John VanDerKolk is a District Sales Manager at ChromaScape with a strong background in the
paper industry. He plays a vital role in managing key accounts, overseeing sales activities, providing technical support and driving new business development in the Great Lakes region.

Laura Sonedecker, Technical Manager at ChromaScape, oversees all R&D and technical activities related to pigment dispersions and manages our state-of-the-art, R&D lab in Stow, Ohio. In this capacity, Laura directs the efforts of a skilled team, comprised of a chemist and a chemical engineer, ensuring the seamless execution of various projects and initiatives.

Scott Eisenmann, Director of Sales for ChromaScape, is responsible for the sales growth of our carbon black dispersions and many colorants going into the Paper, Ink, Asphalt Sealer and other Specialty business segments for North and South America.

Barbara Lukasik, Colorants Lab Manager at ChromaScape, has a wide range of responsibilities from managing customer requests, running colorant schools on the intricacies of coloration in the paper industry, to collaborating with customers on a multitude of issues.

Leonidas "Leo" Kyriazis, Senior R&D Scientist at ChromaScape, is responsible for new product development, all technology transfer within the company and for building our new chemical synthesis and technical support lab in Piedmont, South Carolina.

During his career at ChromaScape, Leo has spearheaded global chemical projects, created complex formulations and strengthened our relationships with raw material suppliers. He has personally designed and managed state-of-the-art R&D laboratories in Europe and the United States and is ensuring our new Piedmont Tech Center will be a major achievement. Leo has a strong record of scaling lab formulas to production and improving production processes. Adept
at regulatory compliance and ERP integration, he has overseen the successful integration of company-wide processes while optimizing operational efficiency.

Leo holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, a Master of Business Administration from UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki/National Hellenic Research Foundation.

Leo was born on the picturesque Euboea Island in Greece. He and his wife Anna live in Huntersville, NC, and they have two grown daughters, Christina and Pinelopi. He is also the proud grandfather to two, cherished grandchildren.

Leo is an enthusiast of sea activities, he finds solace and excitement in exploring the open waters. His love for the ocean parallels his fascination with history; he is an avid history buff, delving into the stories and lessons of the past.

ChromaScape recognizes that our people are an impressive differentiator. As a result of our acquisitions, we have increased our bench strength and expanded our collective knowledge and expertise.

Published in International Paper Board Industry - North American Special Issue - Spring 2023 

In the Summer of 2022, ChromaScape acquired CEL Chemical. Based in Piedmont, South Carolina, CEL Chemical is a manufacturer of adhesives, additives, modifiers and enhancers used in the corrugated industry. CEL Chemical’s products allow manufacturers to create more-durable, waterproof corrugated board at higher throughput rates and with reduced waste.

Exceptional Waterproof Bond, With Highest Solids On The Market

Customer Challenge

Customer struggled with warehouse space to accommodate chemical inventory. They needed options to reduce water in the starch batch and to lower costs.

A Better Way to Cook Starch, Increase Throughput and Control Costs

Customer was experiencing poor manufacturing efficiency with an unsafe borax and caustic feed
system, along with cleanliness issues in the starch kitchen. There was also an unacceptable amount of waste generated in the process leading to reduced profitability.

Quality dyes help paper manufacturer improve products, operations

In 1999, Republic Paperboard opened a new papermill and started producing stronger, lighter gypsum paper for wallboard products. They worked with various colorant suppliers over the years, but were disappointed by the dye quality and technical support they received. Republic needed a partner who could produce high-quality standard and specialty colors while helping
them shorten the scale up to production. In 2013, they turned to ChromaScape for assistance and have been a valued and loyal customer ever since.