Lechler

Lechler is an Italian paints and coatings manufacturer whose history combines German origins with more than a century of development in Italy. The business traces its origins to Christian Lechler und Sohn Nachfolger, established in Stuttgart in 1858 by the chemist and pharmacist Christian Lechler. His son, Paul Lechler, expanded the enterprise before selling it in 1878 to concentrate on other chemical and spraying-technology activities. The company’s long continuity has been associated with a succession model in which ownership remained connected to the business while operational leadership was often entrusted to managers developed inside the organisation. The Italian story began in 1889, when the German company opened a subsidiary at Ponte Chiasso near Como. Under the direction of the German engineer Ermanno Spindler, the subsidiary supplied small retailers, professional users, and businesses applying coatings to iron and wood. Early applications included coaches, railway wagons, carriages, tramcars, and furnishings. In 1910, after the German parent decided to close the subsidiary, three employees—Brizzolara, La Regina, and Rizzi—worked with Banco Edoardo Clerici and other financiers to acquire and continue the operation. The partnership Chr. Lechler & Figlio Successori was formed in Como in February 1910, making the Italian business independent. The new ownership introduced a more industrial production model. Electricity and machinery were adopted, laboratory capabilities were strengthened through specialist recruitment, and the company redesigned its identity around the Lechler name and an eagle emblem. During the 1920s, Lechler moved from formulations based largely on linseed oil, natural resins, and mineral pigments toward synthetic raw materials. It developed Lechleroid, described as the first Italian coating product based on nitrocellulose, offering rapid drying, spray application, and a broad colour range. The company also introduced Syntex synthetic-resin enamels as alkyd resins became available. Technical renewal continued under Onnik Manoukian, who joined the company in 1925 as technical director and led much of its chemical development, together with manager Aldo Bruschi. After the Second World War, Lechler expanded through a network of sales agents covering the Italian market, relying heavily on product performance and personal relationships with distributors and users. From the 1950s onward, new resin technologies supported products such as Isofan for vehicle refinishing, Dermophan for leather, and Acriplast systems for plastics used in automotive and interior-design applications. The 1970s brought a more systematic form of modernisation. Noubar Manoukian and Renato Bruschi, sons of the owners, entered management, while the company expanded its technical staff, laboratory resources, production facilities, and use of information technology. Formulation and colour inventories were integrated into systems designed to support diversified product ranges and tinting equipment. Product families associated with this period included Isofan, BSB, Extralucido, Isoakryl, and RS systems. During the 1990s, Lechler opened a production site in Foligno. The facility initially focused on home-decoration and construction products and was later expanded for water-based products. The company also developed a European presence through offices in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany, followed by a broader international distributor network. Environmentally oriented automotive-refinish products such as Hydrofan and Macrofan were introduced, alongside multipurpose systems for industrial and decorative uses, including Lechsys and DAC. In the 2000s, Lechler became a joint-stock company and reorganised its activities around Refinish, Industry under the Lechler Tech designation, Decorative under the Chrèon brand, Yachting following the acquisition of Stoppani, and Habitat following the acquisition of IVE. Beyond commercial co…

Lechler’s history begins in Stuttgart in 1858 with the establishment of Christian Lechler und Sohn Nachfolger by Christian Lechler, a chemist and pharmacist. The company developed within the German chemical and spraying-technology environment, and Christian’s son Paul later expanded the business. Paul sold it in 1878 to focus on other chemical ventures. The enterprise’s long-term continuity was shaped by a combination of owner involvement and internally developed management, with family members periodically returning to leadership after long intervals. The Italian branch was opened in Ponte Chiasso, Como, in 1889. It initially served local and professional users applying coatings to metal and wood, including manufacturers and maintainers of coaches, railway wagons, carriages, tramcars, and furnishings. Ermanno Spindler, a German engineer, managed the subsidiary during its early years. When the German parent chose to close the operation, three employees—Brizzolara, La Regina, and Rizzi—organised an acquisition with financial support arranged through Banco Edoardo Clerici. In February 1910, Chr. Lechler & Figlio Successori was established in Como and assumed ownership and management of the Italian business. The independent Italian company began industrialising production through electricity, machinery, and a more developed laboratory. It also refreshed the brand identity by pairing the Lechler name with an eagle symbol. In the second half of the 1920s, the company transitioned from natural-oil and natural-resin formulations toward synthetic chemistry. Lechleroid, a fast-drying sprayable nitrocellulose coating, became an important development for vehicle applications, while Syntex synthetic-resin enamels reflected the emergence of alkyd technology. Onnik Manoukian joined Lechler in 1925 as technical director after studying chemistry at Zurich Polytechnic. Alongside Aldo Bruschi, he became part of the leadership transition that took place from 1929 to 1944 and guided the company’s technical renewal. After the Second World War, Lechler expanded across Italy through a compact sales-agent network. Its commercial reputation was built primarily through the performance of its products and close relationships with distributors and professional users rather than through extensive mass-market advertising. The arrival of new resins in the 1950s and 1960s widened the portfolio. Isofan became associated with vehicle painting, Dermophan with leather coating, and Acriplast with plastics used in automotive and interior-design applications. In the 1970s, Noubar Manoukian and Renato Bruschi joined the management structure as representatives of the owner families. The company added technical personnel and graduates, strengthened its facilities, and introduced information technology to research, production, finance, formulation, and colour management. Its systems increasingly supported broad product and colour ranges as well as tinting equipment. The 1990s marked another stage of expansion. A Foligno production site was opened for home-decoration and construction products and later developed water-based production capability. Lechler established offices in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany, then extended its reach through international distributors. Its product development included the environmentally oriented Hydrofan and Macrofan refinish systems and multipurpose industrial and decorative platforms such as Lechsys and DAC. In the 2000s, the company adopted a joint-stock structure and organised its business into Refinish, Industry or Lechler Tech, Decorative or Chrèon, Yachting through Stoppani, and Habitat through IVE. Lechler also developed a specialist role in historic-vehicle preservation through collaboration with ASI, the Historic Car and Motorcycle Club of Italy. Their research and colour-standardisation work resulted in an official registry of historic motorcycle colours. Artistic collaborations with Fabrizio Musa, Mariko Mori, Marco Della Torre, and Raymundo Sesma further demonstrated the company’s ability to develop application-specific coatings. Overall, Lechler evolved from a regional paint operation into a diversified coatings group with automotive, industrial, decorative, marine, construction, restoration, and colour-system activities.

