Pigment producer Sun Chemical (Parsippany, New Jersey / USA; www.sunchemical.com) and its parent company DIC Corporation (Tokyo / Japan; www.dic-global.com) say they have reached a definite agreement to acquire Austrian pigment specialist Benda-Lutz Werke (Nussdorf; www.benda-lutz.com). Financial details of the deal, which is expected to close in Q3 this year, were not disclosed.

Sun Chemical said the acquisition would expand its metallic effects portfolio, while simultaneously providing it with new production facilities in Austria, Poland, Russia and the US. The new sites would join Sun Chemical’s existing pigment production hub in China, and together form the basis of a new global Metallics Business unit, which will be part of its Performance Pigments division. Sun Chemical’s 8,000 employees last generated sales of about USD 3.5 bn.