Born from a dream.
Built to endure.
From humble beginnings, the Liquid Colours story is one of ambition, dedication and drive — shaped by an ever-changing industrial climate demanding flexibility, adaptability and an unwavering commitment to succeed.
1968
Every great story starts somewhere.
We trace our Liquid Colours genesis back to the founders' deep-seated passion and admiration for the majesty, beauty, character, power and athleticism of thoroughbreds and horse racing.
What started out as a dream to breed and race horses steadily and progressively evolved into a successful family-owned group of companies, highly respected for producing thoroughbred-quality colourants and pigment dispersions catering to a variety of industries.
More than half a century on, Liquid Colours and our holding company, Speed Bird Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd., have retained aspirations to build champion-stock products, and have diligently made our mark on both local and international turfs.
From a garage to manufacturing.
Motivated by a collective love of horse racing, the Peters family entered into a partnership with the intention of breeding thoroughbred horses.
The partnership was later replaced with the establishment of Thoroughbred Enterprises (Pty) Ltd. One horse was purchased and, in 1970, had a foal.
But the horse-breeding dream became the starting point rather than the destination. The Peters family began manufacturing and trading paint from a garage.
The paint was branded Tepyl Paints, a name generated from the initials of Thoroughbred Enterprises (Pty) Ltd.
From paint to colour technology.
As the company grew, so did its capabilities, interests and ambitions. New facilities, technologies, partnerships and businesses steadily expanded the group's footprint.
Expanding the colour network
Thoroughbred Enterprises acquired a 25% stake in Custom Colour (Pty) Ltd., the fledgling company now known as Performance Colour Systems.
Alrode Plant
The group's manufacturing footprint continued to develop as operations expanded into larger facilities.
Building the team
The Alrode operation became an important part of the group's developing manufacturing base.
A new era of chemistry
A factory was purchased in Alrode and operations moved to the new facility. The family also founded Pigment Preparations (Pty) Ltd., today known as Chemipol Solutions.
Into inks
Thoroughbred Enterprises expanded into the broader colourant markets by establishing Hi-Tech Inks (Pty) Ltd. with a 50% shareholding.
The next foundation
Further properties were acquired in Founders View South, Edenvale. These premises were developed and would become the location of the group's final plant, moved into in 2001.
Speed Bird is established
The group's interests were consolidated into Speed Bird Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd., with all group companies 100% owned.
Liquid Colours is born
Liquid Colours (Pty) Ltd. was established to focus on formulation, development and production of liquid colourant pigment dispersions.
Thoroughbred Enterprises was closed and Tepyl Paints was re-branded as Liquid Colours.
Into agriculture
Speed Bird Investment Holdings purchased a 50% share in Kannar Earth Science, an environmentally-conscious company manufacturing seed coatings and allied agricultural products.
Going international
Hi-Tech Inks expanded internationally with plants in Tanzania, India and the United Arab Emirates. The company was later sold in 2010.
Strengthening colour capabilities
Performance Masterbatch and Custom Colour were purchased from AECI Limited. Polymer Colour Systems strategically joined the two operations.
Performance Colour Systems
Performance Masterbatch, Custom Colour and Polymer Colour Systems were amalgamated to create Performance Colour Systems (Pty) Ltd.
Duco Speciality Coatings
Duco Speciality Coatings was purchased from AECI Limited, expanding the group's capabilities in the automotive refinish and light industrial coatings sector.
A stronger group
The organisation was restructured, with all companies 100% owned by Speed Bird Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd.
From a new plant to a new identity.
The Founders View premises became an important milestone in the group's manufacturing journey. The final plant was moved to the site in 2001.
It was here that Liquid Colours established its focus on the formulation, development and production of liquid colourant pigment dispersions.
The people, places and products.
From Tepyl to Liquid Colours.
In 2001, Liquid Colours (Pty) Ltd. was established to focus on the formulation, development and production of liquid colourant pigment dispersions.
Thoroughbred Enterprises was simultaneously closed, and Tepyl Paints was re-branded to Liquid Colours. This marked a significant change in the business's operational strategy.
Specialised coatings were subsequently produced for specific clients on request, building the foundations of the broader coatings capability Liquid Colours offers today.
Bringing Duco into the story.
In 2010, Duco Speciality Coatings was purchased from AECI Limited to strengthen the group's position in automotive refinish and light industrial coatings.
The acquisition brought another important dimension to the group's colour and coatings expertise.
Still building champion-stock products.
More than half a century after the first paint was manufactured from a family garage, the ambition remains: to build products with the quality, resilience and performance to compete on local and international turfs.
