Dane Pigments Division on the move

Citation

(1998), "Dane Pigments Division on the move", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 27 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1998.12927aaf.004

Dane Pigments Division on the move

Dane Pigments Division on the move

The Dane Group Pigments Division, comprising marketing company Swada (London) and it's manufacturing sister company Pigments, has recently moved to new premises.

Situated at Concord House in East London, the new premises have recently been refurbished by the Dane Group at a cost in excess of £1.25 million, and is situated above the despatch warehouse, adjoining the Pigments manufacturing plant. Where it will harmonise the communication between offices, despatch and production.

The initial stage of the move comprised the relocation of the research and development laboratories and newly equipped analytical department as well as quality control and secretarial services. Mr M.J. Barker, Technical Director of Pigments, is very pleased with the new facility and particularly so with the new equipment that has been installed, which includes Galai Particle Size Analysis equipment, and state of the art paper coating and injection moulding equipment to ensure that Pigment rigorous Research and Development standards are kept as close to the competitve edge as possible.

Peter Hill, previously Financial Director of the Dane Group prior to taking over as Managing Director of the Pigments Division, and the export and shipping departments are now housed at the very top of Concord House in a totally refurbished, climate controlled suite of offices incorporating network links to the Dane Group's own Intranet computer system. It is this system, online for just over 18 months, that allows instant communication with every Dane Group office throughout the UK and brings sales and purchase order processing, stock, production and quality control and all accounting functions together into one seamless operation.

A recipient of the Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1989 the Pigments Division continues to export over 90 per cent of its total production throughout the world and, folllowing the expiry of a license agreement with a US based company, has recently appointed Larry Caughlin as Vice President in the US. With over 25 years experience in the daylight fluorescent pigment industry, Mr Caughlin will be supervising the sales and marketing of Dane Group fluorescent pigments in the important USA market, into which it has made a late but very powerful entry.

Coupled with its move to new premises and in keeping with its aim to maintain the competitive edge of industry, the Pigments Division has also recently added two new products to its existing range. The first, the emulsion polymer RTS Series, produces perfectly spherical particles for use in the paint, rubber and plastics industries. Besides its very small uniform particle size, the product also posseses superb solvent resistance, particularly when used in paints and inks and is in addition an ideal material for PVC plastisol coatings where dye migration and formaldehyde release needs to be reduced to an absolute minimum.

Having met achieved unprecedented success form its inception, initial sales are well in excess of the Division's most optimistic estimate, and continue to develop at a high rate.

The second addition to Dane Pigments product family is the FEX Series, a new fine ground, high strength thermoplastic pigment of specific interest to the paper coating, paint and ink industries, as well as for low temperature use in plastics. This material is some 25 per cent stronger than any existing thermoplastic daylight fluorescent pigment and samples are only just becoming available with the bulk supply expected to be in stock during late 1997.

Part of the relocated research and development laboratories

Christopher Dane, Chairman of the Dane Group of Companies, says he is particularly proud of the facilities at Concord House and believes that the Pigments Division is now well placed to increase its share of the world market for daylight fluorescent pigments. With Pigments introduction of the new products to its range he believes that they are one of the few innovators in the daylight fluorescent pigment field today and is confident that their products and technology will increase their share of the market.

Details are available from Peter Hill, Managing Director, Swada (London), Concord House, 14-18 High Street, Stratford, London E15 2PP. Tel: +44 (0)181 534 7171; Fax: +44 (0)181 534 8375.