ChromaScape

What ChromaScape does

ChromaScape is a US-based specialty colorants and additives manufacturer serving industrial customers across wood mulch, paper, corrugated packaging, printing inks, asphalt sealer, aggregate, recycled rubber, and specialty applications. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Independence, Ohio, the company operates six manufacturing and R&D facilities across Ohio, South Carolina (two), Texas, and Arizona, producing water-based colorant dispersions, basic dyes, pigment dispersions, and process additives for paper and corrugated converters. Its product portfolio is organized into sub-brands including Amerimulch (mulch colorants plus the ColorTrom 400 coloring trommel and Marksman automated dosing technology), Elco (paper dyes Elcozine and Elcoment), ChromaPave (asphalt colorants), Amara and Ricochet (specialty), and corrugated product lines including the patented LBX-106 cooking agent and the WaterTITE 60%-solids waterproofing resin. The company holds ISO 9001 certification and supports sales through regional technical representatives who provide on-site equipment calibration, training, and troubleshooting.

The business operates a diversified revenue model combining one-time product sales of colorants and additives, hardware sales of coloring equipment (ColorTrom, dosing systems), specialty tolling services for custom manufacturing, and ongoing technical-support services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; samples are reviewed within 24–48 business hours and shipped to qualified business customers, with an average delivery cadence of 24 hours from manufacturing sites. The go-to-market is sales-led via field representatives, supplemented by channel partners (MGL Engineering for equipment, Schuetz for tote recycling), content marketing through the ChromaSights blog, customer case studies, and trade-show presence.

Since 2018, when an undisclosed financial partner was brought in to drive additional growth, ChromaScape has executed a roll-up strategy: acquiring Greenville Colorants in 2020 to enter the linerboard packaging market, and CEL Chemical in 2022 to move downstream into corrugated adhesives and additives. The company has raised roughly $22 million across two SEC Form D exempt securities offerings in November 2021 and May 2023, and is commissioning a second CEL Chemical manufacturing line at its Kingman, Arizona facility scheduled for completion by end of Q1 2024.

Name

ChromaScape

Legal name

Chromascape Holdings, LLC

Website

https://chromascape.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ChromaScape is a US specialty colorants and additives manufacturer serving wood mulch, paper, corrugated packaging, printing inks, asphalt, aggregate, and rubber producers via six US plants, branded colorant lines (Amerimulch, Elco, ChromaPave), patented process additives (LBX-106, WaterTITE), and ColorTrom coloring equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals & Industrial Colorants

NAICS

Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAEAHAJ

Pigments & Dyes

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Chemicals & Industrial Materials/Paints, Inks & Colorants

SECONDARYIMAEAHAK

Color Masterbatches & Dispersions

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Chemicals & Industrial Materials/Paints, Inks & Colorants

Keywords

• Specialty colorants
• Wood mulch colorants
• Paper dyes pigments
• Corrugated additives
• Pigment dispersions

Headquarters

HQ city

Independence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Colorant and Additive Products: Sale of specialty colorants, pigments, and additives for various industries including mulch, paper, printing inks, asphalt, and corrugated packaging. Products include Amerimulch, Aqua Colorants, Elco, ChromaPave, Amara, Ricochet.
2. Mulch Coloring Equipment: Sale and support of coloring equipment including ColorTrom 400 trommel machines, dosing systems, and Spitfire Pump Injection System.
3. Specialty Tolling Services: Custom manufacturing and tolling services for specialty color solutions.
4. Technical Support Services: On-site technical services, equipment calibration, training, and troubleshooting support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ChromaScape manufactures and sells specialty colorants, pigment dispersions, dyes, and additives for industrial applications including wood mulch coloring, paper manufacturing, printing inks, corrugated packaging, asphalt sealers, aggregate/landscape materials, and recycled rubber. The company also designs and sells mulch coloring equipment (ColorTrom 400 trommel and Marksman dosing systems), and provides specialty tolling and technical support services including on-site calibration and training.

Product overview

ChromaScape is a specialty colorants and additives supplier serving multiple industries including wood mulch, printing inks, paper, corrugated packaging, asphalt sealer, aggregate, and recycled rubber. The company operates a platform-plus-products architecture with core product sub-brands: Amerimulch (mulch colorants and coloring equipment including ColorTrom systems and Marksman technology), Elco (paper colorants), and ChromaPave (asphalt colorants). The portfolio also includes specialty products like Amara and Ricochet, corrugated solutions (LBX-235, LBX-106, WaterTITE), and AQUA water-based colorants. Services include specialty tolling and technical support. Following strategic acquisitions of Greenville Colorants (2020) and CEL Chemical (2022), ChromaScape has expanded into the broader packaging and coatings markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amerimulch: Premium mulch colorants for wood mulch coloring applications
• Aqua
• ChromaPave
• Amara
• Ricochet
• Elco
• LBX-235
• LBX-106
• WaterTITE
• Elcozine
• Elcoment
• ColorTrom 400
• Marksman Technology

