Hempel News

Garry Noonan, Director, Innovation, Ardmore Shipping is candid in discussing emerging technologies and their impact on ship fuel and emissions reductions. With a fleet of product and chemical tankers under his guise, Noonan gives insights on technologies that he has seen work, as well as his thoughts on the fuel transition, which he believes won’t become mainstream until we’re well into the 2030s.While Cork, Ireland-based Ardmore Shipping, founded in 2010, is relatively new in shipping circles…

Denmark-based coatings manufacturer Hempel announced changes to its executive management team.The company appointed Peter la Cour Gormsen as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Vice President of Finance, and René Overgaard Jensen has been named Chief Transformation & Information Officer (CTIO) and Executive Vice President of Digital, Strategy & Transformation.Peter la Cour Gormsenjoins Hempel on 1 June 2023 from the position of Group CFO at GN Store Nord A/S. Prior to joining GN, he worked for Novo Nordisk, Novozymes and Chr. Hansen.

Operating on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from day one in service, the MV George III, the first of Pasha Group’s two new ‘Ohana Class’, Jones Act-qualified containerships, features a state-of-the-art engine, an optimized hull form, and an underwater propulsion system with a high-efficiency rudder and propeller. George III is the first LNG-powered vessel to fuel on the West Coast and the first to serve Hawaii. The 774-ft. Jones Act vessel surpasses the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2030 emission standards for ocean vessels.

Michael Hansen, Executive Vice President Energy & Infrastructure at Danish coatings manufacturer Hempel A/S, will succeed Lars Petersson as CEO of the company on October 15, 2022. Petersson leaves Hempel to take up the position of CEO of VELUX Group.Hansen joined Hempel in May 2017 as Chief Commercial Officer and has delivered remarkable results as a central driver of the global transformation in Hempel. Today, he is part of the Executive Group Management as Executive Vice President, Energy & Infrastructure.“Michael Hansen has extensive knowledge of Hempel, its markets and customers.

Hempel continued its growth trajectory in 2021, ending the year with 5.9 percent organic growth, following 10 consecutive quarters of organic growth. Total growth was 15.1 percent, despite supply chain challenges across the coatings industry. The 5.9 percent organic growth was the highest in more than 10 years, driven by strong performance in the Marine and Infrastructure segments, and stronger than expected in the face of unprecedented raw material cost increases and shortages.

With an aim of doubling its revenue to $3.4B by 2025, Hemple announced a reorganization in its executive ranks to fulfill the mission.“I’m thrilled to announce today’s changes,” said Lars Petersson, Group President & CEO. “My new leadership team will lead a new way of working at Hempel - we have organised our business in an even more customer-focused structure, which will unleash potential and energy from the organization to deliver on our Double Impact strategy.”Hempel’s commercial activities are now organised into key segments: Marine…

Hempel announced an ambitious strategy to double its revenue by 2025, with a focus on innovation, digitalization and sustainability. Michael Hansen, EVP & Chief Commercial Officer and Dorthe Scherling Nielsen, Head of Sustainability & Government Affairs discuss the path ahead.The year 2020 defined by COVID-19 presented historic challenges for many industries, and even companies such as Hempel – with a 105-year history – were not exempt. While the pandemic was (and continues to be for some) all consuming, it is far from the sole challenge for maritime companies today.

Coatings manufacturer Hempel has completed the acquisition of Wattyl Australia and New Zealand, increasing its footprint in Australia and New Zealand.On 18 February 2021, Hempel A/S signed an agreement to acquire leading paint and coatings manufacturer Wattyl Australia and New Zealand from The Sherwin-Williams Company, the world’s largest paint and coatings company and headquartered in the United States.Hempel received formal customary approval from the relevant authorities in Australia and New Zealand and the acquisition was closed on 31 March.

Hempel opened its new Campus, which includes a newly constructed office building and a state-of-the art R&D facility. Hempel Campus is unique in its architectural approach and is the international headquarters for the Hempel Group.“We are very excited to move into our Hempel Campus, which is a modern, international workplace and architecturally attractive. It is based on our vision of how we want to work together in teams and cross-functionally. Our new facilities reflect our culture and give us the perfect work environment enabling us to deliver on our ambitious strategy and growth targets…

Hempel A/S has launched its new sustainability framework dubbed Futureproof, an initiative that lies at the heart of the companies strategy to double its revenue by 2025 while dramatically cutting its carbon footprint and that of its clients across industrial sectors.“We believe that placing sustainability at the heart of how we do business is essential for our ambition to double the company. Our customers expect more sustainable solutions and today's and tomorrow's employees want to work for companies that have a clear and progressive position on sustainability.

Alexander Enström joins Hempel to lead its new global marine organization, effective February 1, 2021.With a strategic ambition to double revenue by 2025, Hempel is keen to build on its position in the marine segment, adjusting its marine organization to ensure it can better serve global marine customers with the full range of coatings and services.“At Hempel, we want to create long-term partnerships with our customers in order to support their needs and sustainability journeys," said Hempel CEO Lars Petersson. "Marine customers are becoming more global.