1. 2000Business reorganised into specialist sectors

   The company adopted a joint-stock structure and organised activities across refinish, industry, decorative, yachting, and habitat coatings.

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2. 1990Foligno site and European expansion

   Lechler opened a production facility in Foligno and expanded through offices in several European countries and a wider distributor network.

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3. 1920Synthetic coating development begins

   Lechler shifted progressively toward synthetic raw materials and developed nitrocellulose and synthetic-resin coating lines.

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4. 1910Italian business becomes independent

   Employees and local financiers formed Chr. Lechler & Figlio Successori in Como and took over the Italian operation.

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5. 1889Italian subsidiary opened in Ponte Chiasso

   The German company established an Italian subsidiary near Como, initially serving professional and industrial users of coatings for metal and wood.

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6. 1878Paul Lechler sells the German business

   Paul Lechler sold the business to his principal collaborators while pursuing other chemical and spraying-technology activities.

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7. 1858Stuttgart predecessor established

   Christian Lechler established Christian Lechler und Sohn Nachfolger in Stuttgart, creating the historical origin of the Lechler business.

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A technically oriented coatings specialist combining automotive-refinish expertise, industrial and decorative systems, colour management, and specialist restoration knowledge.

• LechleroidAutomotive and general-purpose coatings

  Introduced during the 1920s transition to synthetic chemistry, Lechleroid was a nitrocellulose-based coating designed to dry quickly, accept spray application, and provide a broad range of colours. It represented an early Italian move toward modern vehicle and industrial coating technology.

• SyntexSynthetic-resin enamels

  Syntex was a family of coloured synthetic-resin enamels developed as alkyd resins became commercially available. The line formed part of Lechler’s interwar shift away from formulations based mainly on natural oils, resins, and pigments.

• IsofanAutomotive refinish coatings

  Isofan is a vehicle-painting product family associated with Lechler’s adoption of polyurethane resin technology during the 1950s and 1960s. It became one of the company’s recognised names in automotive refinishing.

• DermophanLeather coatings

  Dermophan was developed for coating leather and illustrates Lechler’s expansion beyond vehicle paint into specialised substrate applications during the post-war period.

• AcriplastPlastic coatings

  Acriplast and related products were designed for coating plastic components, including plastics used in automotive and interior-design contexts. The family reflected Lechler’s response to new material demands in manufacturing.

• HydrofanWater-based automotive refinish

  Hydrofan is an environmentally oriented automotive-refinish product line developed during Lechler’s 1990s product and research expansion. Its water-based positioning addressed the industry’s movement toward lower-impact coating systems.

• MacrofanAutomotive refinish coatings

  Macrofan is a refinish line introduced during the 1990s, when Lechler was expanding its automotive technology and developing newer coating systems alongside Hydrofan.

• LechsysIndustrial and decorative coating system

  Lechsys is a multipurpose system intended for industrial and decorative applications. It belongs to the group of formulation and colour platforms developed to support varied coating requirements and tinting equipment.

• DACIndustrial and decorative coating system

  DAC is a multipurpose coating system associated with Lechler’s 1990s expansion into industrial and decorative applications and its development of more sophisticated colour and formulation platforms.

• Lechler-ASI Official Registry of Historic Motorcycle ColoursColour reference and restoration service

  Created through Lechler’s collaboration with ASI, the registry organises historical motorcycle colours by manufacturer, model, and production year. It supports the research, preservation, and standardisation of restoration colour schemes.

• 1990Historic vehicle colour research with ASI

  Italy · International restoration community

  Lechler began working with ASI, Italy’s Historic Car and Motorcycle Club, on identifying, preserving, and standardising original paint colours and coating cycles for historic vehicles.

  Outcome. The collaboration led to the Lechler-ASI Official Registry of Historic Motorcycle Colours, organised by make, model, and manufacturing year.

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• 2000Reorganise around specialist business areasStrategy

  The company’s expanding portfolio included automotive, industrial, decorative, yachting, and habitat applications.

  What changed. Lechler reorganised as a joint-stock company with business areas covering Refinish, Lechler Tech, Chrèon, Stoppani, and IVE-related activities.

  Aftermath. The structure positioned the group as a diversified coatings business rather than a single-segment paint manufacturer.

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• 1990Expand production and international distributionStrategy

  Lechler sought to broaden beyond its established Italian market and develop new coating technologies, including water-based products.

  What changed. The company opened a Foligno production site, established offices in several European countries, and expanded its international distributor network.

  Aftermath. Lechler increased its presence in decorative, construction, industrial, and automotive-refinish markets.

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• 1910Continue the Italian operation independentlyStrategy

  The German parent had decided to close its Italian subsidiary, while local employees and financiers saw an opportunity to preserve and develop the business in Como.

  What changed. Brizzolara, La Regina, and Rizzi joined with local financiers to establish Chr. Lechler & Figlio Successori and assume ownership and management.

  Aftermath. The independent company industrialised production, strengthened its laboratory, and continued the Lechler name in Italy.

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1. Lechler