Hempel Celebrates 50 Years

Hempel Farben GmbH, headquartered in Pinneberg, Germany reached a milestone, as its recently marked 50 years of service to the marine industry.

Since May 1951, when Germany had just begun to rebuild following WWII, JC Hempel established what came to be Hempel Farben (Deutschland) GmbH in Hamburg. The rapidly increasing amount of German shipowners formed a solid platform for the growth of the German Hempel company, as well as vessels of foreign shipowners calling at German ports for drydocking or loading/ discharging — thus creating a demand for marine paints. With the German shipbuilding industry reaching rapid expansion, what better time than Hempel to be called upon by Aristotle Onassis to coat a fleet of whaling vessels that the shipping magnate has placed with German shipyards. This, coupled with an order by Onassis for what were the biggest tankers in the world at that time, placed Hempel Group at the forefront of the marine paints industry.

Ten years after the company's inauguration, the demand for Hempel's marine paints to Germany increased at such a pace that supplies could no longer be covered from production abroad and through a license factory in Hamburg. In 1964, the Pinneberg production plant was established as the 14th factory within the Hempel Group.

Initially focusing solely on marine paints for newbuildings and vessels in service, the segments corrosion protection for industry and yacht paints were added in the early 1970s. The acquisition of the paint company Kemp & Wessel in 1989 was an opportunity for Hempel to enlarge its product assortment.

Hempel Germany also produces protective coatings, as well as container and yacht paints.

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