A warning first: don't click the link if you have a weak stomach. Holland Colours Americas Inc. in Richmond, Ind., is featured in this in unusual story from the Richmond Palladium-Item, courtesy of the Associated Press. It tells the story (with some interesting photos!) of Holland's role in helping to create prosthetic fingers for Richard Kinon, a South Carolina carpenter who lost two digits in an industrial accident. Holland got to use its special color-matching skills to come up with prosthetics with a very realistic matching skin tone. The coloring was hard to deal with, Kinon told the newspaper. To help get it just right, a silicone manufacturing company put him in touch with Amy Brattain, Holland Colours' industry manager.
Initially, the Holland Colours team thought they could do the skin pigment match using a photograph. They quickly realized that just like the custom colors for customers who send along a sample of what they're seeking to match, they needed to match Kinon's coloring in person. The company paid for his flight, hotel and meals for a three-day visit so he could work with the research and development team. “Everybody was very excited about helping Richard meet his goal,” Brattain said.The effort was a success, as you can see from the photographs. (Admit it, you clicked on the link just to see them!)
