Silberline
Silberline, founded in 1945 in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, manufactures aluminum and metallic effect pigments for industrial coatings, automotive, printing, cosmetics, plastics, and additive manufacturing, now operating as an integrated brand within ECKART under ALTANA AG.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersTamaqua, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Silberline does
Silberline, founded in 1945 and headquartered in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, is a specialty chemicals manufacturer of aluminum and metallic effect pigments serving the coatings, printing, cosmetics, plastics, and functional applications industries. Its product portfolio spans aluminum pigments and pastes, pearlescent pigments, zinc flake pigments for corrosion protection, and specialized powders for additive manufacturing, marketed under longstanding brands including Silbercote, SILVERSHINE, METALURE, STAPA, STANDART, ProFLAKE, LASERSAFE, AMspheres, SYNCRYSTAL, VERSALAN, and Symic. Notable product differentiators include the first stabilized zinc flakes for water-based coating systems (ProFLAKE Zn HYDRO PM 3090), the MASTERSAFE pellet portfolio that combines Silberline and ECKART technologies as a sustainable alternative to metallization in plastics, and AMspheres metallic powders manufactured under EN 9100 aerospace certification.
Silberline's commercial identity is now tightly intertwined with ECKART, a sister division within Germany's ALTANA AG specialty chemicals group; product lines such as Silbercote and MASTERSAFE are explicitly described as combining the portfolios of ECKART and Silberline, and distribution, sustainability credentials (EcoVadis Platinum), and brand stewardship operate at the ECKART/ALTANA level. The business model is B2B direct sales with a global field force, targeting enterprise formulators in industrial coatings, automotive, powder coatings, graphic arts, can and coil coatings, color cosmetics, plastics, and aerospace additive manufacturing; pricing is not publicly disclosed and revenue is not separately reported at the Silberline entity level.
The company's strategic positioning is anchored in regulatory compliance (BPA-NI coatings, EN 9100 for AM powders), sustainability (secondary aluminum usage, mineral oil-free inks, aqueous systems), and aesthetic/functional pigment innovation rather than digital or AI-enabled differentiation, serving a customer base whose end-markets — global paints and coatings (~$180B, 6.2% CAGR), can coatings (~$2.76B, 4.46% CAGR), and food can coatings (~$4.56B, 2.8% CAGR) — provide steady secular tailwinds.
Silberline firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Silberline
- Website
- https://silberline.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Silberline, founded in 1945 in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, manufactures aluminum and metallic effect pigments for industrial coatings, automotive, printing, cosmetics, plastics, and additive manufacturing, now operating as an integrated brand within ECKART under ALTANA AG.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Silberline industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Effect Pigments
- NAICS
- Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Packaging & Can Coatings (IMAEAGAF)
Keywords
Where Silberline is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tamaqua
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Silberline business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels9 records
Silberline product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Silberline manufactures aluminum and metallic effect pigments supplied to industrial customers for use in coatings, printing inks, plastics, cosmetics, and additive manufacturing applications. The company sells a portfolio of branded pigment products, including the Silbercote line and the MASTERSAFE pellet portfolio, with formulations engineered for regulatory compliance (such as BPA-NI and mineral oil-free systems) and specific end-use requirements such as EN 9100-certified supply for aerospace and 3D printing.
Product overview
Silberline operates as part of ECKART's effect pigment portfolio within the ALTANA Group. The product offering includes metallic effect pigments and pearlescent pigments, as well as concentrates, dispersions, and printing inks for the coating industry, printing industry, cosmetics, plastics, and functional applications. Silberline's products are combined with ECKART's offerings, particularly in brands like Silbercote and MASTERSAFE, to provide comprehensive solutions for industrial coatings, automotive coatings, powder coatings, graphic arts, color cosmetics, can and coil coatings, and other applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Silbercote aluminum effect pigments
Quantifiable outcome
- First stabilised zinc flakes for water-based systems on the market
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Silberline
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Silberline technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature10 records
Silberline partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Altana AGcoreECKART is a member of ALTANA AG, a global specialty chemicals group. ALTANA develops and produces high-quality effect pigments, additives, and specialty coatings. The ALTANA network includes divisions BYK, Elantas, Actega, and ECKART, enabling comprehensive solutions across coatings, printing, cosmetics, and industrial applications.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Silberline competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ECKART (ALTANA Group): ECKART is the effect pigment division of ALTANA and the closest direct counterpart to Silberline, producing metallic and pearlescent pigments for coatings, printing, and cosmetics. Silberline's product portfolio has been increasingly integrated with ECKART's under the ALTANA umbrella (e.g., Silbercote, MASTERSAFE).