In a recent study that I-Tech conducted with U.K. independent marine coatings consultants, Safinah Group, we estimated that unacceptable levels of hard fouling, predominantly barnacles, across the global commercial could be responsible for at least 110 million tons of excess carbon emissions, with a significant proportion of the fleet suffering from a severe level of hard fouling.It’s a growing risk for owners; in the last few years biofouling has been thrust into the spotlight…

Hempel announced an ambitious strategy to double its revenue by 2025, with a strong focus on innovation and digitalization.Hempel has faced its fair number of challenges over its 105 year history, with COVID-19 and the year 2020 presenting historic challenges in the global supply of coatings. Hempel is taking the opportunity to devise and enact a new strategy on how to focus the company over the next five years, aiming to double revenue through refocused geographical priorities…

Pernille Fritz Vilhelmsen has been appointed Executive Vice President & Chief People & Culture Officer and member of the Executive Management Board in Hempel A/S. She succeeds Peter Kirkegaard, a 13-year veteran of Hempel who has accepted a new opportunity outside Hempel as Chief Human Resource Officer in Haldor Topsoe A/S.Pernille has been Talent Management Director at Hempel since she joined from Maersk Line in 2017, and she has delivered remarkable results in a few years.“Pernille is professional…

Global coatings company Hempel announced Todd Cottrell will take over as the company’s new Group Vice President for North America and a member of Hempel’s Operational Management Board.Hempel is an important player on the North American coatings market, with a leading position in the wind tower industry and a growing business in many other areas, including infrastructure, rail and marine. Originally from Detroit, Cottrell will be responsible for further improving Hempel’s position in selected markets and industries in the region.Lars Petersson…

Hempel's new Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Katarina Lindström officially stepped into her new role on August 1.As a member of the company’s Executive Management Board, Lindström will play a central role in driving Hempel’s strategy. The company has an ambition to double in size in the next five years, and Lindström will lead Hempel’s strategic agenda within operational excellence, innovation and sustainability.“The company’s growth strategy is very ambitious, but also realistic and Hempel has a strong desire to lead sustainability in the coatings industry,” she says.

Current Group Vice President for Hempel South & East Asia, Pernille Lind Olsen, becomes new Group Vice President for Hempel Europe & Africa starting on 1 July 2020. At the same time, current Finance Director for Hempel Middle East Jonathan Mercer will take over Pernille Lind Olsen’s position as Group Vice Presi-dent for Hempel South & East Asia.Olsen has been with Hempel since November 2013. Since then, she has held positions as Group Product Director, Group Product & Portfolio Director and…

Margins are tight for vessels that operate offshore or in coastal waters. Take the global offshore support vessel (OSV) market for example, it looks set to be yet another challenging year which has concerned senior executives preparing for a sixth year of downturn. Many had hoped that 2019 would be the year that marked a turning point in OSV fortunes, but the uptick hasn’t materialized, and there is renewed anxiety about what could potentially be the worst market since the 1980s.It…

As the offshore industry recovers, choosing the right hull coating for those newly activated assets will be equally important.The global offshore support vessel (OSV) market is still recovering from a protracted slump, but thankfully momentum is now returning with predictions for significant activity for OSV’s ahead. As summarized in a report by market analysts Grand View Research, projections are for the OSV market to exceed USD 71 billion by 2022 on the back of a significant increase in projects reaching final investment decision (FID) status, and a rising demand for oil and gas worldwide.

Global coatings manufacturer Hempel has launched an innovative new fouling defense system – Hempaguard MaX.This unique three-coat system provides vessels with a smoother hull. It reduces drag and results in significantly lower fuel requirements, and will deliver a guaranteed maximum speed loss* of 1.2 percent over five years. The Hempaguard MaX system is applied in just three layers, meaning it can be applied more quickly, reducing time in dry dock by up to two days. The combined…

Global coatings supplier Hempel announced on October 24, that it has joined the 'Getting to Zero Coalition,' a multi-stakeholder group that aims to see the introduction of commercially viable zero emission shipping vessels by 2030.In 2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50 per cent by 2050 compared to 2008 levels. At the same time, the IMO will pursue efforts to eliminate emissions from shipping altogether – the full decarbonization of the industry.For this to be possible…

Nigel Shewring is Hempel Group’s new Research & Development Director. He provided Maritime Reporter & Engineering News insights on the future pace and direction of coatings technology.Nigel Shewring has spent his professional life on the R&D side of the coatings industry, starting in 1996 as a bench chemist developing liquid coatings for general industrial applications, moving later into the research and development of foul release coatings. For the last 15 years he has been leading…

Katarina Lindström will join Hempel as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer from August 1, 2020 as the coatings manufacturer aims to double in size.As Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (COO), Katarina Lindström will be a member of Hempel’s Executive Management Board.As part of its long-term growth strategy, Hempel is making significant investments in innovation and sustainability, while strengthening its supply chain and manufacturing footprint, particularly in Asia-Pacific.