crosslinking Polyolefins." This paper highlights our ChromaQuasar® technology, specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of the low-voltage, automotive, and appliance wire markets, with a focus on moisture-cure XLPE compounds.

Additionally, our Epolin team will have papers on the following topics on hand to give to attendees:

Epolin NIR Light Management Formulations: These formulations from Epolin protect passengers from the distracting red glow created by driver monitoring and assistance systems.

Medical Applications of Near-Infrared (NIR) Fluorescence: This paper discusses how NIR fluorescence, within the 650–950 nm wavelength range, is crucial for in vivo fluorescence imaging. This technology aids in identifying tumors, cancer cells, nerves, and other anatomical features during surgeries, making it easier to either remove or preserve them.

What are your company's goals for the future, and how do you see yourselves contributing to the evolving industry landscape?

At Chroma Color, our future goals are centered around maintaining and enhancing our customer-focused approach. Our senior leadership team is fully committed to ensuring that we not only meet but exceed our customers' expectations by addressing their challenges with innovative solutions in plastic resins and color. We prioritize delivering products that consistently meet quality specifications, adhere to strict delivery timelines, and maintain a competitive cost structure.

Additionally, we are dedicated to developing new formulations that offer durable, long-lasting color and are compatible with recycled resins, addressing the evolving demands of the industry. As regulatory requirements continue to expand, our team remains focused on creating solutions that meet these standards while driving innovation across the markets we serve.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s show?

Our team is eagerly looking forward to reconnecting with our current customers and engaging with potential new partners at this year’s show. We value the opportunity to discuss how we can continue to support their needs and explore new collaborations. Additionally, we are excited to attend some of the insightful talks at the Plastics Recycling World and Plastics Extrusion World stages, which always provide valuable perspectives and trends that inform our innovation strategies.

Chroma Color will be exhibiting at the Compounding World Expo. Visit them at booth C1526.