Explore Liquid Colours Products →
Motivated by a collective love of horse racing, the Peters family went into a partnership agreement with the intention of breeding thoroughbred horses. Later that year, the partnership was replaced with the establishment of an aptly-named company – Thoroughbred Enterprises (Pty) Ltd. One horse was purchased, and in 1970, had a foal.
It was decided that Thoroughbred Enterprises (Pty) Ltd. should be the vehicle for the family dream – rather than the destination. Breeding was taken over by the shareholders in their personal capacity. The Peters family started manufacturing and trading paint from a garage. The paint was branded Tepyl Paints, i.e. a name generated from the initials of the company, ‘Thoroughbred Enterprises (Pty) Ltd.’ They moved operations to a small factory in Germiston on the East Rand of Johannesburg that same year. The first couple of years saw the rapid growth of the company, and the facility was moved to bigger premises in Edenvale, Johannesburg.
Thoroughbred Enterprises (Pty) Ltd. acquired a 25% stake in Custom Colour (Pty) Ltd., the fledgling company, which is today Performance Colour Systems (Pty) Ltd. This share was later sold in 1985.
Alrode Plant
Alrode Alf McCreadie Group Financial Director
As the company expanded, so too did the need for new manufacturing facilities. A factory was purchased in Alrode, Johannesburg, and operations were moved to this new facility. During the same year, the family founded a chemical and pigment trading company, Pigment Preparations (Pty) Ltd., which is known today as Chemipol Solutions (Pty) Ltd.
Branching out into the broader colourant markets through ever-evolving expertise, Thoroughbred Enterprises (Pty) Ltd. started an ink manufacturing company called Hi-Tech Inks (Pty) Ltd., with a 50% shareholding.
Universal Colourants
Old Ciba Plant In Alrode
Warehouse Alrode Facility
Alrode Pigment Preparations Vehicle
Old Triple Roll In Alrode Roger And Seth
Tepyl Paint Cans
Thoroughbred Enterprises (Pty) Ltd. acquired further properties in Founders View South, Edenvale, Johannesburg. These premises were developed, and the final plant was moved in 2001. These premises still house some of the group’s operations. Liquid Colours (Pty) Ltd. was birthed to focus on the formulation, development and production of liquid colourant pigment dispersions. Thoroughbred Enterprises was simultaneously closed, and Tepyl Paints was re-branded to Liquid Colours. This marked a change in the business’s operational strategy, with Liquid Colours primarily focussing on the manufacture of liquid pigment dispersions. Specialised coatings were only made for specific clients on request.
In line with the multi-faceted expansion within Thoroughbred Enterprises (Pty) Ltd., the company consolidated its interests into a holding company named Speed Bird Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd., with all group companies 100% owned.
Founders View Plant Under Construction
Submill
Given its years of experience and expertise in the plastic colourant and additive industry, Speed Bird Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd. pioneered its own masterbatch company trading as Polymer Colour Systems (Pty) Ltd., with a 50% shareholding.
Driven by growth and the identification of a gap in the market for agricultural applications, Speed Bird Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd. purchased a 50% share in Kannar Earth Science (Pty) Ltd. – an environmentally-conscious company, sustainably manufacturing seed coatings and allied products for the agricultural industry.
Delivery Vehicles
Hi-Tech Inks (Pty) Ltd. expanded internationally, opening plants in Tanzania, India, and the United Arab Emirates/UAE. In 2010, the company was sold, and today, Hi-Tech Inks holds a market leading position, with production capacity geared to cater to a growing and demanding global market.
In order to fortify their space within the colourant industry, expand operations and product reach, Performance Masterbatch and Custom Colour (Pty) Ltd. were purchased from AECI Limited. Polymer Colour Systems (Pty) Ltd. strategically joined these dual operational forces to strengthen, support and fulfil the business’s long-term manufacturing objectives.
Shareholders Liquid Colours
Three leading brands – Performance Masterbatch, Custom Colour and Polymer Colour Systems (Pty) Ltd. were officially amalgamated to successfully create a powerful new market force named Performance Colour Systems (Pty) Ltd. Performance Colour Systems has since expanded in its own right, and has gone on to become one of the largest suppliers of masterbatches in Africa.
Bringing colour coating excellence across a range of industries, Duco Speciality Coatings was purchased from AECI Limited, to cater for the automotive refinish and light industrial coatings sector.
The organisation was restructured, and today, all companies are 100% owned by Speed Bird Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd. – a recognised name, synonymous with the multi-industrial manufacture of superior-quality colourants, through our stable of subsidiaries.