Page 17: of Marine News Magazine (September 2013)

ness ? how much does it matter in coatings? In other words, is quality King? While having competitive prices is an imperative, there are many other factors that drive the overall value proposition. The factors include quality, product availability and deliv- ery, highly trained and experienced ? eld technical services, and project follow-up. In todays market, good quality is as- sumed; what separates suppliers is consistent, outstanding quality, that means delivering product that handles and per- forms the same every time and everywhere it is purchased. Product availability and delivery means that the coatings suppliers must have inventory at the correct locations and staf? ng to ensure it can be delivered when required, because the marine business is 24/7/365 globally. One of the key factors in the value proposition is the availability of highly trained and experienced ? eld technical service staff to ensure that proper procedures are followed and the correct coatings chosen for speci? c uses. Many owners would rank this as just as important as the price they are paying. Ballast Water Treatment is here. Sometimes that in- volves chemicals. Many stakeholders ? the IMO for ex-ample ? are concerned about the effect that may have on ballast tank coatings. Is Sherwin Williams address- ing that concern? If so, where are you in that process? Sherwin-Williams is well aware of the IMOs concerns, and is working through IPPIC and its PSPC Working Group with the various IMO committees to determine what levels of the various treatment chemicals we will be comfortable with. The best solution for all parties will be for the IMO to regulate the concentrations of chemicals used in approved treatment equipment and for coatings suppli- ers such as Sherwin-Williams to con? rm that our PSPC- approved ballast tank linings can tolerate those exposures. Do brown water (inland), energy (OSV / rigs) and/or larger blue water vessels tend to have different needs when it comes to coatings? If so, what drives those decisions for each? The marine market continues to become more special- ized; each of these vessel types requires entirely different approaches and coatings solutions. Inland marine requires coatings that offer ease of application, good short term durability and ease of repair. OSVs require outstanding appearance, recoatability for at-the-pier maintenance, cleanability, and thinner ? lms to control weight. Larger vessels (20,000 ton+) require tank and underwater hull sys- tems that have extreme endurance, and topsides designed for in-service crew maintenance ? and the whole system needs to be designed to the vessels drydocking cycle. All of this drives the marine coatings market to be highly techni- cal and consultative, so that the coatings supplier can ful? ll the exacting requirements of the owner. Whats been your most recent rollout of a new product? Sherwin-Williams recently received U.S. Navy approval of our commercial Ultra High Solids NSF Std 61 potable water tank lining, SherPlate PW. Approved for tanks as small as 25 gallons, SherPlate PW represents the ? rst single coat, rapid return to service potable water tank lining. Originally introduced in 2012 to the water storage market, SherPlate PW is now available for marine applications globally. Whats next? Does Sherwin-Williams have a new prod- uct coming out and if so, when can we expect it and can you tell us your targets (type of improvements and intended uses)?Sherwin-Williams will introduce SeaVoyage, a new line of antifoulings beginning late in 2013. The line consists of six new products ranging from proven self-polishing copo- lymer (SPC) technologies to high performance copper silyl acrylate copolymer coatings designed to provide long term performance and fuel savings. These products will be avail- able globally as local registration rules allow. www.marinelink.com MN 17MN Sept2013 Layout 1-17.indd 178/29/2013 11:11:32 AM