What Preflex does

Preflex S.A.S. is a Colombian specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1982 and headquartered in Bogotá, operating manufacturing plants in Soacha (Colombia) and Guatemala City plus regional commercial offices in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Ecuador. The company formulates and produces resins (acrylic, alkyd, epoxy, urea-formaldehyde, styrene-acrylic, vinyl-acrylic, polyurethane), adhesives (water-based, solvent-based, hot melt, contact cements), coatings and varnishes (water-based, solvent-based, UV-curable), printing inks (lithographic, flexographic, UV), photopolymer printing plates, and textile auxiliaries (lubricants, detergents, stabilizers, enzymes, dispersants, defoamers, leveling agents). The product portfolio is distributed across 14 owned sub-brands — including Boxer (retail/DIY), Pegaucho (footwear), Best Carton and Aquaink (graphic arts), Premacol (wood/furniture), Resiflex and Resitex (textile resins), Bondex (contact cements), and Biopal/Bioalca/Bioclean/Stantex (textile processing) — each targeting a distinct industrial vertical or price tier.

The company serves 11 industrial verticals: paints and coatings, packaging (corrugated, folding cartons, paper bags, tissue), graphic arts (lithography, flexography, offset, screen, wide-format printing, lamination, bookbinding), footwear and leather goods, furniture and wood, textiles, construction, automotive, mattresses and foams, and home/general purpose. Customer applications emphasize high-speed production environments where adhesive set time, bond durability, and substrate compatibility are critical — for example, hot melts for edgebanding, contact cements for footwear lasting, and UV-curable inks for label and folding carton finishing.

Preflex operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market through direct technical and commercial teams that provide formulation advice and customized products, supplemented by industry-segmented product catalogs on its website, a B2B e-commerce portal for select product lines, and content marketing on industry trends (sustainable packaging, eco-friendly paints, textile auxiliaries). The Boxer sub-brand reaches retail/DIY consumers through hardware stores and distributors, while the remainder of revenue is generated through one-time product sales to industrial manufacturers with no disclosed subscription, licensing, or usage-based pricing.

Name

Preflex

Legal name

PREFLEX S.A.S.

Website

https://preflex.com.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Preflex S.A.S. is a Colombian specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1982 that formulates and sells resins, adhesives, coatings, inks, varnishes, printing plates, and textile auxiliaries to industrial customers across paints, packaging, graphic arts, footwear, furniture, textiles, construction, automotive, and mattress verticals in five Latin American countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Industrial Chemicals

NAICS

Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255), Printing Ink Manufacturing (325910)

SIC

Adhesives & Sealants (2891)

akta.pro primary industry

Adhesives & Sealants Chemicals (IMAEABAA)

Keywords

• Industrial adhesives
• Specialty chemical resins
• Water-based adhesives
• UV-curable printing inks
• Textile auxiliaries

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin 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. Specialty Chemicals Manufacturing and Sales: Preflex manufactures and commercializes resins, adhesives, and coatings to industrial customers across Latin America. Products are sold directly to manufacturers in paints, packaging, footwear, furniture, textiles, graphic arts, construction, and automotive sectors. Revenue is generated through product sales with no mention of subscription or usage-based models.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Preflex formulates, manufactures, and sells specialty industrial chemicals including water-based, solvent-based, and hot melt adhesives; acrylic, alkyd, and epoxy resins; UV-curable inks and varnishes; flexographic printing plates; and textile auxiliaries. The company serves industrial manufacturers across paints and coatings, packaging, graphic arts, footwear and leather goods, furniture and wood, textiles, construction, automotive, and mattresses and foams, with both standard and customized formulations tailored to specific production lines and substrates.

Product overview

Preflex is a Colombian manufacturer and supplier of industrial chemical products including resins, adhesives, coatings, inks, and auxiliaries for multiple industries. The company operates across 11 industry segments (paints, packaging, graphic arts, footwear/leather goods, furniture/wood, textiles, construction, automotive, mattresses/foams, and general purpose) and offers products across 10 technology categories (textile finishes, adhesives, footwear auxiliaries, textile auxiliaries, varnishes, printing plates, surface primers, resins, inks, and digital substrates). The product portfolio includes sub-brands Boxer (household adhesives), Pegaucho (footwear adhesives), Maestral, Recol, and Best Carton (inks), as well as specific product lines like Premacol (wood adhesives), Resiflex/Resitex (textile resins), Bioclean/Bioalca/Biopal (textile auxiliaries), and various adhesive and coating formulations. The company also operates manufacturing plants in Colombia (Bogotá and Soacha), Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Ecuador.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Boxer: Brand for adhesives for repairs in industrial and home applications
• Pegaucho
• Maestral
• Recol
• Best Carton
• Aquaink
• Premacol
• Bondex
• Resitex
• Resiflex
• Bioalca
• Bioclean
• Biopal
• Stantex

Products and services

• Water-based Adhesives (Adhesivos Base Agua) A broad portfolio of water-based adhesives for industrial applications including packaging (corrugated carton, folding cartons, paper bags), graphic arts (lamination, bookbinding), construction (PVC flooring, artificial turf), and mattress/foam manufacturing. Serves industrial manufacturers requiring low-VOC, fast-setting adhesives.
• Solvent-based Adhesives (Adhesivos Base Solvente) High-performance solvent-based adhesives for demanding industrial applications including footwear assembly, automotive interior trim, and wood processing. Sold primarily through the Pegaucho brand (Cemento 396, Cemento 400, Cemento 400 LV, Cemento Silver) for footwear and leather goods manufacturers.
• Hot Melt Adhesives (Adhesivos Hot Melt) Hot melt adhesives for edgebanding, bookbinding (spine bonding), and packaging applications on high and medium speed production lines. Includes Premelt 21922 and Premelt 21314 for PVC and ABS edgebanding, and Premelt E-2718 for book and magazine spine bonding.
• Water-based Resins (Resinas Base Agua) Water-based acrylic and styrene-acrylic resins (Resiflex product family) for paint formulations including architectural coatings, enamels, anticorrosive coatings, and pressure-sensitive adhesives. Also includes Resiflex FX 550 MP for elastomeric waterproofing coatings and Resiflex Ral 50, AT 160, ATC 856 for cold lamination and label applications.
• Solvent-based Resins (Resinas Base Solvente) Solvent-based alkyd and acrylic resins for industrial paint formulations including road marking, automotive coatings, high-gloss enamels, varnishes, and anti-corrosion systems. Includes Alkiflex 240 AL, Alkiflex 224 H, Alkiflex 290 MS, Alkiflex 415, Autoflex 7050/7052, Resicril 3155, Resimeb D, and Resiflex UFI 60P.
• Epoxy Resins and Coatings (Resinas Epóxicas) Two-component epoxy coatings for moisture control in floor installations and construction surface preparation, including Control De Humedad product for creating moisture barriers against subfloor vapor.
• Best Carton Lithographic Inks (Tintas Best Carton) Oil-based inks designed for conventional lithographic printing processes, available in CMYK colors and metallics. Sold through the Best Carton B2B portal for commercial printing companies.
• Aquaink Water-based Flexographic Inks Water-based inks designed for narrow-web flexographic printing processes under the Aquaink brand, serving packaging printers requiring environmentally compliant ink systems.
• Tintas UV 161 UV-curable Inks UV-curable inks designed for lithography processes, providing fast curing and high print quality for commercial printing operations.
• UV-curable Varnishes (Barnices UV) UV-curing varnishes for offset, flexographic, and screen printing applications including B 165 (flexographic gloss), B 1800 (high viscosity gloss), B 1800 Bajo Olor (low-odor), B 1400 Flex (flexible gloss), Moff (matte for waterless offset), and BUV-RR13 (screen printing gloss). Enhances folding cartons and labels finish.
• Sumei Flexographic Printing Plates (Planchas Sumei) Conventional solvent-processed flexographic printing plates for medium- and wide-web printing applications, sold through the Preflex B2B portal.
• Cosmolight Water-processed Photopolymer Printing Plates (Planchas Cosmolight) Water-processed photopolymer flexographic printing plates with flat-top dot technology for envelopes, bags, labels, and flexible packaging applications.
• Textile Auxiliaries (Auxiliares Textiles) Comprehensive range of textile processing chemicals including lubricants (Stantex S-6051), compounds (Bioclean All-In, Bioclean SSP), detergents (Bioterge MRN), stabilizers (Bioalca STR), enzymes, dispersants and leveling agents (Biopal RD), defoamers, alkalis (Bioalca FC, Cottoclarin KD), and sequestering agents for dyeing, printing, and finishing processes.
• Textile Finishes (Acabados Textiles) Textile finishing resins and binders including Resitex 190 (styrene-acrylic bonding), Resitex 453 (moisture-resistant bonding binder for apparel/footwear/automotive), Resitex 240 (polymeric binder for textile printing), Resitex PT 80 (multifunctional resin for sizing/bonding/nonwovens), and Resiflex H 55T (polymeric emulsion for natural fiber finishes).
• Surface Preparation Products (Preparadores de Superficie) Surface preparation products in powder, water-based, and solvent-based formulations for construction and footwear applications. Includes Primer PU Graso STX, Primer PU 85, Carda Rápido Caucho, Primer 396, Primer EVA UV, Primer EVA Plus, Halogenante CL 30, Limpiador AT-20, Limpiador VZ-40, Primer para Pisos, and Mástico for flooring surface preparation.
• Boxer Consumer Adhesives Brand Consumer and DIY brand for household repair adhesives including Boxer Evolución (yellow adhesive with high initial tack), Boxer 521 (yellow adhesive for industrial projects), Boxer XL Pegante Blanco (white water-based wood adhesive), Boxer XL Pegante Rosado (pink water-based wood adhesive), Clavo Mágico (acrylic adhesive for metal/glass/wood/masonry), and Adhesivo Grama Sintética (contact cement for artificial grass). Operates its own web portal at boxer.com.co.
• Pegaucho Footwear Adhesives Brand Specialty brand for solvent-based adhesives for footwear and leather goods manufacturing. Product line includes Cemento 396, Cemento Pegaucho 400, Cemento 400 LV, Cemento Silver, and Cemento para Cueros Grasos STX for starching, lasting, assembly, and outsoling processes. Operates its own web portal at pegaucho.com.
• Laminating Films (Plásticos de Laminación) Laminating films for hot and cold adhesion finishing of printed materials, sold to graphic arts and printing customers for finishing applications.
• Digital Substrates (Sustratos Digitales) Digital substrates including vinyls and banners for advertising print applications, serving wide-format printing operations.

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BoxercoreOthersBoxer is a Preflex brand targeting the retail and home/DIY market for general-purpose adhesives and repair products. It operates its own web portal at boxer.com.co, indicating brand-level digital presence and independent marketing.
• PegauchocoreOthersPegaucho is a Preflex brand specializing in solvent-based and water-based adhesives for the footwear and leather goods industry. It operates its own web portal at pegaucho.com.
• MaestralminorOthersMaestral is a Preflex brand with its own web portal at maestral.com.co. The brand's specific focus is not detailed in the available source data.
• RecolminorOthersRecol is a Preflex brand with its own web portal at recol.co. The brand's specific focus is not detailed in the available source data.
• Best CartonminorOthersBest Carton is a Preflex brand focused on printing inks for lithographic processes. It operates its own B2B web portal at preflex.com.co/best-carton/b2b, offering CMYK and metallic ink colors for conventional lithography.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sun Chemical (DIC Corporation): World's largest printing ink manufacturer, with a broad portfolio of offset, flexographic, gravure, and UV-curable inks. Directly comparable to Preflex's Best Carton (oil-based lithographic inks), Aquaink (water-based flexo), and UV 161 (UV-curable) ink lines serving graphic arts customers.
• Avery Dennison: Global manufacturer of pressure-sensitive labels, materials, and adhesive technologies, with significant operations in Latin America. Comparable to Preflex's Resiflex AT 160 and Resiflex ATC 856 water-based acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive offerings serving self-adhesive label applications.
• Flint Group: Major global supplier of printing inks, coatings, and printing plates for packaging and commercial print, with strong presence in Latin America. Directly comparable to Preflex's Best Carton and Aquaink ink brands and Sumei/Cosmolight flexographic printing plate offerings.
• Sika: Swiss specialty chemicals company with significant operations in Latin America serving construction, automotive, and industrial markets. Directly comparable to Preflex's construction (PVC flooring adhesives, geomembranes) and automotive (Bondex Mega Spray) adhesive offerings, with overlapping customer base in flooring and automotive interior trim.
• H.B. Fuller: Global industrial adhesives manufacturer serving packaging, hygiene, construction, and footwear end markets. Highly comparable to Preflex in water-based and hot melt adhesive technologies serving packaging converters and durable goods manufacturers, though H.B. Fuller is publicly listed and operates globally.
• Bostik (Arkema): Specialty adhesives business of Arkema, with strong positions in footwear, packaging, and construction adhesives globally, including Latin America. Directly comparable to Preflex's footwear (Pegaucho), packaging, and construction adhesive lines, with overlapping water-based and solvent-based chemistry platforms.

Broad incumbents

• BASF: Global chemical giant with broad resin, coating, and adhesive portfolios including acrylic and alkyd resins for paints, plus textile auxiliaries. Highly comparable to Preflex's Resiflex/Resiflex/Alkiflex/Resicril resin range for paints, automotive, and road marking, though BASF operates at much greater scale and a much broader portfolio.
• 3M: Global diversified industrial company with a substantial adhesives and specialty chemicals division serving construction, automotive, packaging, and industrial markets worldwide, including in Latin America. Comparable to Preflex in spray-applied contact adhesives, industrial adhesives, and specialty tapes, though 3M's portfolio extends well beyond specialty chemicals.
• Henkel: Global leader in industrial adhesives (Loctite, Bonderite, Pattex, Pritt) with a meaningful Latin American manufacturing and sales presence. Highly comparable to Preflex in water-based, hot melt, and solvent-based adhesive chemistries, though Henkel operates at vastly greater scale and a broader product portfolio.

Regional players

• Grupo Pochteca: Mexican-listed specialty chemicals distributor and manufacturer serving industrial customers across Latin America in adhesives, coatings, lubricants, and textile chemicals. Strongly comparable as a regional Latin American specialty chemicals peer operating in similar end markets with a multi-country distribution model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Preflex