12.13.13
Effective Jan. 1, 2014, the Pigments & Cosmetics business unit of Merck will raise the prices for selected parts of its portfolio of effect pigments, cosmetic active ingredients and other functional materials. Depending on the specific product group, the price may increase up to 10%. Customers will be informed individually of price changes for the products they buy.
Having implemented its last price increase approximately two years ago, Merck KGaA cited several reasons for this decision. First, increasing regulatory requirements are leading to higher production costs. Second, the business unit is boosting its application technology service for customers, especially with respect to functional materials. And third, prices are influenced by general cost drivers such as higher labor and raw material costs.
“We see ourselves as a long-term partner to our customers,” Inese Lowenstein, head of the Pigments & Cosmetics business unit, said. “We make investments in order to deeply understand our customer needs, provide outstanding technical application support and meet the highest quality requirements. For instance, our cosmetic pigments manufacturing already complies with EFfCI-GMP standards. Moreover, we are using a dedicated innovation management process to further develop our broad product portfolio, both through in-house research as well as alliances.”
Having implemented its last price increase approximately two years ago, Merck KGaA cited several reasons for this decision. First, increasing regulatory requirements are leading to higher production costs. Second, the business unit is boosting its application technology service for customers, especially with respect to functional materials. And third, prices are influenced by general cost drivers such as higher labor and raw material costs.
“We see ourselves as a long-term partner to our customers,” Inese Lowenstein, head of the Pigments & Cosmetics business unit, said. “We make investments in order to deeply understand our customer needs, provide outstanding technical application support and meet the highest quality requirements. For instance, our cosmetic pigments manufacturing already complies with EFfCI-GMP standards. Moreover, we are using a dedicated innovation management process to further develop our broad product portfolio, both through in-house research as well as alliances.”