Optimarin Gears Up for BWMS Retrofit Wave

Optimarin is growing its staff to effectively handle the growing wave of ballast water management system refit activity.

The company, which expects to double its turnover this year, has employed Leiv Kallestad as its new CEO, allowing Tore Andersen, the incumbent, to spend his time enhancing market focus and customer service. In order to handle the expected surge in retrofit installations, expected to peak in 2022-23, Optimarin will now make plans for additional expansion, with growth in the technical and sales departments.

Optimarin has now sold 750 of its simple, flexible and market proven UV-based BWT systems, with more than 500 installed and operational. So far, around 300 of these have been retrofitted, but this is a number Andersen expects to see multiplying in the years to come.

“If we consider that, by this time last year, only around 7% of the world fleet had been fitted with BWT systems, then you can see the scale of the task ahead to ensure the IMO and USCG compliance shipowners require,” Andersen states. “The expectation is that this will lead to a huge increase in demand, and thereby influx of orders, which we believe will really take off mid next year, before peaking in 2022-23.

Kallestad joined the company as CEO this month. He has an international career track record, with wide experience within the marine, oil & gas, oil service, manufacturing and corporate finance sectors. The Norwegian native has worked in executive positions for companies such as TTS Group, Palfinger Marine/Harding, Roxar, Kverneland Group, TORP LNG, Exxon Mobil, Conoco Phillips and SR-Bank Markets.

Andersen will now move across into the role of Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing.