Rockwood to acquire leading pigments producer

Headquartered in Comines, France, Holliday is a leading manufacturer of inorganic ultramarine pigments used for a variety of cosmetics products, most commonly in color make-up.

Rockwood says that Holliday will become a part of its Color Pigments division, which, as well as the cosmetics industry, also supplies the plastics, coatings and inks sectors.

Boosting color pigments​

The addition of Holliday, which had a sales turnover of €34.7m in the 2007 financial year, is expected to make a significant addition to the company's top-line in the 2009 financial year.

Rockwood currently has a sales turnover of $3bn and a global sales force of 9,000, making it one of the world's leading speciality chemical and advanced materials companies.

"The addition of Holliday Pigments is an excellent fit for us,"​ said Seifi Ghasemi, Rockwood's chairman and CEO.

Bolt-on acquisition​

"It is a business with strong technical leadership and excellent growth prospects in diverse markets. This is an excellent bolt-on acquisition for Rockwood and an important addition to the Rockwood Color Pigments product line."​

Ultramarine pigment is bright blue in color, primarily consisting of an aluminum and sodium silicate that may also contain sulfides or sulfates.

This pigment is often used to create a range of electric or bright blue shades for eye shadow, which have proved to be increasingly popular in recent seasons.