Sun Chemical to Increase Price of Inks in North America

NORTHLAKE, IL—December 1, 2006—Faced with continued increases in raw materials and operating costs, the Sun Chemical Commercial Group has announced an 8 percent price increase on its commercial and screen inks sold in North America, effective Jan. 1, 2007.

“During these challenging times we have taken many steps to reduce our operating costs in an effort to offset these increases. Sun Chemical cannot continue to absorb these increases, and therefore must pass along a portion of the actual increases taken,” said Mark J. Levin, president of the Commercial Group. “We recognize the impact this has on our customers but must take this action to protect the long-term viability of our business.”

Several factors continue to drive up costs, he said, including suppliers of key materials who are abandoning the printing ink industry in favor of more profitable outlets for their products.

At the same time, he added, Sun Chemical continues efforts to help our customers be competitive through technology innovation, continuous improvement programs such as Six Sigma and by providing industry-leading service.

About Sun Chemical
Sun Chemical, the world’s largest producer of printing inks and pigments, is a leading provider of materials to packaging, publication, coatings, plastics, cosmetics, and other industrial markets. With annual sales of approximately $4 billion, Sun Chemical has over 12,000 employees supporting customers around the world. The Sun Chemical Group of companies includes such established names as Coates, Hartmann, Kohl & Madden, and US Ink.