Products and services

• Amerimulch Premium water-based mulch colorants for commercial wood mulch producers, including Ultra and Premium lines with freeze-thaw stability, mold resistance, even coating, special humectants, color enhancers, and adhesion promoters. Designed for commercial mulch producers using ColorTrom coloring equipment.
• ColorTrom 400 High-capacity trommel coloring machine that colors up to 400 cubic yards of mulch per hour. Features a 20 cubic yard hopper and integrated Marksman technology for automated colorant and water application control.
• Marksman Technology Dosing System Automated dosing and control system that measures and adjusts water and colorant levels in real time during mulch coloring. Stores historical batch data for tracking and optimization.
• AQUA Colorants & Additives Water-based colorants and additives for various industrial applications, offering environmentally friendly color solutions.
• ChromaPave Colorants specifically designed for asphalt sealer and hot-mix applications, suitable for colored driveways, roadways, exercise paths, and pavements.
• Elco Paper Colorants & Additives Full line of dyes, pigment dispersions, and custom color solutions for the paper industry. Includes Elcozine basic dyes and Elcoment pigments, backed by laboratory color matching and technical expertise.
• LBX-106 Patented Cooking Agent Patented liquid cooking agent that replaces borax and caustic when cooking starch for corrugated manufacturing. Pumped directly into mixes to increase batch stability, starch penetration, and on-corrugator curing.
• LBX-235 Corrugated Additive One-product replacement for both borax and caustic in starch batches for corrugated paper manufacturers, simplifying corrugated manufacturing processes.
• WaterTITE High Solids Resin Waterproofing resin for corrugated products at 60% solids, the highest solids product on the market. Reduces water content to enable freight savings and simplified logistics.
• Amara Specialty Colorants Specialty colorant product line for niche industrial applications beyond the core mulch, paper, corrugated, and asphalt segments.
• Ricochet Rubber Colorants Ground rubber colorants for various crumb rubber mulch sizes, formulated to be colorful, long-lasting, and safe for people, pets, and plants.
• Specialty Tolling Services Custom manufacturing and tolling services for customers requiring specialty color solutions produced to their specifications at ChromaScape facilities.
• Technical Support Services On-site coloring equipment support, calibration, troubleshooting, and employee training on ChromaScape coloring systems for customer operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% reduction in resin demand; 40 additional batches per 3,000 lb tote; 35% freight savings; $47K annual savings (WaterTITE case study)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CEL ChemicalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Acquired in Summer 2022. Manufacturer of adhesives, additives, modifiers and enhancers for corrugated industry. Allows ChromaScape to move downstream into corrugating market with innovative, patented products.
• Greenville ColorantscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Acquired in 2020. Broadened ChromaScape's reach into packaging space with strong presence in linerboard market, supplying Bismarck Brown to containerboard mills in North America.
• Republic PaperboardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Long-term customer partnership since 2013. Republic produces 1,000 tons of liner paper daily using ChromaScape dyes (Elcozine, Elcoment). ChromaScape provides color matching, technical services, and consistent quality for their gypsum paper products.
• MGL EngineeringcoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment partnership for ColorTrom coloring equipment. MGL Color Max series is the ideal solution for producers seeking reliable, high-capacity material blending systems. Built for simplicity, durability and efficiency, these machines work with Amerimulch colorants.
• SchuetzsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTote recycling partner. Schuetz North American Ticket Program handles collection and recycling of empty IBC totes (minimum 8 units) free of charge, ensuring proper environmental compliance.
• Woodscape of UtahsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustomer case study partner. Woodscape started as recycled pallet company, adopted Amerimulch colorant and ColorTrom equipment to turn waste into profitable colored mulch, replacing costly landfill disposal.
• Apollo Wood ProductssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustomer case study partner. Southern California mulch producer serving luxury developments and resorts. Using Amerimulch ColorTrom equipment and premium colorant for architecture-grade colored mulch.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sun Chemical: World's largest producer of printing inks and pigments, subsidiary of DIC Corporation. Overlaps directly with ChromaScape in pigment dispersions and printing ink colorants but operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• LANXESS: German specialty chemicals company with a substantial inorganic pigments business (iron oxide and chrome oxide pigments) plus material protection and additives. Comparable as a much larger broad-incumbent competitor in specialty colorants and chemical additives.

Direct peers

• Sensient Technologies: Publicly traded specialty colors and flavors company (NYSE: SXT) producing dyes, pigments, and color systems for food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial uses. Directly comparable to ChromaScape in industrial colorant formulations and serves overlapping paper and specialty chemical end markets.
• Solenis: Global specialty chemicals producer focused on water-intensive industries including paper, pulp, and packaging. Comparable to ChromaScape's Elco paper colorants and CEL Chemical corrugated additives portfolio post-CEL acquisition.
• Apollo Colors: Manufacturer of organic pigments, dyes, and pigment dispersions for inks, coatings, plastics, and rubber. Closely comparable to ChromaScape in industrial colorants serving paper, printing ink, and specialty markets.
• Buckman: Specialty chemical company serving paper, packaging, and water treatment with performance chemicals and additives. Comparable to ChromaScape's paper and corrugated additive product lines and overlapping customer base in the pulp and paper industry.
• DCL Corporation: Manufacturer of high-performance pigments, pigment dispersions, and preparations for coatings, plastics, inks, and specialty applications. Closely comparable to ChromaScape's specialty colorants portfolio across multiple industrial verticals.
• Cathay Industries: Global manufacturer of iron oxide and specialty inorganic pigments serving coatings, construction, plastics, paper, and specialty applications. Comparable to ChromaScape's specialty pigments and dispersions business across industrial verticals.
• Hoover Color: US-based manufacturer of natural and synthetic iron oxide pigments, complex inorganic color pigments, and custom pigment dispersions for industrial coatings, construction, and specialty uses. Directly comparable to ChromaScape in pigment dispersions and US industrial markets.
• Heubach Group: Global producer of organic, inorganic, and anti-corrosive pigments plus pigment preparations for inks, coatings, plastics, and specialty applications. Comparable to ChromaScape in serving industrial colorants customers across multiple end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChromaScape
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chromascape

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ChromaScape