CPAC Corporate Profile

CPAC, Inc., headquartered in Leicester, New York, was founded in 1969 as Computerized Pollution Abatement Corporation to address pollution control problems in the photographic industry. Thomas N. Hendrickson, President and CEO, believed that photofinishers could profitably remove pollutants from photographic processing effluent to meet environmental regulations. Pollution reduction would also allow the reuse of some chemicals, further cutting customers' operational costs and chemical waste.

In 1981, CPAC expanded its services by providing silver refining services and entered into a joint venture with a Salt Lake City, Utah silver refinery forming a 50% owned subsidiary company called Profit Recovery Systems (PRS, Inc.) Headquartered in Leicester, New York, PRS became a wholly owned subsidiary of CPAC in 1988 and the exclusive marketing organization for Trebla Chemical Co., PRS Refining Services, and CPAC Equipment Division.

CPAC acquired Trebla Chemical Company in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1984. Many Trebla photographic processing chemicals are unique formulations, optimized for use with CPAC desilvering and chemical recycling equipment.

In 1988, CPAC acquired Allied Photo Products Co., Inc., headquartered in Norcross, Georgia. Renamed Allied Diagnostic Imaging Resources, Inc. in 1993, the company manufactures chemicals for the medical, dental and industrial X-ray markets, graphic arts and microfilm industries.

CPAC Equipment Division, located in Leicester, New York, is a manufacturer of silver recovery/pollution control systems and chemical mixers for the photo lab market. CPAC acquired IMG Photo Products in 1989, a maker of silver recovery units and chemical mixers for medical and graphic arts customers. In 1990, IMG's manufacturing operation was consolidated with the Leicester facility to form the CPAC Equipment Division.

In recent years, CPAC has established international chemical manufacturing facilities. CPAC Europe, N.V., Belgium, makes photographic chemicals and sells CPAC equipment, and CPAC Italia, S.r.l. manufactures color and black and white chemicals for the photographic, medical and graphic arts markets. CPAC products are also marketed through distributors nationally and internationally.

CPAC's long-term goal is to become a world leader in the manufacture, packaging and distribution of specialty chemicals, and to acquire and develop brand names. In 1994, CPAC began its diversification strategy by acquiring The Fuller Brush Company, Inc. of Great Bend, Kansas. Fuller makes a wide variety of specialty chemicals and cleaning products for the industrial and household consumer markets. In 1995, CPAC signed an agreement to license the trademarks and formulas of Stanley Home Products. Similar to the Fuller Brush line, Stanley also has an expanded line of personal care products.

In July, 1997, CPAC purchased certain assets of IVAX Industries to form Cleaning Technologies Group (CTG), a combination of Fuller's commercial cleaning division and the former IVAX janitorial chemicals business. Headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, CTG markets more than 200 chemical products for janitorial and commercial cleaning, has more than fifty trademarks, and operates as a division of Fuller Brush.

In December 1997, CPAC signed an agreement to purchase 80% of RT Chem Corporation in South Africa, a distributor of photographic chemicals. This new entity has been named CPAC Africa (Pty) LTD and operates as a subsidiary of CPAC Europe, N.V. The facility will be upgraded to produce CPAC brand and private-label solutions for customers in sub-Sahara Africa, becoming the only photographic chemical manufacturer on the continent. In September 1998, ground was broken for CPAC Asia Limited, a facility in Bangkok, Thailand that began to manufacture and distribute CPAC brand and private label photographic chemistry in the Pacific Rim in Spring 1999.

In April 1998, CPAC Equipment Division completed the acquisition of PerfectView^®, a manufacturer of illuminators for radiologists and other medical imaging professionals. In December 1999, the Steri-Dent Corporation, a manufacturer of dental sterilizers and vacuum suction equipment, was also acquired. Manufacturing for both was moved to the Leicester facility. Products are sold through existing dealer networks, in conjunction with the sales channels of Allied Diagnostic Imaging Resources, Inc.

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