ARCOLOR develops innovative and tailor-made products for common printing processes and digital printing.
We are experts in water-based printing inks, varnishes and other auxiliaries/additives for decors, packaging, wallpaper, films and other applications.
We are a global market leader in the field of decor printing inks.
As a development partner for our customers and machine builders, we constantly work together to develop new solutions for future market and customer needs.
Our history:
| 1996 | Company founded in Waldstatt in the canton of Appenzell AR, Switzerland |
| 2007 | Acquisition of a new building in Waldstatt with state-of-the-art production facilities, laboratories and offices |
| 2011 | Arcolor Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. founded in China |
| 2019 | Quzhou Arcolor New Material Co., Ltd. founded in China with its own production facilities |
| 2020 | Completion of the new extension for production, laboratories and offices in Waldstatt |
| 2023 | Start of construction for the 20'000 m² plant in Quzhou, China |
Corporate Policy
Code of Conduct
ARCOLOR is a success-oriented company and invests continuously in its employees. We consciously promote individual self-responsibility because the performance of each individual is one of the most important contributions to the success of ARCOLOR. Teamwork is of great importance: By working with each other and with mutual respect, the best possible solutions are produced with passion.
That’s why ARCOLOR is synonymous with:
We are proud that we put our philosophy into practice every single day: Through innovation, customer service and quality, but also through sustainability and close relationship to our partners.
ARCOLOR has been recognized several times as a SWISS TOP EMPLOYER.
In recognition of our environmental responsibility, we produce as environmentally friendly as we do economically. The ecological ARCOLOR inks are water-based, practically solvent-free and contain, where possible, the natural substance casein, which is found in milk, as a binding agent. Our production processes are highly automated and optimized for high energy recovery.
Thanks to ever increasing environmental awareness, the need for water-based inks as a replacement for solvent-based systems is growing all the time.
In this area, ARCOLOR sees itself as a pioneer of sustainable economic development.
Our production has been CO2-neutral since 2016. Our photovoltaic system covers a part of our energy requirements. We compensate for the rest of the energy required by supporting a project run by the Swiss SME Clima Foundation. This includes afforestation of a fallow area in Uruguay.
Thanks to ongoing investments in the very latest technologies, ARCOLOR’s production facilities and laboratories are always state-of-the-art. Our close partnerships with technology leaders not only enable a high degree of automation with maximum quality, but also continuous access to the very latest technologies. For example, we use the most advanced measurement techniques from the fields of rheology and color metrics to ensure the quality of the inks.
In order to be able to act quickly and in a targeted manner, we attach great importance to internal communication with people at the center. Ergonomic operator solutions ensure good interaction between people and technology. The production processes are geared toward our employees. They control and monitor the processes with a high degree of self-responsibility and are responsible for the quality of our products.
We are particularly proud of the production site in Waldstatt in the picturesque Appenzellerland of Switzerland. We are very passionate about Swiss quality and innovation. We produce our products in line with the highest quality, ecological and ergonomic standards. Our company is characterized by comprehensive know-how and great flexibility in production. Continuous investments and further development have made us one of the world’s largest manufacturers of water-based printing inks. Innovative solutions for future market needs and requirements continue to inspire us.
Export from the rural municipality of Waldstatt to the whole world: This is the success story of ARCOLOR.
1996 was an eventful year: A world chess champion was defeated by a computer for the first time, and the world’s largest company merger at the time took place in Switzerland. But something also happened in Waldstatt in the canton of Appenzell: ARCOLOR was founded. We can look back on many very successful and exciting years.
The first water-based decor printing inks were produced in a small space at this rented building in Waldstatt.
Waldstatt is located in Appenzell Ausserrhoden, a small canton in eastern Switzerland. The close proximity to the Austrian and German borders, good public transport links and picturesque surroundings all make it a very attractive location.
Water-based inks and extenders were shipped to decor printing customers for the first time. This represented an important milestone.
St.Galler Kantonalbank presented ARCOLOR with the "KMUPrimus" award for outstanding small-to-mid-sized entrepreneurial achievements in the region.
Work started on the new ARCOLOR production and administration building. The property was 13,475 square meters in size.
The new modern building was ready for occupancy in spring 2007. Ever since, the address of ARCOLOR's headquarters has been: ARCOLOR AG, Urnäscherstrasse 50, 9104 Waldstatt.
ARCOLOR contributes pioneering work in the development of water-based inks for digital printing in the industrial sector and establishes a new, forward-looking business unit.
Success requires innovation. ARCOLOR establishes an additional business unit and expands its range of water-based printing inks for packaging, wallpaper, foils, adhesive tapes, etc.
ARCOLOR Trading Shanghai is founded in Shanghai. The high-quality decor printing inks become very popular in the Chinese market within a very short time.
Stringent requirements with respect to quality, environmental awareness, ergonomics and safety are prerequisites for mastering company processes. ARCOLOR receives certification pursuant to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
ARCOLOR plays its part by procuring electricity from renewable energy sources and offsetting its CO2-emissions through the reforestation of uncultivated land in Uruguay. Production has been CO2-neutral since 2016.
The best results are achieved in an environment in which employees encounter respect, creativity and passion. ARCOLOR continuously invests in its employees and achieves 3rd place in the Swiss Employer Award.
If you want to ensure success, you need to plan ahead accordingly. Work began on an extension to the building in Waldstatt in 2018. 18 million Swiss francs were set aside for this project.
In order to keep up with the rapid growth of high-quality decor printing inks, ARCOLOR opens its own production facility in China, namely Quzhou Arcolor New Material Co., Ltd. in the western part of Zhejiang Province.
After two years of construction work, the extension is opened for utilization. It provides plenty of room for research & development, application technology, production, administration and storage. The new photovoltaic system provides part of the electricity required.
ARCOLOR has been in business for 25 years. A start-up based in eastern Switzerland quickly became a global producer of water-based printing inks. At the “Swiss Employer Award 2021", ARCOLOR's employees rated the company as a top employer. They value the internal culture as well as the general conditions at the company.
Start of construction of the ARCOLOR plant in Quzhou, in Zhejiang Province. It will supply the Chinese market. The building with an area of 20,000 m² will be completed in 2024. The planned annual production is 15,000 tons. In addition to production, the site will provide space for warehouses, offices and laboratories.