- Toyo Aluminium K.K. Japanese producer of aluminum pigments for paints, inks, and plastics, with overlapping product lines in metallic effect pigments and a similar focus on industrial coatings and graphic arts. Comparable scale and customer base in Asia and globally.
- Carl Schlenk AG: German specialty manufacturer of metallic effect pigments and foils for coatings, printing, and plastics. Directly competes with Silberline in aluminum and bronze pigments for industrial and decorative applications, with a comparable specialty niche positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Merck KGaA (Performance Materials / Surface Solutions): Diversified science and technology company whose Surface Solutions division supplies pearlescent and effect pigments for automotive, cosmetics, and industrial coatings. Overlaps with Silberline's pearlescent (SYNCRYSTAL, Symic) and metallic pigment lines but operates across a far broader portfolio.
- BASF Coatings / BASF Colors & Effects: Global chemicals giant with effect pigments and coatings raw materials serving automotive, industrial, and decorative coatings. Competes with Silberline in metallic and functional pigments while offering much broader product breadth and R&D scale.
- Sun Chemical (DIC Group): World's largest producer of printing inks and a major supplier of pigments and colorants, overlapping with Silberline in metallic printing inks and graphic arts pigments. Part of DIC Corporation, with significantly broader product portfolio and global footprint.
- Heubach Group: Specialty pigments manufacturer producing inorganic and organic pigments, including effect pigments for coatings, plastics, and printing. Comparable to Silberline in pigment chemistry for coatings applications but with a broader pigment portfolio and global manufacturing footprint.
- DIC Corporation: Japanese diversified chemicals and pigments producer (parent of Sun Chemical) with significant overlap in printing inks pigments and effect pigments. Much larger and more diversified than Silberline across pigments, polymers, and compounds.
- ALTANA AG: German specialty chemicals group and parent of ECKART. While Silberline operates inside the ALTANA ecosystem, ALTANA's broader portfolio of additives, sealants, and coatings raw materials provides the relevant comparison set for specialty chemicals positioning and capital allocation.
- Clariant AG: Swiss specialty chemicals company with pigments and additives for coatings, plastics, and printing applications. Comparable customer base in industrial and decorative coatings, though Clariant's broader portfolio extends well beyond effect pigments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Silberline social profiles
Digital presenceSilberline compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Silberline financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Silberline leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Silberline funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Silberline M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Silberline
What does Silberline do?
Silberline manufactures aluminum and metallic effect pigments supplied to industrial customers for use in coatings, printing inks, plastics, cosmetics, and additive manufacturing applications. The company sells a portfolio of branded pigment products, including the Silbercote line and the MASTERSAFE pellet portfolio, with formulations engineered for regulatory compliance (such as BPA-NI and mineral oil-free systems) and specific end-use requirements such as EN 9100-certified supply for aerospace and 3D printing.
Is Silberline a public or private company?
Silberline is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Silberline founded?
Silberline was founded in 1945. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Silberline based?
Silberline is headquartered in Tamaqua, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Silberline's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ECKART (ALTANA Group), Toyo Aluminium K.K. and Carl Schlenk AG. Broad incumbents are Merck KGaA (Performance Materials / Surface Solutions), BASF Coatings / BASF Colors & Effects, Sun Chemical (DIC Group), Heubach Group, DIC Corporation, ALTANA AG and Clariant AG.
Does Silberline have an API?
No public API is recorded for Silberline.
What industry is Silberline in?
Silberline's product category is Specialty Effect Pigments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAGAB, Industrial & Protective Coatings, with a secondary code of IMAEAGAF, Packaging & Can Coatings. Its NAICS code is 32513 and its SIC code is 2890.