History of Sun Chemical Ltd., branch Coates Lorilleux in Niederwangen BE

The first branch office was established in 1897, when the Ch. Lorilleux & Cie printing ink factory, founded in Paris in 1818, opened a branch enterprise for printing inks in the city of Berne. Initially it was just thought to be the one Swiss sales office of Ch. Lorilleux & Cie’s 60 “succursales” and “dépots”. When starting their own production of printing inks in 1935, the company relocated to the Engehalde in Berne.

In 1970, a new building was erected in the green meadow of the newly created industrial area in Niederwangen, Köniz municipality.
In1981, the building of an extension for the production of solvent and water-based liquid inks and adequate laboratories became necessary.

In 1988, the then called Lorilleux International merged with the English Coates Brothers to the Coates Lorilleux group. After phases of nationalization and re-privatisation in the 80's in France, Coates Lorilleux became a part of the Total petroleum company in 1991.

In 1993, this branch was one of the first enterprises of the Swiss printing ink industry introducing the ISO 9001 Quality Management System

As a consequence of the acquisition of Coates Lorilleux by Sun Chemical in 1999, the offset production of Sun Chemical Zurich was transferred to Coates Lorilleux in Niederwangen at the beginning of 2001.

2002 saw the inauguration of a new warehouse cum forwarding department. The ever increasing requirements for product developments necessitated in several stages the construction, of new buildings for laboratories. In the same year, the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System was introduced as well.

“Sun Chemical Ltd., branch Coates Lorilleux” was introduced as new company name following the legal merging in 2004.

In 2006, Sun Chemical Schweizerhall’s production and technology were transferred to Niederwangen, entailing here a simultaneous and considerable modernization of the production facilities. Also new production and laboratory premises had to be built for the integration of their screen printing ink production.